Hobbs Lumber Co. v. Shidell

326 N.E.2d 706, 42 Ohio Misc. 21, 71 Ohio Op. 2d 135, 1974 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 183
CourtBelmont County Court of Common Pleas
DecidedOctober 29, 1974
DocketNo. 74-CIV-026
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 326 N.E.2d 706 (Hobbs Lumber Co. v. Shidell) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Belmont County Court of Common Pleas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hobbs Lumber Co. v. Shidell, 326 N.E.2d 706, 42 Ohio Misc. 21, 71 Ohio Op. 2d 135, 1974 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 183 (Ohio Super. Ct. 1974).

Opinion

Iddings, J.

Plaintiff, Hobbs Lumber Company, hereinafter referred to as Hobbs, filed a complaint in this court demanding a money judgment against defendants, John Shidell and Ruth Shidell, hereinafter referred to as the property owners, and for the marshalling of liens and the foreclosure of a mechanic’s lien perfected by Hobbs on certain real estate owned by the property owners and located in Bridgeport, Ohio.

In that complaint Arrow Block Company and Belmont County National Bank were joined as parties defendant. Defendant, Belmont County National Bank, hereinafter [22]*22referred to as the Mortgagee, filed an answer and cross-claim wherein it alleged that it had a mortgage lien upon the real estate of the property owners and demanded that snch lien be declared a first and best lien against said real property. Defendant, Arrow Block Company, hereinafter referred to as Arrow, filed an answer and cross-claim wherein it alleged that it had perfected a mechanic’s lien upon the real property of the property owners and demanded relief similar to that demanded by Hobbs.

. The property owners filed an answer containing three defenses and a counterclaim to Hobbs’ complaint and answers to the cross-claims of the Mortgagee and Arrow together with a cross-claim against Arrow. The principal defense of the property owners as to the mechanics’ liens of Hobbs and Arrow raised in the pleadings being the failure of the materialmen to comply with the provisions of the federal Truth-in-Lending Act and demanding that the liens be declared null and void for that reason.

The case was submitted to the court by the parties upon an agreed statement of facts. It appears from the facts so stipulated that on August 29, 1972, defendant, John Shidell, entered into a contract in writing with one George Hall for the construction of a garage upon the real property of the property owners and which property constituted the principal and only place of residence of the property owners.

Hobbs and Arrow perfected mechanics’ liens upon the said real property and there is no controversy here as to the filing and perfecting of those liens as provided for in the Ohio Mechanics’ Lien Act (Chapter 1311 of the Revised Code). It has been further stipulated that the notice or any other such disclosure of the property owners’ right to rescind the construction contract as provided for in and by the Truth-in-Lending Act (Sections 102 et seq., 125 [a], 15 U. S. C. A. Sections 1601 et seq., 1635 [a]) was never given to nor received by the property owners.

The parties further stipulated that the property oAvn-ers rescinded the transaction as set forth in their countex-claims and that the property owners were not in default in the terms and provisions of the mortgage held by the [23]*23Mortgagee. The sole issue before this court and the resolution of which will be dispositive of this case is the applicability of the Federal Truth-in-Lending Act to the facts herein set forth.

The applicable federal statute (15 U. S. C. A. Section 1635 [a]) provides in part:

“* * * [i]n case 0f any consumer credit transaction in which a security interest is retained or acquired in any real property which is used or is expected to be used as the residence of the person to whom credit is extended, the obligor shall have the right to rescind the transaction until midnight of the third business day following consummation of the transaction or the delivery of the disclosures required under this section and all other material disclosures required under this part, whichever is later, by notifying the creditor * * *. The creditor shall clearly and conspicuously disclose * * * to any obligor in a transaction subject to this section the rights of the obligor under this section. # * *”

The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System was empowered to “prescribe regulations to carry out the purposes of” the statute. See 15 U. S. C. A. Section 1604. The Board, pursuant to that enabling legislation, adopted and promulgated Regulation Z. In that regulation (12 C. F. R. 226.2 [z]) the terms “security interest” and “security” are defined to mean “any interest in property which secures payment or performance of an obligation. The terms include, but are not limited to * * * mechanic’s, materialmen’s # # * and other similar liens * * Inasmuch as the statute did not specifically mention mechanic’s and materialmen’s liens, in at least two reported federal cases the validity of the above-quoted regulation was attacked.

In Gardner and North Roofing and Siding Corporation v. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (C. A. D. C. 1972), 464 F. 2d 838, the introductory paragraph states:

“Action for declaratory judgment wherein plaintiffs challenged as invalid a regulation promulgated by Federal Reserve Board. On cross motions for summary judgment, [24]*24the United States District Court for the District of Columbia * * # upheld validity of regulation and dismissed action, and plaintiffs appealed. The Court of Appeals * * * held that regulation -which was promulgated by Federal Reserve Board pursuant to Truth in Lending Act and which provides that within three days of consummation of any credit transaction in which a security interest is or will be retained or acquired in customers’ residence, customer shall have right to rescind transaction and which requires creditor to notify customer of his right to rescind when there is probability that a lien on his home will arise by operation of law even though he has not executed an indenture on property is entirely consistent with legislative purpose and is a reasonable and proper device for carrying it out.”

Paragraph 6 of the headnotes in Gardner is as follows:

‘ ‘ Scope of Truth in Lending Act is not limited to mortgages and other consensual liens but includes mechanic’s, materialmen’s, artisan’s and other similar liens which may arise by operation of law even though obligor has not executed an indenture on property, notwithstanding fact that a Congressman indicated in a letter that much of discussion in committee and on floor focused on credit transactions involving second mortgages, where letter, written a year after legislation was passed, was not a part of legislative history and could not be considered on question of congressional intent. Truth in Lending Act, Sections 102 et seq., 125 (a), 15 U. S. C. A. Sections 1601 et seq., 1635 (a).”

The court in Gardner further stated, at pages 841 and 842, in its opinion:

“A contract to renovate, remodel or repair a house imports that work will be done by mechanics and artisans and that materials will be furnished in connection with that work. Implicit in the contract, therefore, is a provision that a lien will attach to secure payment for the work and materials. In other words, the statutory provision for mechanic’s and materialmen’s liens must be taken as a part of the contract * * *.
“We think it a reasonable construction'of the statute [25]*25that Congress intended to require disclosure of all the consequences flowing from the signing óf a home improvement contract; including not only the consequences spelled out in . the contract, hut' also those necessarily inherent therein.

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

Related

St. Cloud v. Leapley
521 N.W.2d 118 (South Dakota Supreme Court, 1994)
Cordemex v. Dayton Importers Corp.
7 Ohio App. Unrep. 37 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 1990)
Anderson v. Wagner
296 N.W.2d 455 (Nebraska Supreme Court, 1980)
James A. Rudisell v. The Fifth Third Bank
622 F.2d 243 (Third Circuit, 1980)
Mid America Homes, Inc. v. Horn
377 N.E.2d 657 (Indiana Court of Appeals, 1978)
First Nat. Bank of Arizona v. Carruth
569 P.2d 1380 (Court of Appeals of Arizona, 1977)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
326 N.E.2d 706, 42 Ohio Misc. 21, 71 Ohio Op. 2d 135, 1974 Ohio Misc. LEXIS 183, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hobbs-lumber-co-v-shidell-ohctcomplbelmon-1974.