BYRD COMPANIES v. Birmingham Trust Nat. Bank

This is an appeal involving a dispute over a lease agreement. Two basic questions are presented:(1) Did the lessee give timely notice of its intention to renew?(2) Was the lease void because it was for a term in excess of 20 years and was not recorded within one year after its execution, as required by law?

The facts encompass three legal instruments, the first of which was executed some twenty years ago. For the sake of clarity, we summarize the pertinent provisions of these legal instruments, and present them chronologically, along with such other occurrences as are relevant.1

AUGUST 1, 1963…