Case Name: Samuel Rochkind and Others, Copartners, Composing the Firm of Rochkind, Cohen & Co., Respondents, v. Judah Jacobson, Appellant
Court: New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division
Jurisdiction: New York
Decision Date: 1908-05-01
Citations: 126 A.D. 357
Docket Number: 
Parties: Samuel Rochkind and Others, Copartners, Composing the Firm of Rochkind, Cohen & Co., Respondents, v. Judah Jacobson, Appellant.
Judges: 
Reporter: Appellate Division Reports
Volume: 126
Pages: 357–359

Head Matter:
Samuel Rochkind and Others, Copartners, Composing the Firm of Rochkind, Cohen & Co., Respondents, v. Judah Jacobson, Appellant.
Second Department,
May 1, 1908.
Mechanic’s lien — foreclosure—failure to perform.
Under a complaint in an action to foreclose a mechanic’s lien alleging substantial performance, there can be no recovery if more than ten per cent of the work was not completed, and no waiver of substantial performance is alleged or proved.
Appeal by the defendant, Judah Jacobson,,from a judgment of the Supreme Court in favor of the plaintiffs, entered in the office of the clerk of the county of Kings on the 20th day of March, 1907, upon the decision of the court rendered after a trial at the Kings County Special Term, certain issues of fact having been submitted to a jury.
William, S. Maddox [Philip E. Goodfleisch with him on the brief] for the appellant.
Abraham B, Schleimer, for the respondents.

Opinion:
Hooker, J.:
The action is to establish and foreclose a mechanic's lien on real property. The complaint alleges substantial performance. The plaintiffs, had judgment. The contract price was $3,100. There has been allowed to the defendant $314 for work which the plaintiffs have not performed in order to complete the contract. This is more than ten per cent of the contract price. Waiver of substantial performance is neither plead in the complaint nor proved by any satisfactory evidence. Under ordinary circumstances, and those in the record are not extraordinary, a failure to perform ten per cent of the contract price will not admit of the claim of substantial performance.
The judgment should be reversed and a new trial granted, costs to abide the event.
Woodward, Jenks and Miller, JJ., concurred.