36 Mo. 610 | Mo. | 1865
delivered the opinion of the court.
The plaintiffs, as original contractors for work and materials in the building of a house, completed their contract on
On the trial the plaintiffs proved the facts stated in their petition, and the court declared the law to be, “ That a party furnishing materials for a building on the 5th day of November, 1855, or prior to the 11th of December, 1855, but who only filed his lien therefor on the 3d day of May, 1856, is not within the time prescribed by law.”
The question is whether the plaintiffs had acquired any such “right, title or interest” under the act of 1843, as was. intended to be saved by the 25th section of the act of 1855. Not having filed their lien before the first day of May, it is clear that they had not acquired a lien under the previous act while it was in force.
But this language of the saving clause is broad enough to cover something more than a lien completed by an actual filing of the demand. It includes any right acquired. The plaintiffs had certainly gained a right to file a lien within six months. They may be presumed to have had knowledge
This right was acquired under the act, and it was to continue for six months. To take away the whole time would be to destroy the right; and to take away a part of the time would certainly be to “impair, injure, or prejudice” that right. The suit was brought within the time limited for bringing the action, under either act.
We think the right of the parties to file their lien within six months was saved to them by the clause in question.
Judgment reversed and remanded.
; Judge Lovelace absent.