Tenant for life or years liable for treble damages for waste.

537.420. If any tenant, for life or years, shall commitwaste during his estate or term, of anything belonging to thetenement so held, without special license in writing so to do, heshall be subject to a civil action for such waste, and shall losethe thing wasted and pay treble the amount at which the wasteshall be assessed.

(RSMo 1939 § 1939 § 3003)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 2616; 1919 § 6910; 1909 § 7913

(1992) Where the parties have entered into a special landlord-tenant relationship, a tenancy for life or years, statute mandates the trebling of damages for waste without regard to whether the waste was committed wantonly. Greeson v. Ace Pipe Cleaning, Inc., 830 S.W.2d 444 (Mo.App.W.D.).

(2002) Presence of liquidated damages clause in lease was not a waiver of right to sue under section and did not constitute implied license for tenant to commit waste. Brizendine v. Conrad, 71 S.W.3d 587 (Mo.banc).