Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-10
JUDGMENT SETTLES OLD
MECHANICS LIEN SUIT
WOMAN TELLS COURT OF FLIMsY
CONSTRUCTION
Judge Monroe Visits Bungalow in
Course Of Construction and De-
cIares 1t an Extremely Poor Apol-
ogy for a House

To settle a long disputed suit on a
mechanics lien over small and insig-
nificant California house on Tennessee
avenue Judge Charles Monroe of the
superior court yesterday adjourned his
department, and, in company with at
torneys representing both sides, Wis
tied the house, and on returning to
court gave his decision that the cot
tage was the worst apology for house
he had ever seen, and therefore he
would allow the complaining contrac-
tors only $3125 for having built 1t.
The case has been hanging fire in the
lower courts for some time and was
later transferred for hearing in the
higher courts. Mechanics lien cases
have become so common in Southern
California because of the great guam
tity of agreements between contractors
and private citizens that whenever n
case appears in court it is always
backed by personal injury in the judg-
ment of both parties, and as a result
all such cases are bitterly fought.
Yesterday the case of the Dyer Law
and Collection agency against Mrs. M.
j. Smith was called in department four
of the superior courts.
Not a Luxurious Palace
The costs of the suit had already
amounted to so much that both par
ties to the action were determined to
fight it to the bitter end, and Mrs. Smith
had further taken exception to having
anything to do with collection agency
She took the stand yesterday in her
own behalf, and she told the court
that she had contracted for the build
ing of the house with local firm Of
contractors, to whom she had promised
to pay $3.50 in case the house should be
properly built.
1t was to have been California
house, the bungalow style of four rooms
and a kitchen, to be finished in a trim
| manner.
According to the testimony of the
woman when she viewed the house she
was amazed. She declared that the en-
| tire building had been made of rem
nants of lumber and that the ceiling
of the roof had so many knot holes in
| it that the boys in the neighborhood
playing ball could easily send the horse
hide down through the roof.
The floors were so slanting that the
beds would roll about in search of some
place to stand on the level, while the
partitions were so constructed that a
the whole house, because of the great
holes in the walls and misf1ts of the
boards.
Says House Worth $31.25
1t was testified that the windows were
so arranged that most of them looked
! like they had simply. been kicked out
of the wall and that the sills had been
omitted and the rain poured in through
| the cracks.
The porch flooring in front and back
the ants and fleas of the neighborhood
had taken for a shoot-the-chutes, and
were rolling about in high glee, while
the roof seemed to lean over and enjoy
the fun.
In summing up the conditions. the
woman stated that the house looked
like 1t was all leaning together in the
hope that it might be able to stand up
for just a little while longer.
When Judge Monroe heard the re-
markable testimony he decided to visit
the remarkable house and look it over.
He went with the attorneys and court
remained adjourned until he returned.
my mind was already made up"
said Judge Monroe, but I wanted to
be little more satisfied before I gave
my decision. That was the worst apol-
ogy for a house I ever saw. There
was not a single place in the parti-
ttions that I could not run my hands
between the boards and the ceilings
and the walls resembled sfeves.
II will give judgment for the con-
tractors for $31.25, for that is all the
house is worth"