Warner v. Haught, Inc.

Warner's (plaintiff) lease to DHOC, later assigned to Haught (defendant), required rental payments until a producing well was drilled and included a surrender clause letting the lessee voluntarily give up the lease; when Haught missed a rental payment, Warner sued claiming automatic forfeiture, but Haught argued a state statute required a demand for payment before termination for nonpayment, a requirement Warner claimed didn't apply because an agent's oral statement had converted this into an unless lease terminable automatically. The circuit court granted Haught summary judgment, and Warner appealed.