LANDLORD AND TENANT - LIABILITY OF SUBTENANT FOR RENT AFTER SURRENDER OF HEAD LEASE

Plaintiff, as assignee of the original lessor, sued the defendant, sublessee, for rent. On September 3, 1930, the head lease was surrendered to the owner, subject to all subleases. The defendant was in possession until about January 4, 1933. At that time he learned of the surrender and vacated the premises.

Held, the lessee's surrender of the head lease to the owner did not terminate either the rights or obligations of the sublessee. The doctrine of merger is inapplicable. Metropolitan Life Ins. Co. v. Hellinger, 272 N. Y. 24, 3 N. E. (2d) 621 (1936).