IMPORTANT TO HOTELKEEPERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 11954, 1 May 1902, Page 5

IMPORTANT TO HOTELKEEPERS.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Dunedin, Wednesday. TnE {supreme Court to-day was engaged with the case of Laffey v. Peters, which is of importance to hotelkeepers. In November, 1900, the plaintiff leased the Gridiron Hotel to Mary Josephine Fahey and James Connelly, who transferred the dense to defendants (Margaret Peters, wife of Isaac Peters, bootmaker, and Alfred Isaac Peters, hotelkeeper), stipulating amongst other things that if the lessee should be convicted of an offence against the licensing laws the plaintiff might ie-enter. On December 4 last Alfred Peters was convicted of refusing to admit the police without unnecessary delay. Plaintiff therefore claimed £200 by way of mesne profits. The statement of defence set out) that Peters himself was not guilty of refusing to admit the police, and this was made the subject of a motion! for relict. After argument judgment was for the plaintiff for possession, with mesne profits at the rate of £200 per annum from December 6 to date, on condition that plaintiff waives any claim for rent 'under convenant. Costs on the highest scale were allowed. Mr. Hosking, for Peters, moved for relief against the forfeiture of the lease upon the grounds that the breach was committed inadvertently and through accident or mistake, etc., and that no injury happened to the tenure other than could* be compensated for in damages. Mr. Justice Williams reserved his decision.