192 N.E. 913 | Ill. | 1934
Lead Opinion
The Alexander Lumber Company, a corporation, filed a bill under the Liens act, (Cahill's Stat. 1933, chap. 82,) in the circuit court of DuPage county, to foreclose a lien on certain premises in that county on account of material furnished the owners for the construction of a dwelling thereon. Eli Metcoff filed an intervening petition in the cause as holder and owner of a certain promissory note secured by a first deed of trust. The controversy presents a question of priorities between their liens. The master in chancery found that the lien of the holder of the note is superior to that of the lumber company and overruled the latter's objections to his report. On the hearing by the court the objections were sustained as exceptions, and a decree was entered finding there was due the lumber company $2737.51 and to the holder of the note $5853.75, and that the lumber company's lien is superior to that of the note holder. Upon default in payment the premises were ordered sold and the proceeds distributed according to the priorities found by the decree. Upon an appeal to the Appellate Court for the Second District it was held that the rights of the note holder were superior to those of the lienor as to the value of the premises before the building was placed thereon; that the lienor was entitled to priority as to the value of the building, and that in case the proceeds of the sale were insufficient to pay both claims in full, payments should accordingly be apportioned. The decree of the trial court was reversed and the cause remanded with specific directions. The note holder brings the cause to this court by certiorari. *210
The note in controversy was for $5000, dated April 14, 1928. It was payable to bearer and executed by Frank E. Kellerman and Elizabeth Kellerman, his wife. It was secured by a first deed of trust of that date conveying the premises to the Chicago Title and Trust Company as trustee. On April 18 the Kellermans contracted with the Alexander Lumber Company for lumber and material to construct a residence on the property. The contract was fulfilled and delivery of the last material thereunder was made on October 20. Meanwhile, Roy E. Parson and Anona C. Parson, his wife, purchased the premises. On February 15, 1929, within four months after the final delivery of material under the contract, the lumber company filed a statement of claim for lien pursuant to the statute. By a clerical error the statement contained an erroneous credit of $1000.
The bill of complaint was filed and summons was issued on September 20, 1930. A correct statement of the claim for lien was attached to the bill. Among the defendants named in the bill and the summons were the unknown owners and holders of the note. The return on the summons filed October 6 recited that the unknown owners or holders were not found in the county. On December 3 an affidavit that there were unknown owners and holders of the note, and an affidavit of non-residence, were filed and publication was made on December 5. The note was acquired by Eli Metcoff in July, 1931. On August 14 of that year the intervening petition was filed. After setting out that he did not acquire the note until some time in 1931, it alleges he became the owner without notice of the pendency of the suit; that inasmuch as the last material was delivered on October 20, 1928, the action was not begun as to him within two years thereafter, and that the rights of the lumber company are subordinate to his.
Metcoff contends that because the summons was issued prior to the filing of the affidavit as to unknown owners the service by publication was void as to the then holder *211 and owner of the note; that because such affidavit was not filed within two years after the last material was furnished, the suit was not commenced as to such unknown holders and owners within the statutory two-year period; that on that account he took the note free of lis pendens; that he was not a party until the filing of his intervening petition, and that the action was not begun as to him until after the expiration of the two-year limitation, when the lien was barred as to him.
By cross-errors in this court the lumber company contends that the questions here presented were not properly assigned as errors in the Appellate Court and accordingly cannot be considered by this court. The first and second assignments of error in the Appellate Court challenged the sustaining of each of the lienor's exceptions to the master's report. Those exceptions, in detail, went to the findings of the master on the jurisdictional questions and as to priority. The third and fourth assignments of error directly challenged the finding of the trial court as to priority. The fifth assignment is, that if the lumber company has a lien it is in excess of the amount which in any event could be decreed under the law and from the proper evidence in this case. The general rule is that every error must be specifically pointed out in the assignments of error so clearly that from the showing error is manifest. (Berry v. City of Chicago,
Section 7 of the Liens act provides that no contractor shall be allowed to enforce his lien against or to the prejudice of any other encumbrancer unless within four months after completion he shall either bring suit to enforce his lien or file a verified claim for lien with the clerk of the circuit court. Section 9 provides that suit to enforce a lien shall be commenced within two years after the completion of the contract or completion of any extra or additional work or the furnishing of extra or additional material thereunder. The claim for lien in this case was filed within the statutory four months and the bill to enforce the lien was filed within two years after the contract was completed. Section I of the Lis Pendens act (Cahill's Stat. 1933, chap. 22, par. 57, P. 229,) provides that every suit in equity affecting or involving real estate shall from the time of the filing of the bill of complaint or petition be constructive notice to every person subsequently acquiring an interest in or lien on the property. In case of failure for the period of six months after the filing of the bill or petition to cause notice to be given the defendant or defendants, either by service of summons or publication, as required by law, then such bill or petition shall cease to be such constructive notice until service of summons or publication as required by law is had. Publication in this cause was had less than six months after the bill was filed.
Wenner v. Thornton,
The foreclosure of a lien under the Liens act is a chancery proceeding. Section 4 of the Chancery act provides: "The mode of commencing suit in chancery shall be by filing a bill of complaint with the clerk of the proper court setting forth the nature of the complaint." The filing of the bill is the commencement of the suit. (Johnson v. Davidson,
The unknown owners of the note named in the bill were duly served with process by publication. Metcoff took the notependente lite. Under the familiar rule he was bound by the proceedings to the same extent as if he had been a party when the bill was filed. (Steger v. Traveling Men's Building Ass'n,
Section 7 of the Liens act provides that no lien shall be defeated to the proper amount thereof because of an error or overcharging on the part of any person claiming a lien therefor under the act unless it shall be shown that such error or overcharge is made with intent to defraud. The credit of $1000 in the claim for lien was merely a clerical error. No fraud is shown or suggested. The bill was filed for the proper amount. Metcoff purchased the mortgage note thereafter and could not have been in any way prejudiced. The credit was properly allowed. Culver v. Schroth,
Under sections 16 and 19 of the Liens act the Appellate Court correctly adjudicated the priority rights of the parties. The judgment of that court is therefore affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
Dissenting Opinion
The only provision of law which authorizes the making of an unknown owner a party to this suit is section 7 of the Chancery act, which, in my opinion, requires the affidavit of unknown owners therein mentioned as a condition upon which they may be brought in. If this is true, then they are not and cannot be parties until the affidavit is filed. If none is ever filed they never are parties. It would seem to follow from this reasoning, if it is sound, that they are not in the case until the affidavit is filed, which upon the record before us was after the period of limitation had run. It is my opinion that this view is sustained by Dime Savings and Trust Co. v. Knapp,