and evidence of claim by each of the parties hereto on the other. And in consideration thereof, each of them, the said A. B. and C. D., does hereby, for himself and his legal representatives, release, and absolutely and forever discharge the other, of and from all claims and demands, actions, causes of action, of every name and nature, so that neither of them shall have any claim on the other, directly or indirectly, on any contract, or supposed liability, or thing undertaken, done, or omitted to be done, from the beginning of the world to this day. In testimony, &c., [as in General Release of all Demands.] Release to a Guardian. KNOW all men, &c., that A. B., &c., son and heir of B. B., deceased, hath remised, released, and forever quit-claimed, and by these presents doth remise, &c., unto C. D., of his guardian, all and all manner of action and actions, suits, reckonings, accounts, debts, dues, and demands whatsoever, which he, the said A. B., ever had, now hath, or which he, his executors or administrators, at any time hereafter, can or may have, claim, or domand, against the said C. D., his executors or administrators, for, touching, and concerning the management and disposition of any of the lands, tenements, and hereditaments of the said A. B., situate, &c., or any part thereof, or for, or by reason of, any moneys, rents, or profits by him received out of the same, or any payments made thereout, during the minority of the said A. B., or by reason of any matter, cause, or thing whatsoever, relating thereto, from the beginning of the world to the day of the date hereof. In witness, &c., [as in General Release of all Demands.] Release of Dower to the Heir. KNOW all men, &c., that I, A. B., &c., relict of B. B., late, &c., as well for and in consideration of, &c., to me paid at or before, &c., by my son, J. B., &c., (the receipt whereof I do hereby acknowl edge,) and for the love and affection which I have to my said son have granted, remised, released, and forever quit-claimed, and by these presents do, &c., unto the said J. B., his heirs and assigns forever, all the dower and thirds, right and title of dower and thirds, and all other right, title, interest, property, claim, and demand whatsoever, in law and in equity, of me, the said A. B., of, in, and to [a description of certain parcel of land, &c., and how it descended to A. B. and B.;] so that neither I, the said A. B., my heirs, executors, or administrators, nor any other person or per sons for me, them, or any of them, shall havo, claim, challenge, or demand, or pretend to have, &c., any dower or thirds, or any other right, title, claim, or demand, of, in, or to the said premises, but thereof and therefrom shall be utterly debarred and excluded forever by these presents. In witness, &c., [as in General Release of all Demands.] Release of Dower, in consideration of an Annuity given in a Will. To all persons, &c., M. N., &c., widow, relict, and residuary lega tee of J. N., late of esq., deceased, sendeth greeting: WHEREAS, the said J. N., in and by his last will and testament, duly signed, sealed, published, and declared in my presence, and with my approbation, bearing date- did settle and secure unto and upon me, the said M. N., an annuity of -, to be paid unto me half-yearly, by equal payments, in lieu and full satisfaction of the dower or thirds at common law, which I might otherwise have, claim, or be entitled unto, out of all ard every the lands, tenements, and hereditaments whatsoever of my said late husband, deceased, or of, in, to, or out of the reversion or remainder, ronts, issues, and profits thereof: Now, know ye, that I, the said M. N., for and in consideration of the said annuity so secured to me as aforesaid, and in pursuance and part performance of the said last will and testament of my said late husband, do hereby declare myself fully satisfied and contented therewith, and do hereby remise, release, and forever quit-claim unto T. H., of, and T. F., of trustees, appointed in and by the said last will and testament of my said late husband, (in their actual possession and seizin now being,) their executors, &c., all, and all manner of dower, &c., &c. In witness, &c., [as in General Release of all Demands | Release of a Trust. made between, &c, To all, &c., A. B., &c., sendeth greeting: WHEREAS, by indenture, bearing date [here recite the deed,] in which said indenture the said A. B. doth hereby declare that his name was only used in trust, for the benefit und behoof of C. D., of -: Now, know ye, that I, the said A. B., in discharge of the trust reposed in me, at the request of the said C D., have remised, released, and surrendered, assigned, and set over, and by these presents, for me, my executors and administrators, do freely and absolutely remise, &c., unto the said C. D., his executors, &c., all the estate, right, title, interest, use, benefit, privilege, and demand whatsoever, which I, the said A. B., have or may have, or claim, of or to the said premises, or of and in any sum of money, or other matter or thing whatsoever, in the said in denture contained, mentioned, and expressed; so that neither I, the 4 said A. B., my executors or administrators, or any of us, at any time hereafter, shall or will ask, claim, challenge, or demand, any interest, &c., or other thing, in any manner whatsoever, by reason or means of the said indenture or any covenant therein contained, but thereof and therefrom, and from all actions, suits, and domands, which I, my executors, administrators, or assigns, may have concerning the same, shall be utterly excluded and forever ebarred by these presents. In witness, &c., [as in General Release of all Demands.] LANDLORD AND TENANT. A CONTRACT from a landlord, empowering a tenant to take possession, for a stated period, of certain property, at a stipulated rental, is called a lease or demise. It may be for a month, a quarter, one year, a term of years, for life, or at the will of either of the parties. Leases for less than a year require no written agreement; if for a longer period, they must be in writing; if for life, they raust be written, signed, sealed, and witnessed, like any other important instrument. No particular form is needed; any instrument that conveys the property in a plain, common-sense manner, to the tenant, at a stipu lated rent, payable monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually, as the parties may agree, is all that is required. Where no agreement can be shown in writing for more than year, the tenant only holds the property from year to year at th discretion of the landlord. When a person enters into possession of a property without a agreement in regard to time, it is generally held that he is a tenant from year to year. A tenant is responsible for taxes only when it is so stated in the lease. Verbal promises are of no effect. A lease must speak for itself. A lease must be delivered to the parties for whom it is intended. If it should fall into the hands of a party accidentally, without the other intending it, it would be invalid. A lease, if for a valuable property, should be acknowledged before a Commissioner of Deeds, which does away with the difficulty frequently attending witnesses, who very often cannot be found when wanted: whereas an authenticated document can be read in evidence without further proof. A lease of three years or more should be recorded in the county where the property lies, to protect purchasers of real estate, against secret or fraudulent conveyances. Unless there is a provision in the lease forbidding it, the tenant has a right to underlet as much of the property as he pleases, so long as his lease runs. A mere tenant at will, however, cannot underlet. A married woman cannot make a lease even of her own prop. erty; for her husband has sole control over her estate during his life, and he alone can demise it. Such leases are binding on her, however, only during the life of her husband. A minor cannot make a lease for which he can be held on reaching his majority; it will bind the lessee, however, until the minor sees fit to release him. But if he receives the rent after his twentyfirst year, he thereby ratifies the lease, and becomes bound for its provisions. A guardian can give no lease that shall extend beyond the majority of his ward. A minor can become a lessee, but he is privileged to give it up when so disposed; he can hold the landlord, however, if he so desires. A married woman cannot lease property; yet, if she occupies a house, her husband will be liable to the landlord for the rent. Where there are no writings the tenancy commences from the day the tenant takes possession. Where there are writings, and the time for the commencement of the tenancy is not stated, it will be considered as having begun at the time the writings were delivered. A lease for a term of years, without mentioning the number, is good only for two years. When a landlord consents to receive a substitute, the first ten ant is released. A new lease invalidates a former one. A lease by a mortgager is good only so long as the mortgagee re frains from foreclosing the mortgage. When a landlord executes a lease on verbal misrepresentation, the tenant can recover a deduction from the rent for the fraud. A lease for a farm will be invalid at the end of twelve years, it any rent or service of any kind is reserved. A tenancy at will may be terminated in the eastern states by giving the tenant three months' notice in writing; in the middle and southern states by six months; in the western states by one month. A tenant is also free to notify the landlord of his intention to quit the premises; if he fail to relinquish possession at the time mentioned in his notice he will be liable for double rent. Where occupancy is for a short period-a week, for instar co, a month, or a quarter-the length of the notice to quit must be regulated by the letting; as a week's notice for a week's letting and a month's notice for a month's letting. A landlord can no longer distress for rent in New-York, the law authorizing it having been abolished. When the right of re-entry is reserved, such re-entry may be made at any time after default in the payment of the rent, by previously giving the tenant, or his legal representatives, fifteen days' notice to that effect. A tenant or under tenant may be removed by an order from any Judge of the county courts or by any Justice of the Peace of the town or city in which the premises are situated. Rent may be collected by action, after the summary removal of the tenant Agreement for a Lease. in the year THIS agreement, made this eighteen hundred and sixty, between A. B. of and C. D., of said city, merchant, witnesseth, That A. B. agrees, by indenture, to be executed on or before the day of next, to demise and day of let to the said C. D., a certain house and lot in said city, now or late in the occupation of E. F., known as No. -, in stroet, to hold to the said C. D., his executors, administrators, and assigns, from the aforesaid, for and during the term of three years, at or under the clear yearly rent of dollars, payable quarterly, clear of all taxes and deductions except tho ground rent. In which lease there shall be contained covenants on the part of the said C. D., his executors, administrators, and assigns, to pay the rent, (except in case the premises are destroyed by fire, the rent is to cease until they are rebuilt by the said A. B.,) and to pay all taxes and assessments, (except the ground rent ;) to repair the premises, (except damages by fire;) not to carry on |