Conroy Bros. v. J. J. Duggan & Brother

17 Ohio App. 429
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedMarch 19, 1923
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 17 Ohio App. 429 (Conroy Bros. v. J. J. Duggan & Brother) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Conroy Bros. v. J. J. Duggan & Brother, 17 Ohio App. 429 (Ohio Ct. App. 1923).

Opinion

Cushing, J.

This action was commenced by John J. and James J. Duggan, doing business under the firm name and style of J. J. Duggan & Brother, for the purpose of enforcing what they claim was a mechanic’s lien that they filed under the provisions of Section 8324 of the General Code. They attempted to secure a lien on payments due or to become due to the McCaul Company or Conroy Brothers, Inc., funds for which the new Court House Building Commissioners of Hamilton county, Ohio, held. They made the individuals composing that Commission, Conroy Brothers, Inc., The Charles McCaul Company, a corporation, and numerous other parties, defendants.

They pleaded a contract between them and Conroy Brothers that was entered into June 26, 1916, by which they were to furnish and erect in place all metal furring and lathing on said building, the same to be to the satisfaction of Rankin, Kellog & Crane, architects in charge of putting up and building the structure; and they claim that under that contract there was due them from Conroy Brothers, Inc., the sum of $5,353.54, with interest from July 23, 1918, and they pray that the liens [431]*431be marshaled, their amounts determined, and that they have judgment against Conroy Brothers in the sum stated.

On July 23, 1918, they filed, by registered mail, an affidavit giving notice of a lien to be filed against the fund in the hands of such Building Commission. This affidavit was signed by J. J. Duggan, and verified before W. W. Symmes, notary public.

Conroy Brothers answered denying the claim of plaintiffs, and by cross-petition sought to recover a judgment against the Charles McCaul Company in the sum of $10,872.79', with interest from December 13, 1918. They also filed an affidavit for a lien.

The Charles McCaul Company answered, and by way of cross-petition against Conroy Brothers, Inc., stated a claim, and asked for judgment against Conroy Brothers for over-payment to that corporation on their contract, in the sum of $14,-351.67, with interest from February 1, 1919.

Other parties defendant answered, some that they had no claim, and many of them were dismissed.

In the trial in the 'Superior Court, Conroy Brothers, Inc., dismissed the members of the New Court House Building Commission, and county officials, and withdrew their lien.

At the conclusion of the trial the Superior Court entered judgment in favor of Duggan & Brother against Conroy Brothers for $4,691.40. It entered judgment in favor of the Charles McCaul Company against Conroy Brothers, Inc., for the sum of $15,866.02.

Duggan & Brother and Conroy Brothers, Inc., [432]*432appealed the ease to this court. Conroy Brothers, Inc., also prosecuted error proceedings to this court.

If these judgments are correct, there was no money in the hands of the Building Commissioners due Conroy Brothers, as they had been overpaid in a large sum, nor was there any money due from the McCaul Company, as it had paid out the money, and it is not claimed that it was guilty of fraud, collusion or any other act showing improper payment. As we view it, there not being any money in the Commission’s hands Duggan & Brother could not have a lien on retained percentages under the original contract.

The first question for consideration is whether or not the case is properly before this court on appeal.

The appeal by Conroy Brothers, Inc., will be dismissed, as it withdrew its affidavit and any claim for lien on the trial of the case below.

If the. case is here on appeal a,t all, it must be determined from the appeal of Duggan & Brother.

Section 8324, General Code, gives a subcontractor a right to a lien on filing an affidavit, as prescribed in the statute. The affidavit of Duggan & Brother states that they claim a lien on all payments due or to become due to the Charles Mc-Caul Company, or Conroy Brothers, Inc., subcontractors under said contract, in accordance with above section of the statutes.

It is clear that an attempt was made to secure a lien on future payments due the McCaul Company and Conroy Brothers.

It is contended that as the affidavit of Duggan & Brother was verified by W. W. Symmes, Dug[433]*433gan & Brother never had a valid lien on said fund, and it is not denied that W. W. Symmes for some time prior to the date of the affidavit had been the attorney for Duggan & Brother, that he was such at the time of the affidavit, and that he has been such ever since.

Sections 11522 and 11523, General Code, define an affidavit.

Section 11524 provides that an affidavit may be made in or out of the state before any person authorized to take depositions, and unless. it is a verification of a pleading must be authenticated in the same way as a deposition.

Section 11532 provides that the officer before whom a deposition may be taken must not be a relative or an attorney of either party, or otherwise interested in the event of the action or proceeding.

In Leavitt & Milroy Co. v. Rosenberg Bros. & Co., 83 Ohio St., 230, it was held that an affidavit in attachment cannot be made before a notary public who is the attorney for one of the parties to the action. (See also Ward v. Ward, 20 C. C., 136; Hunt v. Hunt, 14 N. P. (N. S.), 521, and Lyric Piano Co. v. W. H. Blinn & Co., 13 N. P. (N. S.), 521.

The statute requires that before a party can have á lien he must file an affidavit. The affidavit that was attempted to be filed in this case was void, and no lien could be predicated on it.

But if the affidavit was not void, Section 8324 et seq. of the General Code were construed in In re Schilling, 251 Fed. Rep., 966. In that case, the court said:

“These sections permit him to file with the [434]*434board, officer, or public authority with which the contract has been made within four months after furnishing labor and materials a sworn and itemized statement of the amount and value thereof. Upon receipt of this notice the board, officer,. or public authority, or the authorized clerk or agent thereof, shall retain all subsequent payments due or to become due to the contractor to secure such claims'. * * * It is sufficient to say that his remedy is exclusively against money due or to become due the contractor, and that no lien is given' or authorized upon either the public highway or the equipment, materials, and supplies of the contractor assembled on the public highway. His rights are limited exclusively to the moneys due or to become due to the contractor. And it has also been held, and in my opinion correctly, that the lien thus acquired by giving such notice is subordinate to the right of the public authority to retain, control, and apply the reserve percentage, or any balance unpaid at the time of the contractor’s default, in finishing the contract and in protecting the public authority from loss.”

Under Section.6, Article IV of the Constitution, this court has jurisdiction on appeal in chancery cases only. Conroy Brothers having withdrawn their affidavit, and the affidavit of Duggan & Brother being void, there is no case here on appeal.

The appeal of Duggan & Brother is dismissed.

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Bluebook (online)
17 Ohio App. 429, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/conroy-bros-v-j-j-duggan-brother-ohioctapp-1923.