Ainsworth v. Atkinson

Jun 13, 1860
Reporters:
Before:
Perkins
Perkins, J.

Suit to enforce a mechanic’s lien upon real estate. The amount for which a lien ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‍was claimed was less than fifty dollars. It was claimed that, therefore, the *539Common Pleas had not jurisdiction; that the suit should have been brought before a justice of the peace.

J. Perry, for ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‍the appellant. W. A. Bielde, for the appellees.

But a suit to enforce a lien upon real estate is in the nature of a suit to foreclose a mortgage, a proceeding in chancery under the former ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‍practice, and is not embraced by the section of the code (2 R. S. p. 451, § 10,) conferring civil jurisdiction upon justices. Perk. Pr., p. 639.

The defendant answered, that the ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‍property on which the lien was sought to be enforced was then owned by a third person, but did not deny the ownership of the defendant at the time the lien ‍​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‍attached.

This answer was no defense.

Per Curiam.

The judgment is affirmed with 10 per cent, damages and costs.