Ocala Foundry & Machine Works v. Lester
Ocala Foundry & Machine Works v. Lester
Opinion of the Court
This was an action of replevin instituted by the defendants in error against The Ocala Foundry & Machine Works, one of the plaintiffs in error, in the Circuit Court of Marion county. The defendant gave its forthcoming bond, with Noble W. Harrison and E. C. Smith the other plaintiffs in error as sureties, and thereby secured redelivery of the property. The amended declaration upon which the trial was had alleges “that the defendant on
It appears from the agreed statement of facts that the plaintiffs were the owners of the property; that the defendant had performed certain labor in repairing same; that the repairs were completed on September 25th, 1902, after which, and during the same month, the plaintiffs tendered defendant $285.00 demanding possession of the
There are twenty assignments of error, some of which are not argued, and will, therefore, be treated as abandoned.
It is insisted under the third and fourth assignments of error that the court erred in its finding that plaintiffs were entitled to recover possession of the property. In support of this contention it is argued, that as defendant had a lien upon the property for repairs, it was entitled to retain possession until the amount due for such repairs was paid. The agreed statement of facts admits that the defendant performed labor upon the property which entitled it to a lien under the law relating to mechanics’ liens, and that such a lien existed on the day the
It is provided that “as against the owner absolute or limited,' of the property, real or personal, upon which a lien is claimed or person deriving through his death, or purchasers or creditors with notice, the lien hereinbefore provided for shall be acquired by any person in privity with such owner by the performance of the labor or the furnishing of the materials.” “There shall be no lien upon personal property as against purchasers and creditors without notice unless the person claiming the lien be in possession -of the property upon which the lien is claimed, in which case the lien as against creditors and purchasers without notice shall continue so long as the possession continues, but not for a period longer than three months after the performance of the labor or the furnishing of the materials.” “All liens provided for by this Chapter*, either upon real or personal property, shall be enforceable by persons in privity with the owner: L By a retention of possession for a period not exceeding three months, of the property upon which the lien has attached, by the person entitled to such lien, if he were
The proper construction of these provisions requires us to hold that the lien upon personal property does not as between the parties thereto expire at the end of three months from the time the labor was performed or materials furnished, even though thé laborer or mechanic retains possession of the property for that period of time, nor does the mechanic or laborer lose his right to enforce his lien by proceedings at law or in equity within or subsequent to that period but within one year, even though lie retains possession or shall have retained possession for the full period of three months. This is made clear by the provisions of section 1745 which authorizes him, after the three months have expired, to sell the property even without judicial proceedings if the possession still remains with him. It is true that the three months retention of possession is mentioned as one of the remedies for enforcing the lien, but this matter of retention of possession is not designed as a full and complete remedy, but merely as a means of exerting moral pressure for inducing or hastening a voluntary payment from the debtor. The remedies given are not alternative nor inconsistent, but cumulative, and so long as the retention of possession fails to bring results, its employment is no bar to the use of the other remedies provided. See West v. Fleming, 18 Ill. 248, S. C. 68 Am. Dec. 539; Murray v. Rapley, 30 Ark. 568. See also Ocala Foundry & Machine Works v. Lester, decided at this term. But when possession has been held for a period of three months, the mechanic or laborer has no right under the statute to longer retain the property as against the consent of the debtor. Though
The plaintiffs were engaged in the saw mill business, and the engine in controversy had been used by them in hauling logs to the mill before it was placed in the defendant's hands for repair. Upon the question of damages the plaintiffs were permitted to pi'ove that the engine, if in good running order and condition, was of sufficient power and capacity to supply logs for ^plaintiffs’ mill as it had been operated during the years 1902 and 1903, and up to the time of the trial; that plaintiffs’ mill track was standard gauge, and the distance logs were hauled was from three to ten miles; that during the years 1902 and 1903, and up to the time of the trial, it had been necessary for plaintiffs to hire a locomotive engine for logging their mill, in order to carry on their business; that it would
Generally speaking, interest on- the value of the property wrongfully detained, is the proper measure of damages in an action of replevin. But where the use of the property is valuable, the rule stated does- not furnish the plaintiff adequate compensation, and in such cases he is entitled, not to interest on the value, but to the value of the use. Shinn on Replevin, section 646; 4 Sutherland on Damages, 3rd ed., section 1144; 2 Joyce on Damages, section 1224; Cobbey on Replevin, sections 886, 887, 888; 24 Am. & Eng. Ency. Law, 2nd ed., 514; Morgan v. Reynolds, 1 Mont. 163; Schrandt v. Young, 62 Neb. 254, 86 N. W. Rep. 1085; Yandle v. Kingsbury, 17 Kan. 195; Bell v. Campbell, 17 Kan. 211; Farrar v. Eash, 5 Ind. App. 238, 31 N. E. Rep. 1125; Northrup v. Cross, 2 N. Dak. 433, 51 N. W. Rep. 718; Allen v. Fox, 51 N. Y. 562. In Clark v. Martin, 120 Mass. 543, it was held that without alleg
The declaration alleged the value of the property to be $750. The court found the value to be $1,200, and entered judgment for that sum as the value. This was error, as the plaintiffs could not without an amendment of the declaration with respect to value obtain judgment for a greater sum than that alleged, viz: $750. Younglove v. Knox, 44 Fla. 743, 33 South. Rep. 427; Cooper v. Livingston, 19 Fla. 684. It is immaterial that the defendant’s witnesses may have valued the property in excess of the sum alleged in the declaration. That would furnish a very good reason why the value should be fixed at the sum claimed in the declaration, but no reason for giving the plaintiffs more than they claimed in their pleadings.
For the errors pointed out the judgment is reversed and a new trial awarded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- The Ocala Foundry & Machine Works, a Corporation, Noble W. Harrison & E. C. Smith, in Error v. P. R. Lester and R. G. Daniels, Copartners Under the Firm Name of Ocklawaha Lumber Company, in Error
- Cited By
- 22 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. The lien upon personal property given by the Revised Statutes of 1892 to a laborer or mechanic who performs labor and furnishes materials for repairing it, does not as between the parties thereto expire at the end of three months from the time the labor was performed or materials furnished, even though the laborer or mechanic retains possession of the property for .that period of time, mor does the latter lose the right to enforce his lien by proceedings at law or in equity, within or subsequent to that period but within one year, even though he retains possession, or shall have retained possession for the full period of three months. 2. Three months retention of the possession of personal property by a mechanic who has repaired it, though mentioned as a remedy for enforcing the mechanics lien by section 1743 Revised Statutes of 1892, is .not designed as a full and complete remedy, but merely as a means of exerting moral pressure for inducing or hastening voluntary payment from the debtor. The other remedies given by that section are not inconsistent with the right to retain possession, but are cumulative, and so long as the retention of possession fails to secure payment of the debt, it does not extinguish or discharge the lien, nor preclude resort to other remedies provided. 3. The existence of a lien upon personal property does not carry with it the right of possession, if a statute otherwise provides; therefore the lien may exist in favor of a mechanic, consistently with the right of the debtor-to possession of the property, if such is 'the intention of the statute. ’ 4. Under section 1743 Revised Statutes of 1892, where possession of personal property has been retained by the laborer or mechanic for the period of three months after the lien attached though the lien still continues as between the parties, the right to retain possession as against the consent of the debtor expires, and upon a demand for possession made by him after the expiration of such period he may maintain replevin for such possession. 5. As a general rule, interest on the value of the property wrongfully detained, is the proper measure of damages in an action of replevin, but where the use of the property is valuable, the fair reasonable ordinary use value of the property estimated by the market value of such use during the period of detention, is the proper measure of damages. Where, however, the property was not in fact used, * but was cared for by the party during its detention, so that its condition! at the time of the trial is as good as when the illegal detention began, there should be deducted from the market value of the use, taken as the basis for damages, a reasonable sum for deterioration in the condition of the property had it been used, and the necessary repairs and expenses which -the other party would have incurred if it had been used during such period of detention. 6. Upon an issue as- to the fair, reasonable, ordinary use value of a tram engine designed and used for saw mill purposes, it is error to admit as proof of the use value of such tram engine evidence of the market rental value of a railroad locomotive engine larger, heavier, more expensive and designed primarily for use by railroads, even though such locomotive engine could be used to accomplish the same work as Ahe tram engine. 7. Under the form of the conclusion of a declaration to recover . specific personal property prescribed by section 1056 Revised Statutes of 1892, the plaintiff may recover as damages for detention the fair reasonable ordinary value of the property detained to be estimated by the market value of such use without alleging special injury, but such allegation is not sufficient to enable the plaintiff to recover, without alleging special injury, the amount it actually cost kim, in excess of the market use value, to procure other means of carrying on particular work or a particular business in which the property whs used or intended to be used. 8. Damages which are not the natural and usual consequences of an illegal detention of personal property, but which arise only because of unusual and special circumstances, can not be recovered under general allegations of damage, but the special circumstances must be alleged. 9. Under a declaration in replevin alleging a stated amount to be the value of the property it is error to enter judgment for a greater sum for such value, and this is true even though the defendant’s witnesses may have testified that the value was the sum mentioned in the judgment.