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Northrup v. Hushard

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Fourth Department
Apr 3, 1987
129 A.D.2d 1005 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)

Opinion

April 3, 1987

Appeal from the Monroe County Court, Egan, J.

Present — Denman, J.P., Boomer, Pine, Balio and Davis, JJ.


Order insofar as appealed from unanimously reversed on the law without costs and petition dismissed. Memorandum: Where the tenant is given the option of renewing a lease for specified periods upon the same terms and conditions except for the amount of rent and the renewal clause fixes future rents at a "reasonable market value price", the renewal clause is not unenforceable for indefiniteness (Merman v The Surrey, 106 Misc.2d 941, 943; accord, Bechmann v Taylor, 80 Colo. 68, 249 P. 262; Worthington Son Mgt. Corp. v Levy, 204 A.2d 334 [DC]; State Rd. Dept. v Tampa Bay Theatres, 208 So.2d 485 [Fla], cert denied 212 So.2d 869; Edwards v Tobin, 132 Or. 38, 284 P. 562, 68 ALR 152 [1930]; Stone v Martin, 185 Tenn. 369, 206 S.W.2d 388). This is not a case where the parties have agreed to agree upon the rent at some future time (see, Martin Delicatessen v Shumacher, 52 N.Y.2d 105). Here, the parties fixed rent based upon an objective standard ascertainable by a variety of methods, including a judicial resolution. The amount of rent is, therefore, reasonably certain, and the renewal agreement is enforceable (Merman v The Surrey, supra; see also, Simpson and Duesenberg, 6 Encyclopedia New York Law, Contracts, §§ 301, 306 [1963]; 1 Corbin, Contracts § 97 [1963]; 1 Williston, Contracts §§ 41, 47 [3d ed 1957]).

Since the tenants exercised their option to renew and there is no requirement that a new lease be executed, the petition in this summary proceeding to evict must be dismissed.


Summaries of

Northrup v. Hushard

Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Fourth Department
Apr 3, 1987
129 A.D.2d 1005 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)
Case details for

Northrup v. Hushard

Case Details

Full title:MARTIN NORTHRUP, Respondent, v. JAMES N. HUSHARD et al., Appellants

Court:Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of New York, Fourth Department

Date published: Apr 3, 1987

Citations

129 A.D.2d 1005 (N.Y. App. Div. 1987)

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