Schindler v. Green
Schindler v. Green
Opinion of the Court
This application for rehearing in this ease pretends to be based upon the ground that this court in the original opinion in the ease, filed August 14, 1905 (ante, p. 229, 82 Pac. 341), committed error in holding that the placing of two windows in the basement story of the house not immediately under the windows in the story above was unworkmanlike and was not satisfactory to defendants, and was not a trivial imperfection. These windows constituted a part of the ornamentation of this little house, as well as- of its constituent parts. Ornamentation is as much a matter of substance as any of the constituent parts, such as light and ventilation. The. testimony in the case showed, and the court below found, “that the two windows placed by plaintiff in the front portion of the basement story of said house were not directly underneath the two front windows of the upper portion of said house, which upper portion consisted of the old house after the same had been raised, and that the placing of such windows in this manner was not workmanlike. ’ ’ The testimony supports the above finding; but this court found, further, “that the failure of plaintiff to place said windows in the basement in a direct line underneath the two windows of the upper portion of said house is a trivial imperfection.” There is no evidence whatever to support this finding, and no inflexible rule of law comfpanding such deduction: Harlan v. Stufflebeem, 87 Cal. 57|1,
It is true there was no provision in the contract as to how these windows were to be placed, but there was impliedly in plaintiff’s contract an agreement that his work should be done in a workmanlike manner, and these windows were not placed in a workmanlike manner, and the failure to place them properly seems to indicate a want of good faith. In a Pennsylvania case, decided in Gillespie Tool Co., 123 Pa. 26, 16 Atl. 37, it is said: “The equitable doctrine of substantial performance is intended for the protection and relief of those who have faithfully and honestly endeavored to perform their contracts in all material and substantial particulars, so that their right to compensation may not be forfeited by reason of mere technical, inadequate, or unimportant omissions or defects. It is incumbent on him who invokes its protection to present a case in which there has been no willful omission or departure from the terms of his contract.” The spirit manifested by this plaintiff, when his attention was called to the unworkmanlike manner of setting the front windows would indicate a willfulness, and not an honest endeavor to complete his work in a workmanlike manner. In Harlan v. Stufflebeem, 87 Cal. 511, 25 Pac. 687, the court says: “If there has been no willful departure from its provisions, and no omission of any of its essential parts, and the contractor has in good faith performed all of its substantive terms, he will not be held to have forfeited his right to a recovery by reason of trivial defects or imperfections in the work performed. If the omission or imperfection is so slight that it cannot be regarded as an integral or substantive part of the original contract, and the other party can be compensated therefor by a recoupment for damages, the contractor
Carpenter v. Ibbetson, 1 Cal. App. 272, 81 Pac. 1114, cited by respondent, is a case where the contract price was $1,000 and to be paid before the work begun, and $900 was so paid. There was extra work amounting to $300: Payment was refused, and the contractor brought suit, alleging completion of the work, which was inside work. The answer denies the completion or performance of the contract and the amount due, and by way of cross-complaint specifies breaches of the contract. The lower court found the contract had not been completed and that the defendants were damaged in the sum of $382.52, which was the amount that plaintiff sued for. The appellate court held that this was not the true measure of damages, and that the case was one of substantial .compliance with the contract, and also that the payment was to be made before the commencement of the work, and is to be regarded as an independent promise. Besides, there was no suggestion of a want of good faith on the part of the contractor, as in the case at bar. In the ease of Van Clief et al. v. Van Vechten, 130 N. Y. 579, 29 N. E. 1019, cited by respondent, this language is used: “But when, as in this ease, there is a willful refusal by the contractor to perform
For the reasons stated the plaintiff is not entitled to a lien; and, as we see no reason for changing the views ex
Upon these, considerations and in the interest of justice, it is therefore ordered that the lower court be directed to
We concur: Chipman, P. J.; McLaughlin, J.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- SCHINDLER v. GREEN
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Building Contract—Workmanlike Construction.—Where there is no provision in a building contract as to how windows are to be placed, there is an implied agreement that they shall be placed in a workmanlike manner. Building Contract—Failure Fully to Perform,—Compensation.— Where a contractor fails to complete Ms contract, even though such failure is a trivial variance, he must have acted in good faith and honestly have endeavored to complete his work properly before he can recover therefor, if the trivial variance is such as to entitle the other party to damages to complete the work or make it as it should be. Mechanics’ Liens—Appeal—Modification of Judgment.—Where, in a suit to enforce a mechanic's lien, the lower court found that defendants owed plaintiff a certain sum and awarded Mm a lien therefor, and defendants found no fault with the amount awarded plaintiff, but appealed on the ground that plaintiff was not entitled to a lien, and all the evidence and proceedings had on the trial were brought before the appellate court for review, that court, on setting aside the judgment for error in giving plaintiff a lien, would not remand the case for a new trial, but would direct the lower court to modify the judgment by striking therefrom the provisions for a lien and to enter a personal judgment in plaintiff’s favor for the sum found due.