Pittsburg v. Cluley
Pittsburg v. Cluley
Opinion of the Court
— This was a lien filed under the Act of 6th January 1864 by the city of Pittsburg against the defendant’s lot, for grading, paving and setting with curbstone a part of Centre avenue. The court below nonsuited the plaintiff, on the ground that the claim filed was fatally defective, and this is the only question. The first defect, alleging that the claim does not show whether the paving was for the sidewalk or for the cartway, is unfounded. It is true that there are two acts in force for paving, that of the 18th April 1857 for paving and curbing the sidewalks of the city, and the Act of 6th January 1864 for grading, paving and setting the streets with curbstones; and that the 25th section of the latter recognises the former act as in force. But the claim is neither indefinite nor uncertain in this respect; for it expressly claims the cost and expense of grading, paving and setting Centre avenue with curbstones, and adds the said work having been done in pursuance of the Act of Assembly, approved January 6th 1864, and an • ordinance of the Select and Common Councils of said city, passed March 10th 1868. It is evident, therefore, it is not a claim for paving sidewalks under the Act of 1857, but for grading, paving and setting with curb under the Act of 1864. The second defect alleged is also unfounded. Curbing is expressly provided for in the 6th section of the Act of 1864; and is just as necessary to protect the street pavement as it is the sidewalk, and to prevent the cobble-stones or other paving materials from being displaced by the wheels of wagons and the feet of horses, as well as to form gutters to carry .off the water. The third defect alleged, as to the want of the date of doing the work, on examination of the Act of 1864, will be found to be unsubstantial. A short review of its provisions will show this. The 6th section provides that the councils shall levy and collect the cost and expense of the same (to wit, of grading, paving and curbing) from the owners of property bounding on the street thus improved, “ by an assessment of an equal sum per foot front of said property.” Now it is evident this equal sum per foot front can be ascertained only by dividing the sum total of the cost by the total feet frontage, and it must result in a specific sum per foot. It is the amount of this foot frontage which is assessed against each lot.- The 7th section provides that the recording regulator of the city shall make this “ assessment,” and give notice to the owners for the correction of errors and mistakes in it, and then directs that “ after correcting any errors or mistakes that may be discovered, he shall immediately hand over the said assessments with a plan and description of each lot, the amount assessed thereon and the name of the owner or owners, to the treasurer of the city.” Then the 8th section provides that “ as soon as the treasurer shall have received the said assessment list from the recording regulator, he shall cause notice of the
This brings us directly to the part to be performed by the city solicitor. The 9th section provides, “ that if said assessments are not paid within thirty days after the service of notice aforesaid, the treasurer shall hand over to the city solicitor the said assessment list, with the plan and description of each lot, &c., as furnished hy the recording regulator ; and the city solicitor shall file a lien against each property for the amount of the assessment thereon remaining unpaid, with interest from the time notice for payment was given, and five per centum additional as the solicitor’s fee for collection.” Thus we have given by the act itself the very material of the claim, which the law furnishes to the city solicitor as the lien to be filed. He has nothing else from which to construct the lien. Nor does the lot-owner need anything more. What has he to do with the contracts for the work, or the several amounts of paving, grading, and curbing ? All this is to be attended to by persons acting officially as his representatives in the city government. What he wants to know is the amount of his assessment, and in making this up the law affords him an opportunity to correct errors and mistakes. When the assessment list goes into the treasurer’s hands he has only to make payment. If he fails to pay, it is for the amount of the assessment the lien is given, and it would be impossible from the materials furnished to the city solicitor to make out a statement of the cost of the work and all the particulars required by the Mechanic’s Lien Law for the benefit of an owner of property who puts up a building at his own expense. When, therefore, we come to the 18th section, which says: “ That the lien authorized by this act shall be filed in the District Court of said county in the same manner as mechanics’ liens are filed, and writs of scire facias and levari facias may be issued thereon as in the ease of mechanics’ liens, and the same costs be taxed,” it is manifest the Mechanics’ Lien Act furnishes only a general, and not a specific analogy and rule of proceeding. This is evident by an examination of the provisions óf the 12th section of the Mechanics’ Lien Law of 1836. The city solicitor may set forth the names of the party claimant and of the owner; but how can he set forth the street contractors or builders ? and yet we know nearly all paving and grading are done by contract; and what interest has the contractor in the claim against the lot-owner, or what reason is there
Judgment reversed, and a venire facias de novo awarded.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Pittsburg versus Cluley
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- 1. Acts of 1857 and 1864 provided for paving, &c., the streets, 2. The Act of 1864 directs the regulator to make assessment of the expense, give notice by publication where the assessment may be seen and parties have an opportunity of having mistakes corrected, and after correction, the regulator shall give the assessment to the treasurer, who shall notify the parties charged, and if not paid in thirty days the city solicitor shall file a lien, in the same manner as mechanics’ liens, &c. It is not necessary that the solicitor should state all the particulars as in a'mechanics’ lien. 3. The Mechanics’ Lien Law furnishes only a general not a specific rule of proceeding under these acts.