Trustees of Roman Catholic High School v. McCann
Trustees of Roman Catholic High School v. McCann
Opinion of the Court
Opinion by
This is a controversy between a second mortgage creditor and a mechanics’ lien claimant. ' The fund for distribution is the balance of the proceeds arising from the sale of the liened premises on the foreclosure of the first mortgage, .which was paid in full. The first mortgage was foreclosed and the premises sold by the sheriff February 1,1909. This sale divested all liens, including that of appellee for labor and materials furnished in the erection of the building, and all lien creditors were remitted to the fund realized in the foreclosure proceedings: Rosenberg v. Cupersmith, 240 Pa. 162. At the time of the foreclosure of the first mortgage the record showed a second mortgage due appellant and the mechanics’ lien which forms the subject matter of this litigation. The second mortgage was recorded March 11, 1908, and the mechanics’ lien was filed July 17,. 1908, the former
The auditor further found as a fact that appellant through its proper officers had frequently visited the building before taking the second mortgage, saw its unfinished condition and thus had notice that the contract had not been completed, and knew or should have known that a lien for work done or materials furnished might be filed, and if so, it would relate back to the commencement of the building. Under such circumstances a valid lien subsequently filed would have priority over the mortgage, and this was the conclusion reached by the auditor.
While the case is not free from difficulties, our conclusion is that upon the whole record no reversible error has been pointed out. The case is controlled by its own facts and is not intended to announce any rule of general application.
Judgment affirmed.
Reference
- Cited By
- 3 cases
- Status
- Published
- Syllabus
- Mechanics' liens — Time for filing lien — Act of June h 1901, P. L. JfSl, Section 10 — Mortgages—Sheriff's sale under foreclosure —Divestiture of mechanics’ lien. 1. A mechanics’ lien may be filed more than six months after the furnishing of the last labor of materials for the construction of a building where it appears that at the time of filing the building had not been completed under the contract, that the work on the building had been stopped at the instance of the owner, with the consent of the contractor, solely because of the financial condition of the former, and that it was the intention of the parties at that time and at the time the lien was filed, to complete the work under the contract when the owner was able to furnish the necessary funds. Under section 10 of the Act of June 4, 1901, P. L. 431, limiting the time for the filing of a mechanics’ lien, the six months’ period after which no lien can be filed begins to run from the date of the completion of the building under the contract. 2. The foreclosure of a first mortgage and the Bale of the mortgaged premises by the sheriff divests a junior mechanics’ lien and operates to arrest a proceeding brought thereon to reduce the lien to judgment. Such proceeding if continued is irregular and voidable and may be successfully defended by setting tip the Bale by the sheriff of the liened premises. Rosenberg v. Cupersmith, 240 Pa. 162, followed. Mortgages — Mechanics* liens — Priority—Evidence—Court records — Res adjudicata. 3. In a proceeding before an auditor to determine whether a mechanics’ lien claimant or a second mortgagee was entitled to priority of payment in the distribution of the balance of a fund arising from the sale of the liened premises, on foreclosure of the first mortgage, which had been paid in full, it appeared that the second mortgage had been recorded March 11, 1908; that the mechanics’ lien had been filed July 17, 1908; that the last work on the building had been done September 5, 1907; that a writ of scire facias had been issued on the mechanics’ lien before the first mortgage was foreclosed, which action was pending when the premises were sold by the sheriff; that thereafter on the trial of such action a judgment was entered on a verdict for plaintiff; and that though the defendant had appealed, the appeal had been non prossed before the proceedings before the auditor were instituted. The auditor admitted in evidence, the record in the scire facias proceeding to show the amount due the claimant on the lien and to establish his right to file a lien. Other evidence was offered by the mechanics’ lien claimant in Support of his claim. The auditor found that work on the building was temporarily suspended by the contractor in September, 1907, because of the financial embarrassment of the owner; that it was the intention of both parties to resume work as soon as conditions warranted it; that the failure of the contractor to complete the building was due to the default of the owner; that the officers of the second mortgagee knew that the contract had not been completed, and should have known that a lien for work done or material furnished might be filed, and that such lien would relate back to the commencement of the building. The auditor decided that the mechanics’ lien claimant was entitled to priority of payment in the distribution of the fund. The lower court dismissed exceptions to the auditor’s report. No exception had been taken to the admission in evidence of the record in the scire facias proceeding and there was no assignment of error raising the question of the admissibility of such evidence. Held, that the question of the admissibility in evidence of the record could not be raised in the Supreme Court, and that the lower court did not err in sustaining the report of the auditor.