Fitzpatrick v. Howes

76 Pa. D. & C. 543, 1951 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 248
CourtPennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Bucks County
DecidedMay 21, 1951
Docketno. 13
StatusPublished

This text of 76 Pa. D. & C. 543 (Fitzpatrick v. Howes) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, Bucks County primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Fitzpatrick v. Howes, 76 Pa. D. & C. 543, 1951 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 248 (Pa. Super. Ct. 1951).

Opinion

Biester, J.,

— This matter comes before the court as a result of the owner-defendant’s motion to strike off the mechanic’s lien filed by claimant, John L. Fitzpatrick,' trading as L. J. Fitzpatrick & Son. Claimant is a subcontractor, the basis of his claim being labor furnished and materials supplied in connection with the plumbing installed in a new dwelling house on the premises of the owner, Bessie G. Howes, situate in Buckingham Township, Bucks County, Pa. An examination of the pleadings discloses that it is alleged that the work was done and the materials furnished during a period beginning February 17, 1949, and ending July 6, 1949.

On August 5, 1949, claimant caused to be served upon the owner an affidavit of intention to file a mechanic’s lien, and such lien claim was filed in the office of the Prothonotary of Bucks County on December 15, 1949. Notice of the fact that such claim had been filed was served upon the owner by the Sheriff of Bucks County on December 23, 1949. On July 17, 1950, the owner filed her motion to strike off the mechanic’s lien claim, upon which the court granted a rule and to which plaintiff filed an answer.

On this state of the record the matter came before the court for argument. After argument, but prior to disposition of the rule by the court, claimant filed a petition to amend the claim. To this petition an answer was filed by the owner which contended that the defects in the mechanic’s lien claim as filed were of such fatal and substantial nature as not to permit [545]*545amendment and reaverring the insufficiency of the notice of intention to file the lien, which notice, of .course, would not be subject to amendment.

It is contended that neither the notice of intention to file the lien, nor the mechanic’s lien .claim itself complies with the requirements enumerated by the Mechanics’ Lien Act of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania of June 4, 1901, P. L. 431, as amended.

Let us first consider the objection raised by defendant as to the form of the notice of intention to file the lien. The applicable section of the Mechanics’ Lien Law (section 8, 49 PS §101) provides, inter alia, as follows:

“Any subcontractor, intending to. file a claim, must give to the owner written notice to that effect, verified by affidavit, setting forth the name of the party with whom he contracted, the amount alleged to be still due, the nature of the labor or materials furnished, and the date when the last work was done or last materials furnished.”

An examination of the claim as filed discloses the following averment as to notice which appears in paragraph 4 of the claim:

“Claimant on August 5, 1949, served upon the said Bessie Howes, owner, a written statement under oath, of Claimant’s intention to file a Mechanics’ Lien Claim setting forth therein the location of the property, the total amount claimed and the period in which the material and labor was furnished and performed.”

Defendant contends that the averment in the lien as to the giving of notice is insufficient in three particulars in that it fails to set forth: (1) The name of the party with whom claimant contracted; (2) the date when the last work was done or last materials furnished, and (3) the nature of the labor or materials furnished.

Although the affidavit of notice is not attached to the claim as filed, a copy thereof is affixed to the motion [546]*546to strike off the lien, and since the answer to the motion to strike off the lien admits the correctness of the copy of the notice served upon defendant on August 5,1949,. we can properly regard it as being a part of the record and, therefore, .subject to examination in connection with the motion to strike off.

Although we have found no case in which this exact problem has arisen, there is authority for the proposition that when a copy of the notice is annexed to and made a part of the affidavit of defense, defendant may move for a judgment on the whole record and the court is permitted to consider the notice as a part of the record : Cushman on Mechanic’s Liens, vol. 1, 366; Benton v. David Berg Distilling Company, 63 Pa. Superior Ct. 412.

A copy of the affidavit of intention as it appears as an exhibit to defendant’s motion to strike off the lien, is as follows:

“Exhibit ‘A’
“L. J. Fitzpatrick & Son
Plumbing and Heating
Roofing and Spouting
“Southampton, Pa., August 5, 1949.
“Commonwealth of Pennsylvania \ County of Bucks J s' s‘
“Affidavit of Intention to file Mechanics’ Lien Claim.
“John L. Fitzpatrick, being duly affirmed according to law, deposes and says that he is engaged in the Plumbing Business under the name of J. L. Fitzpatrick & Son, Southampton, Bucks County, Pennsylvania; that he entered into an oral contract with Bernard Dittenhofer, for the installation of the plumbing work in the erection and construction of a new dwelling house on tract of one (1) acre, 84 perches, Wycombe, Buckingham Township, Bucks County, [547]*547Pennsylvania, owned by Bessie G. Howes; that pursuant to said contract your deponent furnished plumbing materials and performed labor upon said premises for a total price of Eight Hundred and Twenty Dollars ($820.00); that the first material and labor furnished and performed by your deponent was done on February l'7th, 1949; that the last material and labor was furnished and performed July 6th, 1949; that after repeated demands has been made, upon Bernard Dittenhofer for payment, no payment has been made, so that the entire contract price of Eight Hundred and Twenty Dollars ($820.00) is presently due and owing; that this affidavit is made and served upon Bessie G. Howes, said owner, by your deponent as subcontractor as notice to her of his intention to file a Mechanics’ Lien Claim against said dwelling and lot of land for the above amount, together with interest and costs.
“Affirmed and Subscribed before me this fifth day of August, 1949.
“John L. Fitzpatrick.
“Julius M. Cegilkowski.”

Since the above notice did set forth the name of the party with whom claimant contracted and also the date when the last work was done or materials furnished, we are, it appears, limited to a consideration as to whether this notice sufficiently informed the owner of “the nature of the labor or materials furnished”. The notice in this regard advises the owner that an oral contract was entered into between claimant and one Bernard Dittenhofer “for the installation of the plumbing work” in the erection of the owner’s dwelling house; that pursuant to the contract claimant “furnished plumbing materials and performed labor upon said premises for a total price of Eight Hundred and Twenty Dollars ($820.00)”.

The purpose of the notice is to furnish the owner with such information “as would enable the Owner to [548]*548examine the building and ascertain with reasonable certainty the quantity, kind and quality of the materials furnished”: Breitweiser Lumber Co. v. Wyss-Thalman, 51 Pa. Superior Ct. 83.

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

Related

Johnson Service Co. v. Fayette Title & Trust Building
96 Pa. Super. 535 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1929)
Hamilton v. Means
38 A.2d 528 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1944)
Duplex Elec. Co. v. Simons, Brittain & English, Inc.
156 A. 617 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1931)
McFarland v. Schultz
32 A. 94 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1895)
American Car & Foundry Co. v. Alexandria Water Co.
64 A. 683 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1906)
Page v. Carr
81 A. 430 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1911)
Mullooly v. Short
74 A.2d 136 (Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1950)
Sumption v. Rogers
53 Pa. Super. 109 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1913)
Benton v. David Berg Distilling Co.
63 Pa. Super. 412 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1916)
A. G. Breitwieser Lumber Co. v. Wyss-Thalman
51 Pa. Super. 83 (Superior Court of Pennsylvania, 1912)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
76 Pa. D. & C. 543, 1951 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 248, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/fitzpatrick-v-howes-pactcomplbucks-1951.