Turnboo v. Keele

383 P.2d 591, 86 Idaho 101, 1963 Ida. LEXIS 241
CourtIdaho Supreme Court
DecidedJuly 10, 1963
Docket9234
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 383 P.2d 591 (Turnboo v. Keele) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Idaho Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Turnboo v. Keele, 383 P.2d 591, 86 Idaho 101, 1963 Ida. LEXIS 241 (Idaho 1963).

Opinion

KNUDSON, Chief Justice.

Appellants commenced this action to recover an amount allegedly due them for *104 cutting timber and to foreclose their logger’s lien which was subscribed to and filed on November 16, 1960.

Neither the date of filing the original complaint nor the names of the parties defendant therein are disclosed by the record. The record does show that on April 17, 1961, respondents Jack Henley and Walter Bennett filed a motion to dismiss the action as to them alleging that the complaint failed to state a claim against them upon which relief could be granted. The motion was granted and appellants were authorized tu file an amended complaint.

The amended complaint was filed September 26, 1961, wherein the parties designated as “Defendants-Respondents" in the title of this cause were named defendants.

On October 17, 1961, respondents John H. (Jack) Henley and Goldie E. Henley, husband and wife, and Walter D. Bennett and F. W. Bennett, individually and doing business as F. W. Bennett & Son, filed their motion to dismiss the action as to them upon the ground that the amended complaint failed to state a claim against them upon which relief could be granted. From an order granting said motion and dismissing the action as to said respondents, this appeal is taken. Defendants Lawrence Keele, Al and James Fleishman, doing business as Fleishman Lumber Co., are not parties to this 'appeal. - ~ >

The record does not disclose in what respect the trial court considered the amended complaint to be deficient as to stating a claim against respondents upon which relief could be granted. We shall therefore assume that the claimed deficiencies discussed in respondents’ brief constituted the basis for the court’s action in granting the motion to dismiss.

Respondents correctly assert that appellants’ right to the relief sought must be shown to be based on a valid logger’s lien. Respondents challenge the validity of the claim of lien in several particulars, one of which is that the notice and claim of lien does not “contain a description of the property to be charged with the lien, sufficient for identification, with reasonable certainty.” The description contained in the notice of lien is as follows:

“ * * * claim a lien on logs being about 1,400,000 board feet in quantity, which were cut in Elmore County, Idaho, and are now lying in the woods where cut in Elmore County, Idaho, near the Camas Reservoir about 1,350,-000 board feet on property belonging to Jack Henley and about 50,000 board feet on property belonging to Walter Bennett, in Elmore County, State of Idaho, * *

In considering a contention challenging the sufficiency of compliance with statutory requisites, it should be . kept in *105 mind that a substantial compliance in good faith meets such requirement; that the provisions of our lien statutes must he liberally construed in favor of the claimant with a view to effect their object and promote justice. Seafoam Mines Corp. v. Vaughn, 56 Idaho 342, 53 P.2d 1166; Phillips v. Salmon River Min. & Development Co., 9 Idaho 149, 72 P. 886; Dvbvig v. Willis, 59 Idaho 160, 82 P.2d 95.

The description of the property to be charged with the lien is required to be only such as will be “sufficient for identification.” If there appears enough in the description to enable a party familiar with the locality to identify the premises intended to be described with reasonable certainty, to the exclusion of others, it will be sufficient.

In Phillips v. Salmon River, etc. Co. (supra) it was held that a description of the mining claim contained in a notice of lien in the following language was sufficient:

“The mining claim known as the ‘Salem Bar’ situated on the Idaho side of the main channel of the Snake river one-half mile north, or down the river from the mouth of the Grande Ronde, in Nez Perce County, Idaho.”

In White v. Constitution Min. & Mill. Co., 56 Idaho 403, 55 P.2d 152, this Court had under consideration a contention that ■the lien involved was invalid because the description used in the notice included property not subject to the lien and the Court stated:

“It does not appear that there was any fraudulent intent, nor that anyone was injured due to the fact that the lien claims may have included more property than necessary or property other than that actually subject to lien. The fact that the notice of a claim of lien or claim or statement describes or includes more than the party is entitled to a lien on does not invalidate nor defeat the lien as to the land or property properly subiect thereto,, if there is nn fraudulent intent and no one is injured thereby, and it is for the court to determine, after hearing all the evidence in the case, what portion of the property shall be subject to the lien.”

In the amended complaint here considered it is alleged that the labor and services were performed by appellants “with the full knowledge and acquiescence of defendants Bennett and defendants Henley” and that “all defendants were given actual notice of said statement of lien.” This record shows that prior to the removal of logs from his property and for the purpose of indemnifying against appellants’ claim of lien, respondent John H. (Jack) Henley posted a bond pursuant to the provisions óf I.C. § 45-417.

In Union Lumber Co. v. Simon, 150 Cal. 751, 89 P. 1077, it is stated in substance *106 that where the controversy involves only the rights of the lien claimants and the owners “unless the description was such as to mislead the owner, any mere lack of accuracy therein is not available as a defense.” It is also stated therein that “whether the description in any particular case is sufficient for identification is a question of fact to be determined by the jury or the court upon a consideration of the circumstances of that case.” We conclude that the description in the notice constitutes substantial compliance with the statutory requirements when considered in connection with respondents’ motion to dismiss.

Respondents argue that the notice of lien is defective in that it does not recite what species of timber the logs were cut from nor what, if any, marks of identification the logs bear. These contentions are without merit since the statute (I.C. § 45-407) does not require that the notice contain such recitals. (The identification of the logs is a matter of proof.) Appellants’ notice of lien is substantially in the form mentioned in said statute.

Respondents also contend that appellants’ lien specifies two periods of employment, the first of which ended on July 10, 1960, which was more than 60 days prior to the filing of the lien (November 16, 1960) and it is impossible to separate the lienable from the non-lienable portions. We do not agree with the construction respondents place upon the wording used. The following quoted portion of the notice of lien contains the statement referred to:

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
383 P.2d 591, 86 Idaho 101, 1963 Ida. LEXIS 241, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/turnboo-v-keele-idaho-1963.