McCulley v. Dublin Construction Co.

234 So. 2d 257, 1970 La. App. LEXIS 5560
CourtLouisiana Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 6, 1970
DocketNo. 3817
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 234 So. 2d 257 (McCulley v. Dublin Construction Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McCulley v. Dublin Construction Co., 234 So. 2d 257, 1970 La. App. LEXIS 5560 (La. Ct. App. 1970).

Opinion

SAMUEL, Judge.

After delivering sand fill having a stipulated value of $1,174.50 to Lots 3 of Square “G” and Lots 4 and 7 of Square “H” in Belmont Place Subdivision, Parish of Jefferson, and after recording affidavits of his claim for labor and materialmen’s liens thereunder, plaintiff filed this suit seeking: (1) an in solido judgment in that amount against the four defendants named in the petition; and (2) recognition of his alleged liens upon the property. On plaintiff’s subsequent motion two of the defendants, Dublin Construction Co., Inc. and Wilco Builders, Inc., were dismissed from the suit without prejudice and the matter went to trial only as to the two remaining defendants, Michael J. DeGeorge and Star Home & Development Corp.

After trial there was judgment in favor of plaintiff and against DeGeorge and Star Home, in solido, in the full sum of $1,174.50. The judgment also recognized and maintained plaintiff’s liens and privileges and decreed that in due course the property be seized and sold to satisfy the amount of the [259]*259money judgment. DeGeorge and Star Home have appealed.

DeGeorge, a man named Clifford W. Sherman, and the latter’s son were engaged in the business of constructing “speculation” homes for the purpose of later sale by the builders. Those three individuals owned all of the stock in Wilco. Sherman was the vice president and DeGeorge the secretary-treasurer of that corporation. They had a working agreement with a New Orleans homestead under which the homestead would finance their construction.

In connection therewith, and prior to the ordering or furnishing of the sand fill, an agreement was entered into with Dublin Construction Company for the purchase of the three lots in suit. Although the record does not contain the original or a copy of that agreement, it appears it was entered into by Dublin and Wilco with Sherman appearing for Wilco as vice president. On September 23, 1966, DeGeorge paid Dublin the sum of $19,500 from his personal funds. According to DeGeorge’s testimony, ■ that amount included the full sale consideration called for by the purchase agreement with Dublin and other contemplated purchases from that corporation. The act of sale was not passed when the $19,500 payment was made because DeGeorge intended to include all of the purchases from Dublin in one act (an intention which did not become a reality), and the acts involving the lots in suit were passed on August 8, 1967. On that date Dublin transferred only those three lots to Dixie Homestead Association and, for a stated consideration of $12,600, Dixie transferred the same property to De-George and Star Home & Development Corp. . The acts were duly registered in the Conveyance Office of the Parish of Jefferson on August 11, 1967.

The sand fill was ordered by Sherman and furnished by plaintiff during the month of October, 1966. The understanding between those parties was that plaintiff was to be paid for the fill on each lot when each slab had been poured, that being the time when the first construction money would be due from the homestead. Plaintiff billed Waco for the fill and his subsequent frequent requests for payment were met with Sherman’s explanation that the money would be forthcoming only after construction had begun. Later the homestead informed Sherman and DeGeorge there would be no money available for construction purposes, no construction was ever begun on the lots in question, and the bill never was paid.

Thereafter, because money for construction was unobtainable, the business relationship between Sherman and DeGeorge was severed and Sherman was no longer interested in the purchase of the lots. De-George then acquired ownership in the property by the act of sale from Dixie to himself and Star Home on August 8, 1967. Later DeGeorge put “For Sale” signs on the lots and those signs remained there for two or three months. Plaintiff’s affidavits for labor and materialmen’s liens were recorded on November 21, 1967, immediately or shortly after plaintiff had been informed by Sherman that plans for construction on the lots had been definitely abandoned.

In this court appellants contend recognition and maintenance of liens in favor of plaintiff was erroneous because: (1) the work was not done, and the fill was not furnished, with the consent or at the request of the owner, as required by LSA-R.S. 9:4801; (2) the affidavits of plaintiff’s claim for liens were not filed timely under the provisions of LSA-R.S. 9:4812 (the trial court found there had been no abandonment under the doctrine of Gaston v. Stover, La.App., 126 So.2d 360; R. F. Mestayer Lumber Company v. Tessner, La. App., 101 So.2d.238, and Cain v. Central Plumbing & Heating Company, La.App., 85 So.2d 376, which doctrine defendants argue is inapplicable here) ; and (3) plaintiff was a general contractor and therefore not entitled to a lien in the absence of a proper recorded written contract as required by LSA-R.S. 9:4802, citing State ex rel. Bagur Co. v. Christy-Ann-Lea Corp., La.App., 223 [260]*260So.2d 421. Because of our conclusion thereon we find it necessary to consider only the first contention.

The lien and privilege plaintiff seeks is provided for by LSA-R.S. 9 :4801 et seq. Under that statutory law, as there was no recorded written contract, he can have a valid labor and materialmen’s lien only if he furnished the fill with the consent or at the request of the owner of the property. In pertinent part LSA-R.S. 9:4801 grants the privilege, upon the land on which the work was done or materials furnished, to specified parties who perform work or furnish materials for the improvement of immovable property “ * * *, with the consent or at the request of the owner thereof, or his authorized agent or representative, * * *.” The statute must be strictly construed and cannot be extended or enlarged by implication or through equitable considerations. Fruge v. Muffoletto, 242 La. 569, 137 So.2d 336; Security Homestead Association v. Schnell, La.App., 232 So.2d 898, handed down March 9, 1970; Pringle Associated Mortgage Corporation v. Eanes, La.App., 208 So.2d 346.

Dublin was the record owner of the three lots in question from 1960 until it transferred the. property to Dixie Homestead on August 8, 1967 (subsequent to the ordering and furnishing of the fill during the month of October, 1966) and that act was registered three days later. The only reference to Dublin in the record is that as owner of the property it contracted to sell the same to Wilco and later transferred the lots to DeGeorge and Star Home. There is no evidence tending to establish, nor is any contention made, that Dublin consented to or requested the furnishing of the fill by plaintiff or that it was even aware of that transaction. It follows that if, within the contemplation of LSA-R.S. 9:4801, Dublin was the owner of the property at the time the fill was ordered and furnished, the statutory requirement that the same must have been done with the consent or at the request of the owner has not been met and plaintiff does not have a lien or privilege on the property to secure payment for his work and for the sand fill he furnished. Fruge v. Muffoletto, supra; Security Homestead Association v. Schnell, supra.

We find no merit in plaintiff’s argument that Wilco, which through Sherman ordered the fill from plaintiff, became the owner of the property by reason of the written purchase agreement between Wilco and Dublin and the payment of the purchase price by DeGeorge.

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Bluebook (online)
234 So. 2d 257, 1970 La. App. LEXIS 5560, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcculley-v-dublin-construction-co-lactapp-1970.