Guiou v. Ryckman

110 N.W. 759, 77 Neb. 833, 1906 Neb. LEXIS 185
CourtNebraska Supreme Court
DecidedDecember 21, 1906
DocketNo. 14,581
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 110 N.W. 759 (Guiou v. Ryckman) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Nebraska Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Guiou v. Ryckman, 110 N.W. 759, 77 Neb. 833, 1906 Neb. LEXIS 185 (Neb. 1906).

Opinion

Oldham, 0.

This action was instituted by the plaintiffs in the court below for the purpose of foreclosing mechanics’ and material men’s liens upon two lots situated in the city of Omaha, Nebraska. The record title to these lots was in defendant Mary A. Wallace, and Daniel W. Ryckman was in possession of the lots in controversy under an execu-tory contract for the purchase thereof. A number of defendants were joined as holders of mechanics’ and material men’s liens, and they each filed answers and cross-petitions. Defendant Mary A. Wallace filed an ansAver, denying the validity of these various liens, and by way of cross-petition alleged that she Avas the OAvner of the lots in dispute, and that certain of the liens filed by plaintiffs and cross-petitioners Avere a cloud upon her title, AAirich she asked to have canceled and removed from the record. Defendant Daniel W. Ryckman appeared, but does not seem to have asked for any affirmative relief in his answer. On issues thus joined there was a trial to the court, and judgment in favor of the plaintiffs and cross-petitioners, [835]*835in which the claims for work done and material furnished for the buildings on the lots by the plaintiffs and cross-petitioners were decreed to be a first lien on the premises, and the claim of defendant Mary A. Wallace for the purchase price of the premises under her contract with defendant Eyckman was decreed tí> be a second lien, and an order of sale was directed under this decree, which provided that, after the payment of the mechanics’ and material men’s liens and the payment of the amount due on the purchase price to defendant Mary A. Wallace, the remainder, if any, should be paid to defendant Daniel W, Eyckman. To reverse this judgment defendant Mary A. Wallace appeals to this court.

The facts underlying this controversy are that at and prior to the 28th day of July, 1904, the defendant Mary A. Wallace was the owner of the lots in dispute, which were described as lots 1 and 3, in Wallace’s subdivision of Omaha, Nebraska. Prior to the day last mentioned defendant Eyckman negotiated through G. G. Wallace, a real estate agent in Omaha and son of the defendant Mary A. Wallace, for the purchase of the lots. As a result of these negotiations defendant Mary A. Wallace, who was not a resident of Omaha, came to Omaha, and entered into the following written agreement with defendant Eyck-man: “It is hereby agreed, by and between the parties hereto that Mary A. Wallace, party of the first part, will convey by a good and sufficient warranty deed, with perfect title, all taxes due and payable at this date to be paid, lots 1 and 3, Wallace’s subdivision, City of Omaha, Douglas county, Nebraska, to D. W. Eyckman, party of the second part, on completion, by said party of the second part, of a house of not less than five rooms, on each of said lots. Said houses to be constructed in a good and workmanlike manner, and to be completed on or before November 1, 1904. The consideration for said lots, to be $700 to be paid on or before November 1, 1904, or on completion of said houses. The party of the first part further agrees that should the party of the second part not be [836]*836able to secure, a loan sufficient to erect said bouses, she will take a second mortgage on both houses and lots, not to exceed $200, payable $5 a month, with interest at 7 per cent., payable monthly from this date. The total indebtedness not to exceed $1,700, and all labor and material to be paid by the party of the second part. Permission is given to begin erection of said houses any time within 30 days. Signed this 28th day of July, 1904. M. A. Wallace, D. W. Ryckman. (Witness) G. G. Wallace.” After the signing of this contract Mrs. Wallace left the city, and did not return before the present suit was instituted. Defendant Ryckman entered upon the premises in the month of October, and began the erection of a building on lot 1. It is to the claims for material furnished and labor performed on the building erected on this lot that our' attention will be directed, since it is stated in appellant’s brief, and conceded by counsel for the appellees, that the claims which were decreed liens on lot 3 have all been settled by the parties.

The first objection urged against the decree by the appellant is as to so much of it as grants affirmative relief to defendant Daniel W. Ryckman, by directing the payment to him of the surplus, if any, arising from the sale of the premises, after the liens have been satisfied. It is urged in support of this objection that defendant Ryck-man did not ask for any affirmative relief from, the court, and that there is no evidence in the record that shows that he did anything under the contract, except to take possession of the lot in controversy and proceed with the erection of the building, without paying or offering to pay for any of the labor performed or material furnished thereon, or paying or offering to pay any part of the purchase price agreed upon in the contract. The transcript of the pleadings and the bill of exceptions, containing the testimony introduced at the- trial of the cause, fully sustain this contention. While the evidence shows that Ryckman moved into the house on lot 1 after it was partially completed, and was residing there a,t the time of the trial in the court [837]*837below, yet neither in his pleadings nor in his testimony taken at the trial did he claim any right to affirmative relief, but on the contrary his evidence was more in the nature of a disclaimer, for he says that he did not know that he had any interest in the contract for the property.

It is next urged that the title of the appellant Mary A. Wallace in the premises is not liable for the liens of either plaintiffs or cross-petitioners for material furnished to defendant Eyckman and labor performed at his instance in the erection of the building. This contention rests on the theory that the agreement before set out between Mrs. Wallace and Mr. Eyckman was not a contract binding on (úther party thereto, but was only an option agreement, and that the lienors were bound at their peril to know the terms of the agreement under which the contractor was operating. While the Contract by its Kuans gives defendant Eyckman the right to enter upon the premises, which were at that time vacant lots, within BO days and proceed with the construction of the buildings contemplated in the contract, time was nowhere made of the essence of the contract by its terms. And the evidence sIloavs that G. G. Wallace, son and agent of the appellant, knew of the fact of the construction of the buildings and the purchase of material therefor at the time they Avere furnished Eyckman in the month of October, 1904. The contract was plainly entered into by the parties for the purpose of having buildings erected on the lots, and this places it AA’ithin the line of decisions of this court that hold that, where the vendor and vendee cooperate together in plans for the erection of improvements upon real estate covered by their agreement, the interest of the vendor, as Avell as that of the vendee, is bound for the payment of liens for labor and material which have been furnished for such improvements. Bohn Mfg. Co., v. Kountze, 30 Neb. 719; Millsap v. Ball, 30 Neb. 728; Pickens v. Plattsmouth Investment Co., 37 Neb. 272; Cummings v. Emslie, 49 Neb. 485.

Objections are urged to the sufficiency of the proof of [838]*838the filing of certain of the liens on which judgments were rendered in the court below. One of these objected to is the lien of defendant and cross-petitioner George W. Jones.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
110 N.W. 759, 77 Neb. 833, 1906 Neb. LEXIS 185, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/guiou-v-ryckman-neb-1906.