19 Ala. 659 | Ala. | 1851
The first objection to the declaration is. that it does not aver that the defendants entered upon or took possession of the land. The precedents, it is true, all contain -this averment; but I have found no case that holds such an averment indispensably necessary, except in the case of a tenancy at
The next objection is, that the declaration shows a lease from Henry B. Holcombe to tho defendants,,and a covenant on their , part to pay rent to the plaintiff; consequently that tho suit should have been in the name of Holcombe, and not in the name , of the Bank. Tho substance of the allegation is, that the defendants covenanted with the plaintiff in tho name and by the description of Henry B. Holcombe, assistant commissioner of the Branch of the Bank of the State of Alabama at Mobile, whereby the said plaintiff demised, &c., the .defendants agreeing to. pay therefor,to the plaintiff tho sum of four hundred dollars, &c, The judgment was by default, and the question is whether according to this averment the plaintiffs have the legal right to sue for the rent. I admit the rule to be, that when a deed is inter \ partes, a stranger to the deed cannot sn,e upon it, although it Vcontain an express covenant for his benefit. Thus, if A. of the One part and B. of the other., enter into a covenant, and .B. binds himself to do something; for C.’s benefit; C., not being a party to the instrument, cannot sue in his own name on this covenant, lithough he is to bo exclusively benefitted by its performance. Chitty’s PI. 2-3, and cases there cited; 3 Bos. & Pull. 149, Note A. But I cannot believe that wre should, according to this declaration, construe the covenant to bo between Holcombe and i he defendants, with an undertaking on their part to pay rent to the plaintiff; on the contrary, the covenant is alleged to he the act of the plaintiff, in the name of Henry B. Holcombe, assistant commissioner oí the Bank, and the rent is to he paid to the plaintiff. This,, at the most, can be said to be only a misnomer ; ;>f the corporation in,the contract of lease. Can the defendants avail themselves of it to avoid their contract 1 The authorities
We have looked into the supposed irregularity in the rendi- •• tion of the judgment;-but we discover none that can- avail the--" plaintiffs in error, -
Lbt the judgment ¡be affirmed.