Carr-Cullen Co. v. Cooper

175 N.W. 696, 144 Minn. 380, 1920 Minn. LEXIS 794
CourtSupreme Court of Minnesota
DecidedJanuary 2, 1920
DocketNos. 21,553, 21,554, 21,555, 21,556, 21,557, 21,558
StatusPublished
Cited by12 cases

This text of 175 N.W. 696 (Carr-Cullen Co. v. Cooper) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Minnesota primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Carr-Cullen Co. v. Cooper, 175 N.W. 696, 144 Minn. 380, 1920 Minn. LEXIS 794 (Mich. 1920).

Opinion

Lees, C.

In six actions brought by the Carr-Cullen Company for the foreclosure of as many mechanic’s liens, the Northland Pine Company filed answers, claiming one lien on eight adjoining lots in the city of Minneapolis on which six dwelling houses had been built, and asked for the foreclosure of its lien. The owners of the lots and the assignees of mortgages thereon contested its claim to a lien, and it appeals from an adverse judgment in each of the actions.

1. The principal question mooted is whether it had a right to a lien on the property as a whole, or whether its claim grew out of separate and distinct transactions with the owner and builder of the houses. It is conceded that appellant furnished building materials used in the construction of the houses, but the court found that such materials were not furnished under or pursuant to the purposes of one génreal contract with the owner of the property, as provided by section 7072, G. S. 1913.

These are the material facts relating to this question: In March, 1916, the lots were owned by one Cooper, a contractor and builder, who was about to erect six dwelling houses on them, dividing them so that each house would occupy a portion of two lots. Appellant offered to furnish the lumber and other building materials required to construct the houses and a price was agreed upon. Cooper began to build in April, 1916. The construction of the houses was a continuous enterprise and was part of one general improvement or connected undertaking which he prosecuted as one job until he sold out to the Colfax Holding Company. The materials were furnished for the general purpose of enabling him to -build this group of houses and were ordered from time to time as needed. Appel[382]*382lant billed them to him under the heading “Job 50th and Colfax.” The houses were located on Colfax avenue and Fiftieth street. No separate account was kept of the materials which entered into the construction of each house, but when appellant’s teamster delivered a load he would get the signature of Cooper’s foreman on a slip on which the materials delivered. were listed, as a receipt therefor. On these slips the street number of the house at which the load was delivered would be entered.

On October 26, 1916, Cooper mortgaged each of the houses separately to Thorpe Brothers, and they assigned the ’mortgages to persons who were made defendants in the Carr- Cullen actions.

On May 29, 1917, having substantially completed two and partially completed four of the houses, Cooper conveyed the entire property to the Colfax Holding Company, also a defendant in the actions.

Appellant has never been paid for any of the materials it furnished, and the amount of its just claims is $6,070.74.

The Carr-Cullen actions and one instituted by Perl Brothers to foreclose a lien on the entire property were consolidated for trial and tried together. Respondents requested the court to find the value of the materials used in each house in order that appellant’s claim might be apportioned among them in case it was held that it was entitled to a lien, and the court did so.

Hpon this state of facts, we hold that appellant contributed to the erection of the six houses under and pursuant to the purposes of one general contract'with Cooper; that it had the right to file one lien statement for its entire claim embracing all of the eight lots, and that the provisions of section 7027, G. S. 1913, are applicable within the rules laid down by this court in Frankoviz v. Smith, 34 Minn. 403, 26 N. W. 225; Lax v. Peterson, 42 Minn. 214, 44 N. W. 3; Gardner v. Leck, 52 Minn. 522, 54 N. W. 746; Johnson v. Salter, 70 Minn. 146, 72 N. W. 974, 68 Am. St. 516; Northwestern L. & W. Co. v. Parker, 118 Minn. 211, 136 N. W. 855; American Bridge Co. v. Honstain, 120 Minn. 329, 139 N. W. 619; Paine & Nixon Co. v. Dahlvick, 136 Minn. 57, 161 N. W. 257, and Northland Pine Co. v. Melin, 142 Minn. 233, 171 N. W. 808. There is nothing in Fitzpatrick v. Ernst, 102 Minn. 195, 113 N. W. 4, running counter to the holdings in the cases above cited, the distinction being pointed out in American Bridge Co. v. Honstain, supra.

[383]*3832. The next question is whether the court had jurisdiction over the owners of the several houses and the assignees of the mortgages in the proceeding for the foreclosure of appellant’s lien. The record is involved and confusing, and we have had no little difficulty in ascertaining the precise situation.

The Carr-Cullen Company filed a separate lien claim on each of the houses. Perl Brothers and appellant each filed one lien statement covering all the lots. The first item in appellant’s claim was furnished on April 8, 1916, and the last on January 15, 1917. It filed its lien statement on April 3, 1917.

Respondent Beutner purchased one of the houses from Cooper on July 6, 1916, taking a contract for deed under which he went into .possession in February, 1917. Respondent Capper purchased another in the same way and went into possession at some time prior to January 1,1917. Jennie and Joseph Brechet took a deed from the Colfax Holding Company to a third house on September 30, 1917. The Colfax Company is the owner of the three remaining houses.

Cooper, the Colfax Company, Perl Brothers and appellant were made defendants in all of the actions brought by the Carr-Cullen Company. In the action affecting the Beutner and Capper property, each respectively was made a defendant. The Breehets were not made defendants in the action affecting their property. The complaint in that, as in all the other actions brought by the Carr-Cullen Company, was filed July 5, 1917, and appellant’s answers were filed August 13, 1917. Perl Brothers made Cooper and the assignees of the mortgages defendants in their action. Beutner filed an intervening complaint in that action asking that Capper, the Breehets, the Colfax Company and others, be made parties to assert such defenses as they might have to his complaint, and that all valid liens upon any of the property be marshalled. On November 15, 1917, these persons were made parties to the Perl Brothers’ action. The Colfax Company answered, asking that lien claimants, who claimed an entire lien upon the whole property originally owned by Cooper, be required to apportion their liens so as to subject each tract separately owned and mortgaged to a lien for the amount fairly chargeable to it. It was stipulated that this answer should be taken as the answer of Capper and the Breehets to the Beutner complaint in intervention. Beutner had theretofore ap[384]*384plied to the court for au order consolidating for trial the six actions brought by the Carr-Cullen Company with the Perl Brothers’ action. Such an order was made August 14,1917. Beutner answered and filed a cross-complaint in the Carr-Cullen action in which he had been made a party defendant. On December 5, 1917, it was stipulated that the answer of the Colfax Company to Beutner’s complaint in intervention should be taken as the answer of Capper and the Brechets to his cross-complaint, On December 12, 1917, the Colfax Company made a similar stipulation in its own behalf. All of the actions as consolidated came on for trial April 17,1918. In the course of the trial it was stipulated by the owners of all the property that the apportionment of the value of appellant’s materials contained in each of the houses, as made by Cooper in his testimony, was correct. Capper was not served with a summons nor originally made a party to any of the actions.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Premier Bank v. BECKER DEVELOPMENT, LLC
785 N.W.2d 753 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 2010)
Premier Bank v. Becker Development, LLC
767 N.W.2d 691 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 2009)
Automated Building Components, Inc. v. New Horizon Homes, Inc.
514 N.W.2d 826 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1994)
Sunrise Electric, Inc. v. Zachman Homes, Inc.
425 N.W.2d 848 (Court of Appeals of Minnesota, 1988)
LaValle v. Bayless
257 N.W.2d 283 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1977)
Hansen v. McAndrews
183 N.W.2d 1 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1971)
UNIVERSAL CONSTRUCTION COMPANY v. Peterson
160 N.W.2d 253 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1968)
O. B. Thompson Electric Co. v. Milliman & Larson, Inc.
128 N.W.2d 751 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1964)
State v. Rust
98 N.W.2d 271 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1959)
Williams v. Jayne
299 N.W. 853 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1941)
Botsford Lumber Co. v. Fuller
212 N.W. 22 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1927)
Melvey v. Bowman
212 N.W. 194 (Supreme Court of Minnesota, 1927)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
175 N.W. 696, 144 Minn. 380, 1920 Minn. LEXIS 794, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/carr-cullen-co-v-cooper-minn-1920.