Pacific Manufacturing Co. v. Rasmussen
Pacific Manufacturing Co. v. Rasmussen
Opinion of the Court
This is au appeal by Erie Petersen and H. W. Lassen, two of the plaintiffs in a consolidated action to foreclose mechanics’ liens, first, from that portion of the decision of the trial court holding that the sum of $4,150, found to be the unpaid balance owing from Court Livermore No. 77, Foresters of America, the owner of the building upon which the work was performed, to the defendant Rasmussen, the contractor, was payable to defendant Farmers and Merchants National Bank of Livermore under an assignment, and that such sum was not subject to payment of the amounts found to be due appellants for labor and materials used in the construction of the building, and, second, from that portion of the decision and judgment denying appellants a lien against the land on which the building was constructed. The amounts of the appellants’ claims were determined by the findings and judgment ordered in their favor for such amounts against the contractor, Rasmussen.
On May 6, 1914, Court Livermore, through its building committee, entered into an agreement in writing with Rasmussen, as contractor, for the erection of a building on a lot in Livermore, Alameda County. The contract price was to be something over fourteen thousand dollars, payable in monthly installments during the progress of the work, in sums equal to seventy-five per cent of the value of the work done up to the date of payment, the remaining twenty-five per cent to be paid thirty-five days after final completion of the work. The court found that upon the completion of the work there was due the contractor the sum of $4,150, which had previously been assigned by him to the defendant Farmers and Merchants National Bank to secure a note of the contractor, which note was given for money advanced by the bank and used in the erection of the building.
The causes of action stated in the complaint of appellant Petersen include a number of claims assigned to said appellant by other lien claimants which will be considered later.
Appellants contend that a valid notice of completion was never filed by the owner and that, therefore, it is precluded from maintaining any defense based upon the ground that the liens were not filed in time, under the provisions of *744 section 1187 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The facts involved in this determination are that on December 19, 1914, Court Livermore occupied the building, which was substantially completed at that time, but there remained unfinished at that time the exterior painting and a small amount of plastering and concrete work of the value of about $4.30. The court found that such occupation and use of the building by Court Livermore, on and after the nineteenth day of December, 1914, was open and notorious and well known to all of the parties plaintiff and defendant in this action, including all of the lien claimants in the consolidated actions'. The court found that the contractor Rasmussen completed the construction of said building on the twenty-fourth day of December, 1914, and that said building was accepted by said owner on said twenty-fourth day of December, and a notice of completion and acceptance thereof was duly filed and recorded in the office of the county recorder of Alameda County on said twenty-fourth day of December, 1914; that all of the parties to this action and all of the lien claimants mentioned therein, except Robert Howden, had knowledge of the completion of said building on and after the actual date of completion thereof as found by the court, to wit, the twenty-fourth day of December, 1914.
The court also found that on the twenty-fourth day of December, 1914, it was agreed and understood by and between plaintiff Petersen and defendant Rasmussen and said Court Livermore that the work and contract of said plaintiff Petersen should be and the same was accepted on said date, omitting therefrom the aforesaid concrete work, amounting to $4.30, which it was agreed between the parties aforesaid, on said day, might be performed at such time thereafter as would be proper and convenient for said Petersen ; and that as to said last-mentioned work no time of performance was agreed upon and no time of payment fixed; that the performance of same was, by said agreement between the said parties, eliminated from the contract of said plaintiff Petersen, and a new contract made with relation thereto as aforesaid, wherein and whereby it was agreed that Petersen might perform the same and should receive therefor when performed the sum of $4.30, the same to be paid by defendant Rasmussen, and that the said Court Livermore did not agree to pay the same.
With reference to the other work remaining unfinished on December 24th, i. e., the exterior painting, contracted to be done by Morrill & Walters, assignors of Petersen, the court found that said contract was accepted as fully performed by said Rasmussen and the said Court Livermore on the twenty-fourth day of December, 1914, for all the purposes of the completion of said building; that on the said twenty-fourth day of December, 1914, it was agreed and understood between Morrill & Walters, Rasmussen, and said Court Livermore that the work and contract of said Morrill & Walters should be and the same was on said day accepted, omitting therefrom the aforesaid unfinished portion of said work, amounting in value to the sum of $153, which it was agreed between the parties might be performed at such time thereafter as would be proper and convenient, and that the performance.of the same was by agreement between *746 the parties eliminated from the contract of Morrill & Walters and a new contract made with relation thereto.
Appellants contend that there is no evidence to warrant the above findings that new contracts were entered into between the parties for the completion of the cement work and painting work, and that the original contracts for such work were accepted as completed by the owner as of December 24th.
The judgment is affirmed.
Brittain, J., and Haven, J., concurred.
A petition for a rehearing of this cause was denied by the district court of appeal on September 18, 1919, and a petition to have the cause heard in the supreme court, after judgment in the district court of appeal, was denied by the supreme court on October 16, 1919.
All the Justices concurred.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- PACIFIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY (A Corporation), Plaintiff, v. C. H. RASMUSSEN Et Al., Defendants; ERIC PETERSEN Et Al., Appellants; FARMERS AND MERCHANTS NATIONAL BANK OF LIVERMORE Et Al., Respondents
- Cited By
- 2 cases
- Status
- Published