The Monte Alegre case was a dispute between the tenant and claimant of a property in New York. The tenant had been living on the land for several years, but when he attempted to purchase it from its owner, he found that another party had already claimed title to it. The court ruled in favor of the claimant, finding that they were entitled to possession as their claim predated any other claims by more than twenty-one years. Furthermore, they held that even if there had been some sort of agreement between the two parties regarding ownership rights prior to this time period, such an agreement would not be binding due to lack of consideration or legal formality. This decision established important precedent regarding how long someone must possess land before being considered its rightful owner under common law principles.

In The Monte Alegre, Tenant, Claimant case, the Supreme Court was asked to determine whether a tenant had a right to reclaim his property from an individual who purchased it at auction. Justice Story wrote the dissenting opinion in which he argued that tenants should have some protection when their land is sold without their knowledge or consent. He reasoned that if someone were able to purchase another's property without any notice or opportunity for them to object then they would be deprived of due process and fundamental fairness. Furthermore, he noted that such sales could lead to great injustice as tenants may not even know about the sale until after it has taken place and thus are unable to take action against those responsible for taking away their rights. In conclusion, Justice Story believed that tenants should have some form of legal recourse available so they can protect themselves from being wrongfully dispossessed of their lands by unscrupulous buyers.