2 Mont. 443 | Mont. | 1876
This is an action to foreclose .a mechanic’s lien. The defendant, “ The Kentucky and Montana Cold and Silver Mining Company,” is a corporation created under and' by virtue of the laws of the State of Kentucky, doing business in the Territory, and having an office and place of business in the county of Madison. This defendant is in default, having made no appearance in the case. The defendant Elling appeared and filed a demurrer to the complaint, which was sustained, and thereupon .judg- • ment was rendered in his favor.
The plaintiff claims a lien upon a certain quartz mill, together with the engine, boiler, belting and other machinery belonging to and used in working the mill, also upon four dwelling-houses situate in the immediate vicinity of the mill, together with the land on which the mill and buildings stand, also upon Discovery claim, and claims numbered one, two, three, four and five, northeast from Discovery claim, and claims numbered one, two, three, four and five, south-west from Discovery claim, on the Kising Sun
To bring himself within the statute giving a lien to mechanics, builders, lumbermen, artisans, workmen and laborers who shall perform work and labor upon any building, erection, mining claim, quartz lode, etc., the plaintiff alleges that on the 28th day of December’, 1874, the aforesaid corporation hired the plaintiff as its agent, manager and superintendent to perform labor in and about the building, erection and completion of the mill and houses mentioned, and also in working the claims named on the quartz lode, at a salary of $250 per month.
Does this averment bring the plaintiff within the spirit and meaning of the mechanics’ lien law ?
The purpose of the legislature in enacting this statute undoubtedly was to secure to the persons therein named compensation for their labor upon the erections therein contemplated, and within the scope of the statute. Its provisions should be liberally construed. It was designed for the protection of workmen who, by their labor or materials furnished, have called property into being or added to its value, to the end that the property itself should be held liable for the labor and materials that produced it. But it is not every one who contributes to the erection of a building or structure that is entitled to a lien thereon. If the contribution was indirect, as if A should loan money to B for the purpose of enabling him to erect a building, and he should with the money thus loaned employ workmen, purchase materials and construct a building, A could not hold a mechanic’s lien on the building for the money so loaned. In order to have the lien attach the labor or materials must have been expended on the building itself, and not upon something else that produced it as a result.
From the nature of the plaintiff’s employment, as averred by himself, it does not appear that he was an architect or laborer, or that he labored directly in the construction of the buildings, etc., but rather that he was employed by the corporation at a fixed salary to manage and superintend its affairs at the place named. Undoubtedly he had the general oversight of the business of the company, of the workmen employed to labor upon the buildings, etc., and probably kept an account of their time, saw that they per
This superintendent stands in place of tbe corporation, and to give bim a lien for the kind of labor be performed might defeat tbe liens of tbe workmen and material men who actually constructed the building, and would be like giving a ben to tbe corporation itself.
This case is not at ab analogous to that of Alvord v. Hendrie, ante, 115, decided by tbis court. In that case there bad been a f ub and complete settlement between tbe parties, and tbe amount for which tbe plaintiff should have a ben upon the property for bis labor thereon had been agreed on and determined. .
An agent employed to disburse money and pay off hands in tbe budding of a bouse has no ben for bis services,- as tbe statute
There is another question, not referred to in the briefs, worthy of great consideration, as to the. validity of a joint lien upon separate and distinct parcels of property. See Phillips on Liens, § 376; Steigleman v. McBride, 17 Ill. 300; James v. Hambleton, 42 id. 308.
The judgment below is affirmed.
Judgment affirmed.
Blaee, L, did not sit in this case, being disqualified.