Gilman v. Ryan

• Decision Date: 20 January 1898
• Citation: 95 Va. 494,28 S.E. 875
• Court: Virginia Supreme Court
• Parties: GILMAN et al. v. RYAN et al.

28 S.E. 875

95 Va. 494

GILMAN et al.

v.RYAN et al.

Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia.

Jan. 20, 1898.

Mechanic's Lien—Statement of Account—Sufficiency.

Accounts of mechanic's lien claimants recited that the owner was debtor for "materials furnished and work done in plastering, " and "in granolithic work, at the following houses, in the city of R., Va., viz."; giving the numbers of five adjoining houses on the south side of a certain avenue, ana five houses on the north side of the same avenue, and the total amount charged. Held insufficient, under Code, §§ 2476, 2477, and amendments thereto, requiring the account to show the "amount" and character of the work and materials furnished, and "the prices charged therefor, " and section 2478, declaring that a substantial compliance is sufficient, where there were contracts made for the work and materials for each block.

Appeal from chancery court of Richmond.

Proceedings by Gilman & Son and others against G. G. Ryan and others to enforce mechanics' liens. From a decree sustaining demurrers to the bill and amended bills, and dismissing the proceedings, the lien claimants appeal. Affirmed.

Jackson Guy, for appellants.

Pollard & Sands, H. Willson, Leake & Carter, S. Cutchins, F. M. Conner, B. O. James, and John Dunlop, for appellees.

BUCHANAN, J. The bill and amended bills In this case were filed by two of the appellants to enforce mechanics' liens which they claimed to have upon certain houses and lots in the bill and proceedings mentioned. The other appellants filed petitions in the suit asserting similar liens. Demurrers to the bills were sustained by the trial court, and the proceedings dismissed. From that decree this appeal was taken.

The claim or demand of only three of the appellants, viz. Gilman & Son, J. C. Thompson, and A. Q. Billings, agent, amounts to as much as $500. As to each of the others, the motion of the appellees to dismiss the appeal as improvidently awarded, because the amount involved is less than $500, must be sustained. There is nothing in the case to bring either of them within any of the exceptions to the general rule that this court has appellate jurisdiction only in cases where the amount in controversy is $500 or over.

A number of interesting questions were discussed in the written and oral argument of counsel upon the hearing, but, in the view we take of this case, it is only necessary to consider one of them, and that is whether the accounts filed in the clerk's office of the chancery court of the city of Richmond are such as are required to be filed in order to create a mechanic's lien. The accounts of the appellants who claim more than $500 are as follows:

"An account showing the work done and materials furnished by James W. Gilman and John E. Gilman, partners trading under thefirm name of Gilman & Son, the price charged therefor, and the balance due:

                -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                |"G. G. Ryan, to Gilman & Son "1894 and 1895. "To material furnished   |      |
                |and work done in plastering the following houses in the city of       |n, Dr.|
                |Richmond, Virginia, viz.: Five two-story houses on the south side of  |      |
                |Floyd Ave., Nos. 1421, 1423, 1425, 1427, and 1429, and five           |$2,576|
                |three-story houses on the north side of said Ave., Nos. 1202, 1204,   |20    |
                |1206, 1208, and 1210                                                  |      |
                |----------------------------------------------------------------------|------|
                |                                                                      |694 00|
                |----------------------------------------------------------------------|------|
                |Balance due                                                           |$1,882|
                |                                                                      |20"   |
                -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                

"An account showing the work done and material furnished by J. C. Thompson, contractor or subcontractor, the price charged therefor, and the amounts due:

                -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                |"Mr. G. G. Ryan, to J. C. Thompso, on, Dr. "1894 & 1895. "To       |         |
                |materials furnished and work done in granolithic work at the       |         |
                |following houses in the city of Richmond, Virginia, to wit: Five   |         |
                |two-story houses on the south side of Floyd avenue, or street Nos. |         |
                |1421, 1423, 1425, 1427, and 1429, and five three-story houses on   |         |
                |the north side of said avenue, or street Nos.                      |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |1202, 1204. 1206, 1208, and 1210..                                 |$666 00" |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |"W. H. Lumber & Son, to A. Q.                                      |         |
                |                                                                   |         |
                |Agent, Dr.                                                         |         |
                |                                                                   |Billings,|
                |"To furnishing and hauling sand and hauling brick for the          |         |
                |construction and building of houses Nos. 1202, 1204. 1206. 1208.   |         |
                |and 1210. Floyd                                                    |         |
                |-------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
                |Ave., for G. G. Ryan                                               |$650 00" |

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