Loch Sheldrake Assoc. v. Evans

In Loch Sheldrake Assoc. v. Evans (306 NY 297 [1954]), the Court of Appeals--after stating that "a reservation or grant in a deed, like every other contract must be construed according to the intent of the parties, so far as such intent can be gathered from the whole instrument, and is consistent with the rules of law"--noted that the first rule of construction is that "all evidence must be excluded which is offered to vary, explain or contradict a written instrument that was complete in itself and without ambiguity in its terms" (id. at 304-305.)