A MUSICIAN’S HOUSES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 146, 16 March 1921, Page 6

A MUSICIAN’S HOUSES

RENT, £lO BONUS —AND EVICTION.

A £lO bonus, two other- houses, and a blind violinist, who also played the role of landlord to three tenants, were features of a case which was heard in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. .Tames Hart, of u ellington, musician, sued Archibald. John Harding, of 17 Hopper Street M ellington to recover possession of a tenement, and in addition to recover the sura of £6 15s. for rent, or-mesne profits or damages. Mr. M. Luckie appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr. A. B. Sievwright for the defendant. It appeared that Hart was a blind musician, who played the violin on the streets. He owned, according to Mr. Sievwright, three houses, yet his ground for wishing to evict the defendant was that he required the house in Hopper Street for his own use. . In the witness-box the plaintiff said he had given notice to another tenant to quit one of his houses. "I wish- the present defendant’s house, because of its location,” he said,. " get laryngitis badly and my other house is not in a good position.” He denied -having attempted to increase the rent of Harding’s house Mr. Sievwright at this stage remarked as to Hart's signature and its clearness. Mr. Luckie: Do you suggest that ray client is not blind? "I -merely made a comment, said 31 r. Sievwright. . Further evidence was adduced to the effect that the. defendant, had paid a bonus in addition to the rent. Tho defendant, in the witness box, eaid his wife was in ill-henlth. The Magistrate: Wives seem to be ill all the time in ' these cases. ... Cross-examined by Mr. • de f pl p d ' ant explained how he had paid the <~lO bonus. „<„ „ “I‘m sorry about that £10.” remarked the Magistrate. “He can recover it,” said Mr. Luckie. “Very well,” said the Magistrate. "Out he goes in a month.”