Smock v. Corpier

This is a suit by the ap-pellee, who is the appellant’s tenant, for specific performance of an option to purchase the land covered by the written lease. The defense is that the option was available to the tenant only during the first two years of the original five-year term and cannot be exercised during the five-year renewal term that is now in force. The chancellor, finding the lease to be ambiguous, allowed the appellee to introduce parol evidence to explain the document. Upon the basis of that proof the court held that the option to purchase could be exercised during the renewal term.

We…