Haden v. Buddensiek

6 Daly 3, 49 How. Pr. 241
New York Court of Common Pleas·Decided March 1, 1875·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

Loew, J.

This proceeding was brought by the plaintiffs, as sub-contractors and material-men, against Gr. A. Sturtzkober, contractor, and Charles A. Buddensiek, owner, to foreclose a [4] mechanic’s lien for $2,595, upon three houses and lots situated on the corner of Washington and Horatio streets, in the city of New York. It is conceded that on the thirtieth day of November, 1811, the said buildings were completed, in accordance with the contract made between the owner and the contractor, and that on said day there was unpaid on the said contract the sum of $4,000, which sum became due and payable thirty days thereafter. It is however claimed by the defendant Buddensiek, that on the ninth day of January, 1812, when the notice of lien was filed, there was nothing due from him to the contractor upon said contract, and that consequently the plaintiffs could not acquire a lien upon the said premises.

It appears that on the 22d day of December, 18Y1, Buddensiek executed and delivered to Sturtzkober a bond for $8,000, secured by a mortgage upon certain real estate situated at the corner of Jackson and Front streets, in this city, and that Sturtzkober immediately assigned and delivered the same to the plaintiffs. The latter thereupon satisfied a lien for $8,000,. which they had filed against certain buildings in Lexington avenue, then in process of erection, under two contracts, between Buddensiek as owner and Sturtzkober as contractor, and towards the erection of which the plaintiffs had also furnished materials. At the same time the plaintiffs discharged a lien for $2,595, which they had filed in the early part of December,. 1811, against the premises corner of Washington and Horatio streets, for the same claim for which the lien now sought to be foreclosed was filed.

It is claimed on the part of the defendant, Buddensiek, that although upon the completion of the Lexington avenue houses the contractor, Sturtzkober, would have been entitled to $15,000, yet there was nothing due him by the terms of the contracts until that time, and that inasmuch as Sturtzkober never quite finished said buildings, no money ever became due to him on the said contracts. It is, therefore, insisted that $4,000 of the $8,000 secured by the bond and mortgage, should be applied to the payment of the balance due on the Horatio street contract, which was the only money due Sturtzkober, and that as to the other $4,000, he must be deemed to have been over[5] paid to that extent. On the other hand, Sturtzkober claims that he was unable to completely finish the said houses, owing to the default of the owner. However this may be, and in whatever way or manner the law would have applied the $8,000 payment, in the absence of an agreement by the parties on the subject, there can be no doubt that the parties had a perfect right to agree as to the contract to which this payment should be appropriated. This they did. The referee has found that the bond and mortgage referred to were made by Buddensiek in pursuance of an agreement between Buddensiek, Sturtzkober and the plaintiffs, that the same should be made and delivered to the plaintiffs, and that the plaintiffs should thereupon discharge the lien which they held on certain houses in Lexington avenue, towards the erection of which they had, by contract with said Sturtzkober, furnished material to the amount or value of $8,000. This finding is amply supported by the testimony. Indeed, Buddensiek himself in his testimony admits that the bond and mortgage were executed and delivered for that purpose. It is true, Sturtzkober, in the receipt given by him, acknowledges that he received the $8,000 on account of the three contracts, which includes the Horatio street contract as well as the two Lexington avenue contracts. But there is nothing in this receipt respecting the apportionment of the money among those contracts. Moreover, the testimony shows that the plaintiffs, at that time, were ignorant of the giving of this receipt, and Sturtzkober swears that he did not read it before he signed it. Then, again, the referee has found, upon satisfactory evidence, that on the 7th of March following, Buddensiek and Sturtzkober had an accounting and settlement in reference to the Lexington avenue contracts, at which time, the amount of the mortgage ($8,000) was credited as having been paid on the Lexington avenue contracts. It thus plainly appears, that the parties agreed to apply, and did in fact appropriate the $8,000 towards the payment of the Lexington avenue contracts, leaving the balance of $4,000 on the Horatio street contract still due and unpaid.

As regards the right of the plaintiffs to file another notice of lien, after having discharged the one previously filed for the same [6] claim, we entertain no doubt. Both Haden and Sturtzkober testified in the most positive manner, that the first lien was discharged upon the express promise and assurance of Buddensiek, that he would pay his promissory note for $2,500, which Sturtzkober had indorsed to the plaintiffs, when due. This testimony is not contradicted by Buddensiek. As Buddensiek did not pay the note at maturity, the plaintiffs were justified in filing the notice of lien now sought to be foreclosed.

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

Haden v. Buddensiek, 6 Daly 3, 49 How. Pr. 241 (N.Y. Super. Ct. 1875).

6 Daly 3 (Haden v. Buddensiek) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

Matter of Stone
2025 NY Slip Op 52076(U) (Saratoga Surrogate's Court, 2025)
Grossman v. Silverman
71 Misc. 143 (New York Supreme Court, 1911)
Aultman Taylor Co. v. . Syme
57 N.E. 168 (New York Court of Appeals, 1900)
Duncan v. Miller
20 N.W. 161 (Supreme Court of Iowa, 1884)