Demand of

VIEW, DEMAND OF, practice. In most real and mixed actions, in order to ascertain the identity of land claimed with that in the tenant's possession, the tenant is allowed, after the demandant has counted, to demand a view of the land in question; or if the subject of claim be rent, or the like, a view of the land out of which it issues; Vin. Abr. View; Com. Dig. View; Booth, 37; 2 Saund. 45 b; 1 Reeves' Hist 435, This, however, is confined to real or mixed actions; for in personal actions the view does not lie. In the action of dower unde nihil habet, it has been much questioned whether the view be demandable or not; 2 Saund. 44, n, 4; and there are other real and mixed actions in which it is not allowed. The view being granted, the course of proceeding is to issue a writ, commanding the sheriff to cause the defendant to have a view of the land, It being the interest of the demandant to expedite the proceedings, the duty of suing out the writ lies upon him, and not upon the tenant; and when, in obedience to its exigency, the sheriff causes view to be made, the demandant is to show to the tenant, in all ways possible, the thing in demand with its metes and bounds. On the return of the writ into court, the demandant must count de novo; that is, declare again Com. Dig. Pleader, 2 Y 3; Booth, 40; and the pleadings proceed to issue.
     2. This proceeding of demanding view, is, in the present rarity of real actions, unknown in practice.