134 Ky. 1 | Ky. Ct. App. | 1909
Opinion op the Court by
Affirming;,
Appellant, Tischendorf-Chreste Lumber Company, is a corporation which purchased the assets and good will of Tischendorf, Hecht & Co., a partnership composed of W. E. Tischendorf and Henry Hecht. The partnership furnished material for the erection of eight cottages belonging to appellee E. C. Hegan. The value of the materials furnished was $1,900.15. Of this sum $1,655.60 was paid, leaving a balance due of $244.55. For the purpose of enforcing a lien for the latter amount, a statement was filed in the county clerk’s office of Jefferson county, Ky., under section 2468, Ky. St. In specifying the person with whom the contract was made, the statement contains the following: “Affiant states that between the 10th day of April, 1905, and the 18th day of July, 1905, at the instance and request of said E. C. Hegan, his agents and contractors, he furnished certain materials,” etc. Section 2468, Ky. St., is as follows: “The liens mentioned in the preceding sections shall be dissolved unless the claimant, within sis months after he ceases to labor or furnish materials as aforesaid, files in the office of the clerk of the county court of the county in which such building or improvement is situated a
It is insisted by appellant that the purpose of specifying with whom the contract was made was to apprise the owner of that fact; that as the owner would know whether he had made the contract himself, or his contractor had made it, a strict compliance with the provision of the statute would be merely to ap
The question then arises: Is the language used in the statement a sufficient compliance with the statute? The statement does not say, “At the instance and request of said E. O. Hegan, his agents or contractors;” but it says, “at the instance and request of said E. C. Hegan,' his agents and contractors.” While the provisions of the statute requires the claim - ant to specify whether the contract is made with the owner or contractor or subcontractor, it cannot be that the owner would have to specify one or the' other, if as a matter of fact the contract was made with the owner and contractor. While the form of the statement is not to be commended, we conclude that the statement itself is a sufficient compliance with the provision of the statute. However, in order for the materialman to recover on such a statement, it is absolutely necessary for him to allege and prove that the contract as a matter of fact was made with the owner. While the statement, shows the contract was made, with both the owner -and the contractor, the claimant could not recover if the material was furnished by contract with the contractor alone. That is the case before us.. The statement shows a contract with both'the owner and the contractor, while the petition charges that the contract, was made with the
For the reasons given, the judgment is affirmed.