Curtiss-Bright Ranch Co. v. Selden Cypress Door Co.

107 So. 679, 91 Fla. 354
CourtSupreme Court of Florida
DecidedFebruary 26, 1926
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 107 So. 679 (Curtiss-Bright Ranch Co. v. Selden Cypress Door Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Florida primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Curtiss-Bright Ranch Co. v. Selden Cypress Door Co., 107 So. 679, 91 Fla. 354 (Fla. 1926).

Opinion

Buford, J.-

— -The Curtiss-Bright Company owned a certain lot in Hialeah in Dade County, Florida, and entered into a contract with one- H. A. Hopkins by the terms of which Hopkins was to furnish the material and erect on the certain lot a building for the sum of $12,400.00.

Hopkins executed a bond payable to the Curtiss-Bright Company with the United States Fidelity & Guaranty Company as surety for the faithful performance of the contract.

Hopkins entered upon the work of constructing the building and partially finished it. While he was proceeding with the work of constructing the building, he, on March 21, 1922, received a payment on account of contract in the sum of $4,133.00; afterwards on the 9th day of May, 1922, while still engaged in the constructing of the building he received a like payment in a like amount. And thereafter and before any further sum was paid to the said Hopkins, and before he had finished the performance of his contract, he abandoned the construction of his contract, breached the contract and went to parts unknown.

When Hopkins abandoned his contract and left that part of the- country the Surety Company was called upon by the owners to make good on its guarantee in behalf of Hopkins. The Surety Company authorized the owners to finish the construction of the building under the terms of the contract for its account.

The building was finished by Curtiss-Bright Company for the account of the Surety Company at a cost of $796.51 less than the contract price.

After Hopkins had received the second payment above *357 referred to, and after his surety on his bond had authorized the completion of the building for the account of the Surety Company, appellees filed in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court and caused to be recorded certain claims or liens for work done and material furnished.

The aggregate of the liens claimed was far in excess of the amount of $796.51 which was the sum left after completing the building under the terms of the contract. In April, 1923, Curtiss-Bright Ranch Company filed a bill of complaint in the Circuit Court of Dade County, Florida, setting up the facts, in which bill of complaint the lien claimants and the United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company were made defendants, and in which it was alleged that the defendants had no lien under the circumstances for any aggregate amount greater than the amount remaining due on the contract price after the building had been finished; to-wit, the sum of $796.51.

The appellant further alleged that the liens placed on record constituted a cloud on the title of the owners and complainants; and that the same would tend to and did depreciate the market value of the property. The prayer was as follows, to-wit:

“Therefore, to the end that the said clouds may be removed from the records against your Orators and to the end that the said moneys may be properly applied or divided among the several defendants, and to the end that proper priority may be determined, your Orator doth interplead, and your Orator doth herewith tender unto the Registry of this Honorable Court the said sum of $796.51 in lawful money of the United States of America, and prays that the Court will accept said moneys and will finally prorate or divide the same among the defendant creditors in such a manner as the laws of this State require.

*358 For and inasmuch as your Orator is without remedy except in a Court of Equity, your Orator prays as follows:

(a) That your Orator may be granted the right to interplead in this suit to the end that the said sum of $796.51 may be prorated and divided in such manner as this Honorable Court may determine upon among the several defendant creditors herein.

(b) That the defendants and each of them may be required to file an answer herein, but not under oath, as answer under oath is waived, therein and thereby setting forth and showing unto the Court their several respective claims in and to said sum hereinbefore referred to, to the end that the Court may fix and determine the several priorities.

(e) That the several liens filed for record, as aforesaid, by the defendants named therein, may be decreed to be invalid and to be clouds on your Orator’s title, and may be canceled and expunged from the records,'to the end that your Orator may enter upon and enjoy his property without molestation or hindrance created thereby, and that each and every one of the said defendants may be restrained and enjoined from hereafter asserting or claiming any liens against your Orator’s lands, as described herein, and that the rights of all parties may be adjudicated and determined.

(d) That upon final hearing, the court will order and decree that none of the said defendants are entitled to have or maintain a lien against your Orator’s lands described herein or any part thereof.

(e) May it please the Court to grant unto Orator such other relief in the premises as the natjure of this case may require, and which to your Honor may seem just.” And further prayed for the process against the defendants.

Answer and cross bill was filed for the defendant, John *359 B. Orr. Answer and cross bill was filed for Selden Cypress Door Company. Answer was also filed by United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company. John B. Orr in his answer alleged that he filed his lien in the office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court on the 19th day of August, 1922, in which he claimed the sum of $407.50 to be due to him from the contractor for work done and material furnished on the building referred to, and in his cross bill he prays the foreclosure of his lien in the sum of $407.50. The Selden Cypress Door Company in its answer alleges that it filed its lien in the- office of the Clerk of the Circuit Court on the 25th day of August, 1922, claiming the sum of $1,726.44 alleged to be due from the contractor to the claimants for material furnished to the contractor and in the cross bill in which its foreclosure of the lien is sought to enforce payment of the sum of $1,726.44, it is alleged the filing of the lien for material on the 25th day of August, 1922, and further alleged that it did on the 20th day of April serve a cautionary notice upon the owner under the provisions of the Statutes in such cases provided, that is, under the provision of Section 3518, Revised General Statutes of Florida.

A Master was appointed, testimony was taken and the report thereof was submitted to the Court. Upon consideration of the pleadings and of the report of the Special Master the Court entered its findings in the following language, to-wit:

“This cajuse came on to be heard before me upon the pleadings and evidence on file therein, and was argued by counsel for the-respective parties.
“Upon consideration thereof the Court finds that Selden Cypress Door Company, a corporation, one of the defendants in this cause, is entitled to a lien upon the lands de *360 scribed in the Bill of Complaint for the full amount of defendant’s claim.
“The Court further finds that John B.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
107 So. 679, 91 Fla. 354, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/curtiss-bright-ranch-co-v-selden-cypress-door-co-fla-1926.