Stricker v. Powers

210 P.2d 814, 34 Wash. 2d 897, 1949 Wash. LEXIS 596
CourtWashington Supreme Court
DecidedNovember 1, 1949
DocketNo. 31093.
StatusPublished

This text of 210 P.2d 814 (Stricker v. Powers) 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
Stricker v. Powers, 210 P.2d 814, 34 Wash. 2d 897, 1949 Wash. LEXIS 596 (Wash. 1949).

Opinion

Donworth, J.

This is an action to foreclose two mechanics’ and materialmen’s liens.

The suit was originally instituted by Clyde Strieker against Fred H. Berk and Luella A. Berk, his wife, who are owners of the real property involved in this case. All other persons having any record interest therein were also joined as defendants. Two of these, G. A. Gayda and Frank Kues-terman, filed cross-complaints against Berk and wife seeking to foreclose their respective liens. In this opinion they will be referred to as plaintiffs or respondents and the defendants Berk and wife as defendants or appellants.

The case came on for trial upon the cross-complaints of the two plaintiffs and the separate answers made by the defendants to each cross-complaint denying the material allegations of each.

At the conclusion of the trial, the court took the case under advisement and wrote a memorandum opinion holding that each of the plaintiffs was entitled to foreclose his lien against defendants’ fee interest in the real estate, and thereafter entered findings of fact and conclusions of law in accordance therewith. From the decree entered in favor of each of the plaintiffs granting the relief prayed for, the defendants have prosecuted this appeal.

Subsequent to the filing of the notice of appeal in this court, but prior to the argument of the case, defendant Fred H. Berk died and his widow was duly appointed and qualified as executrix of his estate. Accordingly, an order was entered in this court substituting the executrix as an appellant in place of her late husband.

*899 In order to understand the problems involved in this case, it is necessary to state the facts somewhat in detail.

In May, 1946, the defendants were the owners of the real estate described in the cross-complaints, which premises were known as north 322 Freya street in the city of Spokane. The defendant Fred H. Berk had moved a building from its former location to the premises above described. The building was described in the testimony as a shell having no floor, doors, heating plant, or windows.

In the early part of May, 1946, a nonprofit corporation known as Wings of Spokane, Inc., herein referred to as “Wings,” through its secretary Sidney Grinstein, was negotiating with defendants for a lease of this property for the purpose of establishing a club house there. At this time, Wings had employed Dean L. Donaldson, an architect, to prepare plans for converting this building into a club house. A lease was entered into between the defendants and Wings under date of April 18, 1946, but this lease was canceled by mutual consent July 12, 1946, and is not involved in this case.

On July 11, 1946, the defendants entered into a lease of the premises, in which B. B. Builders, Inc., was designated as lessee. This lease provided for a term of three years from June 1, 1946, with an option for renewal for two years additional upon thirty days’ written notice. The lease was subject to successive renewals for two-year periods with the proviso that the maximum term possible should not exceed ten years from June 1, 1946.

The stipulated rental was one hundred dollars per month, and at the time of the execution of the lease, the lessee paid the lessors three hundred dollars, of which two hundred dollars represented the rent for the first two months of the term, and the remaining one hundred dollars was to be applied in payment of the rental for the last month of the thirty-six month term. However, Berk testified that no rent was actually charged until January, 1947, and that the two hundred dollars was applied in payment of the rental for January and February of that year.

*900 The obligations of the defendants as lessors with respect to the construction or reconstruction of the existing building on the premises is stated in the lease as follows:

“ . . . said building now being constructed by the Lessor, Fred H. Berk, and to be completed by him on or about the 1st day of August, 1946, on said lot, in accordance with the plans and specifications attached hereto marked Exhibit A and by reference made a part hereof, and as hereinafter mentioned.
“The exterior walls are to be of stucco construction on the outer side; the interior sides of the walls are to be plastered.
“The Lessors agree to install in said building a concrete floor covering the surface of the interior of said building and to cover said concrete floor with wood flooring at the expense of the Lessee if suitable wood flooring can be obtained. This latter provision is made with the general intention that it is not mandatory but that both parties will arrange for the installation of such wood floor if possible. The exterior of the building shall be painted a cream color at the expense of the Lessors.
“The Lessors agree to install glass blocks in the upper one half of the opening now existing near the center of the west wall, the lower one-half of said opening to be of stucco construction, and the Lessee will pay the cost of the difference between the cost of the glass blocks, their installation and the stucco work, and the cost of the door the Lessors intended to install in said opening.
“The Lessors will install a furnace in the furnace room to be located in the southeast corner of said building and the Lessee agrees to assume the cost of maintaining it and the cost of fuel.
“The Lessee will pay the cost of materials, labor and wiring in the construction of the game room and this improvement to the building shall become the property of the Lessors at the expiration of this lease.” (Italics ours.)

The lease further provided that future decorating and painting should be done at the sole expense of the lessee but only after the written consent of the lessors had first been obtained. For the purpose of securing performance of the covenants of the lease by the lessee, the lessors were given a lien upon all of the property of the lessee then upon, or thereafter brought upon, or erected upon the premises.

*901 Paragraph 7 of the lease contained this provision:

“That no work in building, repairing, decorating, altering, or any improvement done upon said premises by or under the direction of the Lessee shall in any way constitute or be made a lien upon said premises.”

The lease further provided that the lessee should have the right to maintain a bar and dispense intoxicating liquor in selling the same by the drink in the manner provided by law and when properly licensed to do so.

Paragraph 15 of the lease provided:

“It is the general intention of the parties hereto that the Lessee shall install all of his own equipment and fixtures with the exception of the plumbing fixtures in the ladies’ rest room, which the Lessors will install. The Lessors will supply and install a door to the Ladies’ rest room.

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Bluebook (online)
210 P.2d 814, 34 Wash. 2d 897, 1949 Wash. LEXIS 596, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/stricker-v-powers-wash-1949.