Ames v. Sayler

The question in this case is whether a decedent’s estate may continue to farm land which had been farmed by the decedent as a tenant. The trial court held it could not, on these facts. We affirm.

For approximately 20 years prior to his death, Whitney D. Ames (decedent) farmed 77.5 acres of land belonging to defendants, Genevieve Sayler, James Bain, and Donald Bain, pursuant to an oral lease. Under the lease the crop was divided equally between decedent and defendants. Decedent furnished all machinery and labor, and the costs of seed and fertilizer were divided equally. For the last few years…