Meyers v. Bratespiece
Meyers v. Bratespiece
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
We agree with the learned court below that Bratespiece had no lien for his labor on the goods of the plaintiffs that he received from Harris, their bailee. There was no contractual relation between him and the owners. They had delivered the goods to Harris to be made into coats at a price mutually agreed upon, but their contract did not authorize him to subject the goods to liens for labor and expenditures in the hands of other persons. While the goods were in his possession they would undoubtedly be subject to a lien in his favor for work done upon them by him and his employees, in conformity with the contract. “ Whenever a workman or artisan by his labor or skill increases the value of personal property placed in his possession to be improved he has a lien upon it for his proper charges until paid,” but “ in order to charge a chattel with this lien, the labor for which the lien is claimed must have been done at the request of the' owner or under circumstances from which his assent can be reasonably implied. It does not extend to one not in privity with the owners : ” 13 Am. & Eng. Ency. of Law, p. 590 and 591; Clark v. Hale, 34 Conn. 398, and Hollingsworth v. Dow, 19 Pickering, 228. These appear to be well settled principles relating to and governing the common law lien which Bratespiece claimed he had on the plaintiffs’ goods, but they very clearly demonstrate, we think, that his claim was without any
The specifications of error are overruled and the judgment is affirmed.
Reference
- Full Case Name
- Charles Meyers and Daniel Meyers, trading as Charles Meyers & Bro. v. J. Bratespiece
- Cited By
- 31 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Bailment — Lien for work on goods — Locadio operis — Contract. In order to charge a chattel with the lien which a workman or artisan obtains by his labor and skill in increasing the value of personal property placed in his possession to be improved, the labor must have been done at the request of the owner, or under circumstances from which his assent can be reasonably implied; it does not extend to one not in privity with the owner. II. received from plaintiffs cloth to be made into coats, and without the knowledge of plaintiffs delivered some of it to defendant to do the required work, agreeing to pay defendant forty per cent more for making the coats than he was to receive from plaintiffs. Held, that defendant had no lien on the coats as against plaintiffs for the work which he had done.