Jahn & Co. v. Mortgage Trust & Savings Bank

166 P. 1137, 97 Wash. 504, 1917 Wash. LEXIS 1110
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedAugust 4, 1917
DocketNo. 13876
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 166 P. 1137 (Jahn & Co. v. Mortgage Trust & Savings Bank) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Washington Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Jahn & Co. v. Mortgage Trust & Savings Bank, 166 P. 1137, 97 Wash. 504, 1917 Wash. LEXIS 1110 (Wash. 1917).

Opinion

Mount, J.

This action was brought to foreclose certain liens for materials furnished in the construction of a building. Upon issues joined, the case was tried-to the court without a jury, and resulted in findings and a judgment that the liens for materials furnished were inferior to a mortgage lien of the Mortgage Trust & Savings Bank; that the Coast Construction Company, the contractor for the building, was entitled to a mortgage for the sum of $4,991.85, together with costs and interest; and that, if the defendant E. E. Simpson Company failed to execute said mortgage, a commission be appointed for that purpose. The liens for the materialmen were held to be prior to the claim of the Coast Construction Company. The lien claimants and the Coast Construction Company have appealed from that judgment.

The record in the case is lengthy and the facts are somewhat involved, but we think the substance of the material facts may be simply stated as follows: In January of 1915, E. E. Simpson Company was the owner of a lot in the city of Seattle. Sheppard Van & Storage Company had agreed to lease these premises when a certain building was constructed thereon. The Sheppard company and the Simpson company had agreed upon plans for such building. The Coast Construction Company entered into a contract with the Simpson company to construct the building. At the time this contract was entered into, it was understood by the Sheppard Company and by the Coast Construction Company that the sum of $38,500 was to be borrowed and a first mortgage [506]*506placed upon the property to pay for the construction of the building. Thereupon, on the 28th day of January, 1915, the Simpson company and the Coast Construction Company entered into a contract as follows:

“That Whereas, first party is the owner of lot eleven (11) in block H of A. A. Denny’s Fourth addition to the city of Seattle in King county, state of Washington, and desires to erect a seven story reinforced concrete building class A flat slab type upon said premises.
“Now Therefore, second party is to furnish all the necessary plans and specifications for said building and excavations therefor to be prepared by H. Bittman, and cause said plans and specifications to be approved by the building department of the city of Seattle, said plans to conform to the verbal understanding heretofore agreed upon, and are to furnish all materials and labor and other expenses incurred in connection with the erection of said building and in excavations and preparations therefor, and to erect upon said premises a building in accordance with said plans and specifications, all complete for the sum of $47,000, of which $35,000 shall be used in the payment of bills against said building as same may be required in the progress of construction. It being understood that there shall be made available for such payments at the beginning of the first thirty days from date of this contract $5,000, and at the beginning of each thirty days thereafter the sum of $10,000, and upon the completion of said building. The balance of said contract price, to wit, the sum of $12,000, to be paid by first party executing and delivering to second party a second mortgage upon said premises in the said sum securing four notes as follows, $2,000 on or before one year from date thereof, $3,000 on or before two years from date thereof, $3,000 on or before three years from date thereof, and $4,000 on or before four years from date thereof, with interest at 7% per annum payable annually.”

The contract then proceeds to describe certain details of the work to be done. It then provides:

“Second party is to furnish a good and sufficient surety bond executed by a surety company of good standing and repute in the sum of $20,000, guaranteeing the completion [507]*507of said building and the payment of all bills incurred in the construction and completion thereof.
“Second party is to push the construction of said building as rapidly as possible consistent with good workmanship, and agrees to complete the same on or before the first day of June, 1915, and is to furnish first party with satisfactory evidence of the payment of all bills or expenses incurred in the construction and completion of said building or in connection therewith or the excavations and preparations therefor.”

This contract was signed by E. E. Simpson Company, the owner of the lot, and by the Coast Construction Company, the contractor. Thereafter, the Coast Construction Company executed and delivered to the Simpson Company its bond, with the Maryland Casualty Company as surety, in the sum of $20,000, conditioned for the faithful performance of the contract. Thereafter, on the next day, January 28, 1915, the Coast Construction Company entered upon the work of constructing the building. On February 5, 1915, the defendant E. E. Simpson Company executed and delivered to the Mortgage Trust & Savings Bank its notes for $38,500, secured by a mortgage upon the lot above described. This mortgage was duly recorded on the same day. Work progressed upon the building until the 20th day of July, 1915, when the building was completed and possession taken by the Simpson company and the Sheppard company. During the course of the construction of the building, liens were filed for material and labor furnished to the contractor by the lien claimants. The amount of all these claims was, in round figures, $9,500. These claims were not paid by the Coast Construction Company. During the course of the work, the Coast Construction Company, at the instance of the Simpson company, furnished extra labor and material which the court found to be of the reasonable value of $3,190.65. It is conceded that the $35,000 provided for in the contract to be paid during the progress of the work was paid as agreed upon. After the work was finished, the Simp[508]*508son company, the owner of the building, refused to execute the second mortgage for $12,000 until the lien claimants had been paid. The Coast Construction Company then filed a lien for $12,000, which it claimed was due under the contract, and for $3,297.75 for extra work done.

■ The principal claim of the appellants is that the material-men who have liens, and the contractor, who claims a lien, are all prior to the mortgage executed in favor of the Mortgage Trust & Savings Bank on February 5, 1915, and that they are entitled to-foreclose these liens ahead of that mortgage.

If it is not conceded, we think it is proved beyond question that, at the time the contract for the construction of the building was entered into between the Simpson Company and the Coast Construction Company, it was understood by both parties to the contract that the Simpson Company was to borrow the money with which to construct the building. The arrangements for the money and for a mortgage to secure the same had already been made, and the Coast Construction Company was aware of that fact. The contract provided that $35,000 of the contract price should be used in the payment of bills against the “building as same may be required in the progress of construction.” It is conceded that this money was so paid. The mortgage was executed on the 5th day of February, about a week after the contract was entered into. The contract provided that the balance of the $47,000, after the $35,000 was paid, namely, $12,000, was to be paid by a second mortgage for that amount.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
166 P. 1137, 97 Wash. 504, 1917 Wash. LEXIS 1110, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jahn-co-v-mortgage-trust-savings-bank-wash-1917.