115 Wash. 259 | Wash. | 1921
This was an action to foreclose a mechanic’s lien. The statement of facts is so incomplete that we have found difficulty in being certain as to what the facts are. They appear to he as follows: The defendants W. E. Magarrell'and wife were the owners of lots 1 to 12, both inclusive, of block 4, Hidden Addition to the city of Vancouver, Washington. They had already erected dwellings on lots 7, 8, 9,10 and 11, and intended to erect dwellings on the remainder of the lots. They seem to have made a contract with the plaintiff Hoagland to do certain inside finishing work on all of the houses, at the price of $125 per house.
In October, 1918, Hoagland commenced work on the houses located on lots 8, 9, 10 and 11, and completed them sometime in January, 1919. During the time he was at work on those houses, he seems to have modified his agreement with reference to the house on lot 7, so that as to that house he was to work by the day at a certain price, which work on the house on lot 7
Hoagland claimed there was due him, on account of the built-in parts which were delivered on the property but not used in the houses he completed, $207. He also claimed $48 for loss of time because Magarrell failed to deliver material as he needed it. The total amount of the claim of the plaintiff Hoagland was $900, which may be divided as follows: $645 on account of the houses located on lots 7, 8, 9,' 10 and 11, and $255 on account of the extra built-in parts and the loss of time. Hoagland had been paid $290, which he applied, or undertook to apply, upon what he called the non-lienable items, being the $207 for extra built-in parts and $48 for loss of time. This payment would discharge the account as to the so-called non-lienable items and apply $35 on the so-called lienable items, which would leave unpaid as a charge against the houses on lots 7 to 11 inclusive, $610. Hoagland filed a claim against lots 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 for labor performed on the houses located on those lots in the sum
As we understand the appellant, his particular complaint is that, since there was a contract whereby Hoagland was to complete four houses on lots 8 to 11 inclusive for $125 each, the court should have found the amount due as against each one of those houses, to be the sum of $125, as well also as $117 against lot 7, and the improvements thereon, and that the lien should have been foreclosed for the several amounts against the several lots, and the property ordered sold separately for the purpose of collecting the amount charged against each separate lot and the improvements thereon.
Under the peculiar contract here, we are of the opim ion that the contention of the appellant is correct. The statement of facts clearly shows that the contract was that Hoagland should complete each of the four houses on lots 8, 9, 10 and 11 for the sum of $125 per house, and that he was to be paid for each house as he completed it, and that he was to work on the house on lot 7 by the day.
A reading of the decisions of this court on this subject fails to disclose any case where the exact question here presented was involved. In a number of cases we have held that one lien might be filed upon several
. Where one contract is made for the construction of, or for work upon, several different buildings located on as many different lots or tracts of land, for a lump sum, one lien may be filed for the total sum and foreclosed as against all of the lots and the improvements thereon; but where, as here, the contract is that various buildings will be constructed on various lots or work done on various buildings, at a designated and fixed price per building, then each lot should be liable only for the value or contract price of the improvement on it. While there was but one contract here,'it was sever-able as to each lot and the improvements on it, and each lot should be made to bear only the contract cost of the improvement on it. In so holding we have not overlooked Rem. Code, % 1137 which provides for the filing of one claim on more than one lot. But that section has reference to work done on more than one lot, under one contract which does not segregate the value of the work on each lot.
Under our construction, after adding to the contract price of $125 per lot for each of lots 8, 9, 10 and 11 its portion of $28 for extras, and after giving proper
The judgment is reversed, with instructions to enter judgment in favor of respondent Hoagland and against Magarrell and wife for $610, and establish a lien on lot 7 and improvements,’ in the sum of $110, plus one-fifth of the costs and attorney’s fees, and a hen against each of lots 8, 9,10 and 11 in the sum of $125, plus one-fifth of the costs and attorney’s fees, and directing each lot to be sold for the purpose of discharging the lien established against it.
Parker, C. J., Mackintosh, Fullerton, and Holcomb, JJ., concur.