Steffen v. Paulus

Respondents, Frank and Viola Paulus, appeal from an order granting summary judgment in favor of petitioners, Ray Steffen, executor of the estate of Donald Karnes, and Illinois Wesleyan University. The issue involved in this appeal is the sufficiency of a notice to terminate a lease. We affirm.

On September 30, 1971, Karnes and Frank Paulus executed a SO-SO crop share lease, which required Paulus to farm 160 acres of Karnes’ land. The lease term began March 1, 1972, and was to run for 99 years. The parties, however, contemporaneously executed a cancellation clause. It provided:

“This lease may…