St. Croix Timber Co. v. Joseph

124 N.W. 1049, 142 Wis. 55, 1910 Wisc. LEXIS 178
CourtWisconsin Supreme Court
DecidedFebruary 22, 1910
StatusPublished
Cited by11 cases

This text of 124 N.W. 1049 (St. Croix Timber Co. v. Joseph) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Wisconsin Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
St. Croix Timber Co. v. Joseph, 124 N.W. 1049, 142 Wis. 55, 1910 Wisc. LEXIS 178 (Wis. 1910).

Opinion

Timms, J.

After averring that the plaintiff is a foreign ■corporation licensed to do business in Wisconsin, the complaint set forth in detail the ownership by the David Tozer Company of certain described lands in Wisconsin and Minnesota, and by the plaintiff of certain described lands in Wisconsin. Eor the purpose of having the timber on these lands cut, hauled, and delivered afloat in the Spruce river during the logging season of 1908-1909, the David Tozer Company made two contracts and the plaintiff one contract with the defendant Sarkis J oseph. The contracts were substantially similar in their covenants and requirements. The two made by Sarkis J oseph with the David Tozer Company were made on October 24, 1908, and that by Sarkis Joseph with the plaintiff on December 26, 1908. Sarkis Joseph, for the purpose of carrying out these contracts, established three camps, two of them for housing and feeding the men and teams necessary to carry out the David Tozer Company contracts, and one for like purposes with reference to all three contracts. The logs from the David Tozer Company land were marked with a certain log mark; those from the plaintiff’s land with a different log mark. A quantity of logs was cut and delivered in the 'Spruce river. The logs [58]*58from the different camps are there commingled and are now in the Spruce, Tamarack, and St. Croix rivers.

Numerous averments are made tending somewhat to show that Sarkis Joseph performed substantially each of these three contracts. No express averment is found showing the extent to which performance was carried or the number or quantity of logs delivered. But this is not essential with respect to the lien claimants defendant.

Under the statutes of this state (secs. 3329-33426, Stats. 1898), which give to any person who shall do or perform any labor or services in cutting, hauling, felling, etc., of logs, or timber, etc., a lien upon such material for the amount due or to become due for such labor or services, eleven person employed by or contractors of Sarkis Joseph filed such liens against these logs so delivered and being in the rivers above described. Among these eleven persons were the defendants M. II. Garroll, who filed a lien for $330, Maggie Gar-roll for $160.93, Joe Garroll for $83.33, Willie Garroll for $31, and Jennie Garroll for $63.60. These defendants last above named were employed by Sarkis J oseph, and each performed labor and services entitling him or her to a lien on the logs. This labor and service was paid for in part by Sarkis Joseph, and the latter also furnished merchandise to these lien claimants for which they owed Sarkis J oseph, and the amount thus owing from each, if applied to or offset against his or her claim for lien, would extinguish such claim. The defendant Sans Wester also filed a lien, for $371.44 for the labor and services of himself and his team of horses, part of which has been paid, and Wester is indebted to Sarkis Joseph in such amount that, if this indebtedness were applied in offset of his lien claim, the lien claim would be thereby extinguished. E. O. Krevner has filed a lien for $1,275, which has been paid in part, and Kreiner is indebted to Sarkis Joseph in an amount equal to or in excess of the lien claimed and it should be offset against the latter; that if this be offset or applied in payment, the lien claim of [59]*59Kreiner will be discharged. James Bailey, contractor, who performed labor and services within the statute, filed a lien for $323.08 and began a suit to foreclose his lien. -Sam Ge-nung, under a like contract, performed labor and services on these logs, filed a lien for $196.15, and began action to foreclose this lien. They have been paid in part, and they are each indebted to Sarkis J oseph in an amount which, if offset against their respective lien claims, would extinguish and discharge such claims. Oscar Norine, pursuant to a contract with Sarkis Joseph, performed labor and services on these logs and has filed a lien for $287.30. He was paid in part, and he is indebted to Sarkis J oseph in an amount which, if offset against his lien, would extinguish the same. Fred A. Hodge, who has filed a lien under this statute for $834.32, performed no labor or service, but furnished certain teams of horses, Hodge not being the owner of said teams nor employed or working with them. Hodge has been paid in part for furnishing horses, but he has no valid lien or claim for lien against the logs. The David Tozer Company since the making of said contracts with it has paid on account of the contracts to Sarkis Joseph and by his authority to the other defendants herein, for services rendered by them, an aggregate of about $28,000, which said sum paid Sarkis Joseph for all the work done under said two contracts except $215, which is still due him. The plaintiff paid under its contract to Sarlcis J oseph and to the other defendants upon his order $9,504.10, which paid Sarkis Joseph for all the work done on its contract with him except $514.33, which is still due him. This is quite immaterial, except as showing that a balance of $729.33 belonging to Sarkis Joseph remains in plaintiff’s hands which should be applied equitably when it can be ascertained how and to whom, and as showing that Sarkis Joseph is not indebted to the plaintiff or the Tozer Company for advances on the contracts mentioned. The Tozer Company and the plaintiff each furnished to the defendant Sarkis Joseph a large amount of supplies, consisting [60]*60of goods, wares, and merchandise, provisions, and horse feed, for the boarding of the men and teams at the several camps, and neither the Tozer Company nor the plaintiff had any accurate means of knowing whether these supplies were all delivered or used or consumed at the camps where the work ■of putting in the logs was in progress. SarJcis Joseph fraudulently misappropriated a large amount of said supplies. About April or May, 1909, he became insolvent. Notwithstanding Joseph had fully paid the defendants for their work on the logs by way of money, supplies, and goods and by indebtedness owing by them and each of them to him, he conspired with said lien claimants to conceal these credits, and to file and prosecute claims for liens against the logs in question which were false and unfounded, and to enforce these ■claims and' collect them and turn the avails over in whole or in part to Sarkis Joseph. The logs in question are all commingled and are in the counties of Douglas, Burnett, Polk, .and St. Croix. The David Tozer Company sold and transferred all its logs to the plaintiff, and, in connection therewith, transferred any and all rights of action with reference thereto and upon the contracts in question, and all claims in any wise growing out of said contracts against Sarkis Joseph or any person claiming by, through, or under him, etc. Two of the lien claimants have already commenced actions for the foreclosure of their liens and the others threaten and intend so to do.

The lien claimants jointly demurred to the foregoing complaint on the ground that it did not state facts sufficient to constitute a cause of action against them and also for mis-joinder of causes of action. The defendant Sarkis Joseph and the defendant Charles Domitt each separately demurred ■on the same grounds.

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Bluebook (online)
124 N.W. 1049, 142 Wis. 55, 1910 Wisc. LEXIS 178, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/st-croix-timber-co-v-joseph-wis-1910.