Title: Reliable Constructors v. CFJ Properties

State: virginia

Issuer: Virginia Supreme Court

Document:

Present:  All the Justices 
 
RELIABLE CONSTRUCTORS, INC. 
 
 
            OPINION BY JUSTICE LEROY R. HASSELL, SR. 
v.  Record No. 010535 
March 1, 2002 
 
CFJ PROPERTIES, ET AL. 
 
FROM THE CIRCUIT COURT OF CAROLINE COUNTY 
Horace A. Revercomb, III, Judge 
 
 
In this appeal, we consider whether the circuit court 
erred by invalidating a mechanic's lien without permitting the 
lien claimant to present evidence that its inclusion of a fine 
in the mechanic's lien memorandum was an error. 
 
Reliable Constructors, Inc., a subcontractor, supplied 
labor and materials for plumbing and mechanical work 
associated with construction of a project located in Ruther 
Glen, Virginia.  The Oakmont Corporation was the general 
contractor for the project, a travel plaza.  CFJ Properties is 
the owner of the real estate upon which the project was 
constructed.  Flying J, Inc., is CFJ's purported agent. 
 
Wanda P. Souther, Reliable Constructors' corporate 
secretary, signed a memorandum of mechanic's lien affidavit 
that "CFJ Properties, Flying J Inc. is justly indebted to 
[Reliable Constructors] in the sum of $330,846.02, for the 
consideration stated in the foregoing memorandum [for 
mechanic's lien claimed by subcontractor]."1  Included within 
the sum of $330,846.02 was an item identified as "PCO-30 VOSH 
Department – Fine to RCI Handwash [-] $250.00."  Reliable 
Constructors admitted, in response to a request for admission, 
that its claim for $250.00 represented reimbursement for a 
fine that had been levied by the Virginia Department of Labor 
and Industry's Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement 
Division.  Reliable Constructors failed to provide "hand wash" 
facilities on site for its employees. 
 
Reliable Constructors filed its bill of complaint to 
enforce the mechanic's lien against the Oakmont Corporation, 
CFJ Properties, and Flying J, Inc.  The defendants filed 
responsive pleadings and a motion to dismiss.  They alleged in 
their motion to dismiss that the mechanic's lien was invalid 
and, therefore, unenforceable because the mechanic's lien 
memorandum included a sum due for labor or materials furnished 
more than 150 days prior to the last day on which labor was 
performed or material was furnished to the job preceding the 
filing of that memorandum in violation of Code § 43-4.  
Specifically, the defendants alleged that "that portion of the 
claim consisting of [the fine] was for labor supplied 212 days 
                     
1 The "foregoing memorandum" stated that the $330,846.02 
was for "[l]abor and materials furnished for plumbing and 
mechanical work associated with the construction of The Flying 
J Travel Plaza."  (Emphasis added). 
 
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prior to the last day on which Reliable supplied labor to the 
job." 
 
The circuit court considered pleadings, exhibits, 
memoranda submitted by counsel, and argument.  The court 
agreed with the defendants and entered a final order that 
dismissed Reliable Constructors' bill of complaint to enforce 
the mechanic's lien.  Reliable Constructors appeals. 
 
Reliable Constructors asserts in an assignment of error 
that the circuit court "erred in ruling without hearing 
evidence on the nature, timing, and details of the 
administrative fine" levied by the Department of Labor and 
Industry.  Continuing, Reliable Constructors says that it 
committed an error by including the fine in its mechanic's 
lien memorandum and that pursuant to Code § 43-15, the circuit 
court should not have invalidated the lien.  The defendants do 
not respond to Reliable Constructors' statutory argument. 
 
Code § 43-15 states:  
 
"No inaccuracy in the memorandum filed, or in 
the description of the property to be covered by the 
lien, shall invalidate the lien, if the property can 
be reasonably identified by the description given 
and the memorandum conforms substantially to the 
requirements of §§ 43-5, 43-8 and 43-10, 
respectively, and is not wilfully false." 
 
We agree with Reliable Constructors that it was entitled to 
present evidence to establish that its inclusion of the fine 
constitutes an inaccuracy within the meaning of Code § 43-15 
 
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and that the circuit court should not have invalidated the 
lien on that basis.2  The word "inaccuracy" is defined as: "the 
condition of being inaccurate."  Webster's Third New 
International Dictionary 1139 (1986).  The word "inaccurate" 
is defined as:  "not accurate:  as . . . containing a mistake 
or error:  incorrect, erroneous."  Id.  We hold that the 
circuit court should have permitted Reliable Constructors to 
present evidence to establish that its inclusion of the fine 
constituted an inaccuracy and that the inaccuracy was not 
willfully false. 
 
Accordingly, we will reverse the judgment of the circuit 
court and remand this case for further proceedings. 
Reversed and remanded. 
                     
 
2 In this appeal, there is no contention that Reliable 
Constructors failed to comply with Code §§ 43-5, -8, and -10 
which govern the sufficiency of the mechanic's lien 
memorandum, affidavit, and notice. 
 
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