Rogers v. Crane Co.

1937 OK 340, 68 P.2d 520, 180 Okla. 139, 1937 Okla. LEXIS 594
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedMay 25, 1937
DocketNo. 27017.
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 1937 OK 340 (Rogers v. Crane Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Rogers v. Crane Co., 1937 OK 340, 68 P.2d 520, 180 Okla. 139, 1937 Okla. LEXIS 594 (Okla. 1937).

Opinion

PER, CURIAM.

There is no dispute as to the facts in this case, and thus the question for decision is one purely of law. In reviewing the facts we will refer to the litigants as they appear in court below, Crane Company, as plaintiff, and P. A. Rogers and Essie Rogers, as defendants.

Defendants, desirous of rearranging fixtures in bathroom of their dwelling, engaged the Ball Plumbing Company of Tahlequah t‘o do the work, no agreement being made as to the price to be paid.

Before work was begun Ball Plumbing Company sold their plumbing business to Blaine & Lance, who, knowing of the agreement, solicited of the defendants the job and the same was granted without any express agreement as to price.

After the work had progressed, but before the old fixtures had been re-installed, Mrs. Rogers of the defendants, having purchased a pink lavatory, desired to substitute same for the old lavatory (of white color) if other fixtures of pink color could be procured. Blaine & Lance not having such fixtures in stock, she, at their suggestion, tried to locate them at Crane Company, the plaintiff, at Muskogee, but without avail. At her request Blaine & Lance agreed to secure the fixtures and ordered same by phone from the plaintiff, who not having the desired articles in stock at Muskogee secured shipments from other branch offices. The shipments, arriving at different times, were consigned to Blaine & Lance, at whose place of business deliveries were made, except as to the tub, which, at the request of Blaine & Lance, was deposited at. the home of the defendants.

At time of making sale of fixtures to Blaine & Lance, the plaintiff was informed by the latter that the articles were to be used on the “Rogers job” and the notation “Your No. Rogers Job,” was made on the invoices sent to Blaine & Lance.

Blaine & Lance proceeded with the installation of the new fixtures and when the work neared completion, they presented to the defendants a bill which covered both the service and the fixtures and allowing a credit for old fixtures accepted as such. The bill was forthwith paid by the defendants in full by check bearing the notation “plumbing contract.”

Blaine & Lance did not p>ay the account of plaintiff. At one time they sent to plaintiff their check to cover the account, which was twice negotiated and each time returned unpaid with notation of insufficient funds.

Plaintiff called the matter to the attention of defendants, advising that unless the account was paid they would file lien therefor. The defendants, mentioning their payment to Blaine & Lance, declined to make further payment Thereupon plaintiff within the 60-day period filed its lien statement as subcontractor, furnishing material, gave notice thereof to the defendants, and within the statutory period filed this their action asking a personal judgment against defendants Blaine & Lance, establishment- of a lien against premises of defendants, and for foreclosure thereof.

Trial was had on March 12, 1935, at which time personal judgment was entered for plaintiff against the defendants Blaine & Lance in the sum of $105.19, with interest and for cost; a further judgment was rendered for $50 as attorney’s fee for the benefit of the prevailing party upon decision of the issue of plaintiff’s alleged right to lien and foreclosure, which *141 issue was taken and held under advisement until June 10, 1935, at which time the judgment was rendered in favor of the plaintiff and against the defendants H. F. Rogers and Essie Rogers sustaining the lien, directing foreclosure by sale, and awarding to the plaintiff the benefit of said judgment for attorneys’ fees.

Defendants Blaine & Lance did not defend against the judgment so rendered against them and are not parties to this appeal. Defendants Rogers filed motion for new trial, which was overruled, and, after proper action taken therefor, prosecute this appeal.

No question is raised as to the correctness of the personal judgment rendered against Blaine & Lance. The assignments of error, so far as presented by their brief, are to the effect that the judgment allowing the lien is contrary to the law and the evidence. Inasmuch as there is no conflict in the evidence, the issue is, as we have stated, purely one of law.

The theory of plaintiffs in error (mentioned in their brief as defendants) is thus tersely presented:

“Defendants proceed on the theory that the materials involved were purchased by them in the due and ordinary course of trade from Blaine & Lance.
“In other words, there was not existent between them and Blaine & Lance such a contract as would give rise to the right of the lien sought to be established, by reason whereof they are entitled to judgment.”

Preliminary to the further discussion, they declare sections 10975 and 10977, O. S. 1931, to be the controlling statutes and quote therefrom as follows:

“Section 10975, in part, provides:

“ ‘Any person who shall, under oral or written contract with the owner of any tract or piece of land, perform labor, or furnish material for the erection, alteration or repair of any building, improvement or structure thereon or perform labor in putting up any fixtures, machinery in, or attachment to, any such building, structure or improvements, * * * shall have a lien upon the whole of said tract or piece of land, the buildings and appurtenances.’
“Section 10977, in part, provides:
‘“Any person who shall furnish any such material * * * may obtain a lien upon such land, or improvements, or both, from the same time, in the same manner, and to the same extent as the original contractor for the amount due him for such material.”

As the basis for their argument, it is declared, in substance, that the right of the plaintiff as subcontractor to a lien can exist, only if in fact it was the contractual duty of Blaine & Lance in their relationship to the defendants to furnish as well as install the fixtures. Such appears to be a sound interpretation of the law.

In order to show that the necessary element. of contract was lacking, three conclusions from the evidence are 'asserted: (1) The relationship between the defendants and Blaine & Lance touching the acquiring of the fixtures was that solely of buyer and seller and not of employer and contractor ; (2) that the duty of Blaine & Lance to the defendants with reference to the installation of the fixtures was an obligation to render “personal service”; (3) since, in either view, the furnishing of the fixtures was no part of the contractor’s obligation, as such, there is no basis for lien of subcontractor.

Neither of these conclusions, in our opinion, can be properly deduced from the evidence in this case.

In support of their contention concerning the nature of the contract between defendants and Blaine & Lance, there is cited the case of Mobley v. Leeper Bros. Lumber Co., 89 Okla. 95, 214 P. 174, from which they quote syllabus, pars. 1, 2, 3, and 4. Syllabus, pars. 1 and 2, deal with the status of materialman who contracts directly with the owner and are unimportant here.

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Bluebook (online)
1937 OK 340, 68 P.2d 520, 180 Okla. 139, 1937 Okla. LEXIS 594, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rogers-v-crane-co-okla-1937.