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43 Ill. App. 410

Berkowsky v. Sable

Appellate Court of Illinois

Decided December 7, 1892

Appellate Court of Illinois · decided 1892-12-07

<p>Mechanic's Liens—Secs. 29, 30 and 37—Employe of Sub-contractor.</p> <p>1. See. 29 of the Mechanics’ Lien Act does not extend the right to a lien to an employe, or sub-contractor of a sub-contractor.</p> <p>2. A party's rights must be governed by the law in force when his cause of action accrued.</p> <p>3. One who has no right to a lien can not maintain an action at law to obtain a personal judgment under the terms of Sec. 37 of the Mechanics’ Lien Act.</p>

Cited by 1 later decisions — most recently May 1893

1 state decisions

Relies on Newhall v. Kastens · Rothgerber v. Dupuy · Smith Bridge Co. v. Louisville, New Albany & St. Louis Air Line Railway Co.

Good law ✅— No negative treatment on recordhow we know

Decided 1892-12-07

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Mqran, J.

¶1Appellee, who was the employe of a sub-contractor, brought this action against the owner and said subcontractor to recover wages due him for labor on a certain building being erected by said owner. Appellee served on the said owner the notice required by Sec. 30.of the Mechanics’ Lien Act. The case was appealed from a justice to the Superior Court, and on a trial in said court a judgment was rendered against appellants and in favor of appellee for $62. This was clearly erroneous.' Sec. 29 of the Mechanics’ Lien Act does not extend the right to a lien, to an employe or sub-contractor of a sub-contractor. This has been repeatedly determined by the Supreme Court. Rothgerber v. Dupuy, 64 Ill. 452; Ahern v. Evans, 66 Ill. 125; Newhall v. Kastens, 70 Ill. 156; The Smith Bridge Co. v. The L. N. A. & St. L. Ry. Co., 72 Ill. 506.

¶2One who has no right to a lien can not maintain an action at law to obtain a personal judgment under the terms of Sec. 37 of the Lien Act.

¶3In construing the law the Supreme Court in Rothgerber v. Dupuy, gave as one of the reasons why Sec. 29 did notgive a lien to an employe of a sub-contractor, that the section did not give the owner the power to compel a sub-contractor to give him an account of the number of persons in his employ with the rate of wages, etc., as it did the contractor.

¶4Counsel for appellee contends that said section is now to have a different construction, - because the law as it now stands compels the sub-contractor to furnish to the contractor a statement of the persons in his employ. We are not called upon by this contention to consider what, if any, effect the amendments to the lien act have on the rights of employes of subcontractors.

¶5The work for which appellee claims to recover was done in the summer of 1890, and this action was commenced before the justice in September, 1890.

¶6The amendment to the lien law requiring sub-contractors to furnish a statement went in force July 1, 1891. Appellee’s rights must be governed by the law in force when his cause of action accrued.

¶7The judgment is erroneous and must be reversed.

¶8Judgment reversed.

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