184 Iowa 149 | Iowa | 1918
The defendant Nehls contracted with the defendant,Heinbaugh to erect for him a building on a certain lot owned by Nehls, the building to be completed on the 10th of August. Heinbaugh constructed the building under the contract. Before the construction rvas begun, Heinbaugh went to the plaintiff, and an estimate was made of what would be needed to construct the building. Thereafter, on the estimate so made, lumber was delivered by the plaintiff to Heinbaugh, to be used in the construction of the building. This lumber, so delivered, was never paid for by Heinbaugh. The first delivery made by the plaintiff was bn the 8th day of May, 1916; and, as the building progressed, deliveries were made during that month, with but short intervals' between deliveries. The last delivery in May was on the 22d. Thereafter, deliveries were made during the month of June. These seemed to be small items. The last delivery in June was on June 17th. On July 26th, some more of the material included in the estimate was delivered and used in the building. In August, there were two deliveries: one on the 1st, and one on the 5th. This was the last delivery made by the plaintiff until the 17th day of October, when two 2x4 8’s were sent by the plaintiff to the defendant’s building, for which a charge of 30 cents is made. This item is in dispute. We shall refer to this later.
“Whereas, on the 20th day of October,. 1916, you filed a purported mechanics’ lien against Lot 4, Block 21, Bever Park Addition to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, belonging to me. You are therefore hereby notified and demand is hereby made upon you that you commence action to foreclose your claim for mechanics’ lien in accordance with the statute in such cases made and provided.
“Signed this 14th day of November, 1916.”
No action was commenced to foreclose the lien claimed under this filing, or in pursuance of the notice aforesaid.
On the 16th day of November, 1916, the plaintiff filed another proper statement for a mechanics’ lien duly verified and duly itemized; but no notice was ever served on the defendant, as required by statute, of the filing of this claim.
On the 22d day of December, 1916, plaintiff commenced this action to establish and foreclose this lien. Neither of these claims was filed in time to preserve the lien, if the last item furnished by the plaintiff was on the 5th day of August, for the reason that more than 30 days intervened between the date of the last item and the filing. See Cedar Rapids S. & D. Co. v. Heinbaugh, 183 Iowa 1236, and cases therein cited. That case involved the same building and the same contract between Heinbaugh and Nehls. Many questions of law necessary to the decision of this case are considered there.
The filing on October 20, 1916, was not effectual, under the statute, to create any lien in favor of the plaintiff, or to preserve any lien then existing, even if it had been filed
“Every person, whether contractor or subcontractor,, who wishes to avail himself ’of the provisions of this chapter, shall file with the clerk of the district court of the county in which the building * * * to be charged with the lien is situated, a verified statement * * * of the demand due him, * * * setting forth the time when such material was furnished * * and when completed, and containing a correct description of the property to be charged with the lien.”
Code Section 3089 provides:
“Every person who shall do any labor upon, or furnish any materials * * for any building * * upon complying with the provisions of this chapter, shall have for his labor done, or material * * * furnished, a lien.”
The decree appealed from as to the defendant Nehls is, therefore, reversed, with directions to the court below to enter a judgment and decree dismissing plaintiff’s petition, in so far as he seeks to establish a mechanics’ lien against the property in question; or the defendant may have that relief in this court, at his election. — Reversed.