Curti v. Hartrick
Curti v. Hartrick
Dissenting Opinion
Dissenting Opinion by
November 29, 1915:
For the reasons assigned in the dissenting opinion filed in Bennett Lumber Company v. Hartrick, I would reverse the judgment.
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
The plaintiff filed a lien against the defendants for a claim arising out of a contract between him and the contractors for the owner, for the stone, cement, tile and other work necessary in the construction of the foundation of a dwelling house erected by the owners on their land. The claim sets forth the following items :
Furnishing materials and building foundation for dwelling-house, 100 perch stone, including lime, cement, sand and labor laying same at $4.75 per perch,..........................$475.00
8 window sills and setting same $1.00 per sill,.. 8.00
Material and labor building concrete footing course,.................................. .50.00
Cut stone chimney cap, 2 door sills and step, .. 87.00
4 perch extra stone on height of wall at $4.75 per perch, ................................... 19.00
4 hours’ extra labor at 25 cents per hour,...... 1.00
At the trial the-court instructed the jury that plaintiff was entitled to a verdict and judgment was accordingly entered.
Objection is made that the lien covers more than one building and that the claim cannot be sustained for that reason. This objection arises out of the fact that the
It is further objected that the notice of the intention to file the lien is insufficient because it includes a specification of claims against three separate buildings on each of which work was done by the plaintiff. The object of this notice is to inform the owner of the demand and its nature, to the end that he may require payment by the contractor or secure himself against double payment. No particular form of notice is required and it is not a valid objection to a particular notice that more is contained therein than is relevant to the claim: American Car & Foundry Co. v. Alexandria Water Co., 215 Pa. 520; Day v. Pennsylvania R. R. Co., 35 Pa. Superior Ct. 586. The statute requires that a subcontract- or who intends to file a lien against property must give the owner written notice, verified by affidavit setting forth the name of the party with whom he contracted, the amount alleged to be still due, the nature of the labor or materials furnished and the date when the last work was done, or materials furnished. The claimant has complied with these requirements of the statute in the notice given. The prima facie case of nonresidence of the owners was made out by the affidavit of proof of service of the notice and the operation of Rule VIII of the Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County. The material averments of the lien and the proof of service were not directly and specifically traversed and denied and are to be taken as admitted.
The judgment should be reduced to the extent of these two items, with interest thereon from the date of the verdict, and the judgment as thus modified is affirmed.
Reference
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- 2 cases
- Status
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- Syllabus
- Mechanic’s lien — Dwelling house — Reference to other buildings —Extent of curtilage — Act of June k, 1901, P. L. kSI. A mechanic’s lien filed by a subcontractor for materials and labor furnished in the construction of a residence, is not fatally defective because the description in the claim states that the lot on which the house was erected contained about seven acres, and that a tenant house and barn were erected about the same time on the same lot. If the curtilage described contains more land than “should be justly included therein,” Section 23 of the Act of June 4, 1901, P. L. 431, furnishes an ample remedy to have the curtilage restricted to what may be reasonably necessary. Mechanic’s lien — Subcontractor—Labor and material — Prices— Lumping prices. A mechanic’s lien claim filed by a subcontractor for material and labor furnished under a contract with the contractor is sufficient, if it sets forth, the number of perch of stone furnished at a price per perch stated, and the number of window sills and chimney caps with the price per sill and cap stated; but an item of fifty dollars for “material and labor building concrete footing course,” and an item of “four hours’ extra labor at twenty-five cents per hour,” are insufficient, and should be excluded. Mechanic’s lien — Notice to owner by subcontractor — Reference to other buildings — Time. A notice by a subcontractor of an intention to file a lien against a dwelling house is not defective and void because it also states,an intention to file liens against a barn and a tenant house which were being built at the same time on the same lot and for which the claimant furnished material and labor. Where the material averments of a mechanic’s lien and the proof of service of the notice of intention to file, are not directly and specifically traversed and denied, they will be taken as admitted. Where a mechanic’s lien sets forth the period within which the work was done under the contract, and the time when the last work was done, and that it was all done within six months last past, objection cannot be taken to it because it fails to show what items were furnished within three months immediately preeeeding the filing of the lien.