Case Name: Mike Popiella, Respondent, v. Thomas Zolawenski et al., Appellants
Court: Washington Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Washington
Decision Date: 1908-11-13
Citations: 51 Wash. 39
Docket Number: No. 7625
Parties: Mike Popiella, Respondent, v. Thomas Zolawenski et al., Appellants.
Judges: 
Reporter: Washington Reports
Volume: 51
Pages: 39–41

Head Matter:
[No. 7625.
Decided November 13, 1908.]
Mike Popiella, Respondent, v. Thomas Zolawenski et al., Appellants.
Mechanics’ Liens — Persons Entitled — Furnishing Material. The plaintiff is entitled to a lien for lumber furnished in the construction of defendant’s house, where it appears that he worked in a mill and boarded with the defendants and agreed that lumber from the mill should be furnished to the defendants for use in building the house and the purchase price charged against his account for wages at the mill; and the fact that he handed defendants $60 to be applied in the same way on lumber bills would not constitute the transaction a loan, where it appears that it was his purpose to buy the lumber as his own material by using his wages and cash, and only handed the $60 to the defendants because of his inability to speak English and make himself understood at the mill office.
Appeal from a judgment of the superior court for Cliehalis county, Clifford, J., entered January 20, 1908, úpon findings in favor of the plaintiff, after a trial on the merits, in an action to foreclose a mechanics’ lien.
Affirmed.
Austin M. Wade, for appellants.
John C. Hogan, for respondent.
Reported in 97 Pac. 972.

Opinion:
Per Curiam.
— This is an action to foreclose a material-man's lien. The defendants are husband and wife, and they built a house in Aberdeen. The plaintiff claims to have furnished lumber for use in the house, and having filed his lien notice, he brought this suit to foreclose, and obtained a decree of foreclosure for the sum of $129.58, together with $25 for attorney's fees, and costs. From the judgment the defendants have appealed.
The evidence shows that the parties were all Polish people. Respondent ivas about twenty-two years old, had been in this country about a year and a half when the transaction concerning the lumber occurred, and he had lived in Aberdeen about nine months. He boarded at the house of the appellants, and worked at the lumber mill of Wilson Brothers & Company. It was agreed between him and the appellants that lumber from said mill should be furnished to the appellants for use in building their house, and that the purchase price thereof should be charged to respondent on his account for wages at the mill. This course was pursued, and lumber was so furnished. Sixty dollars in cash was also handed by respondent to appellants and the latter took it to the mill and applied it upon payment for lumber. It sufficiently appears from the evidence, however, that the reason for handing the money to appellants was that respondent could not speak English so as to be well understood at the mill office. We think it satisfactorily appears that it was respondent's purpose to buy the lumber as his own material by using his wages and the cash, and then to furnish it to appellants for their house. Appellants contend that the transaction was a loan, and that the lien cannot be enforced. A paper writing in the Polish language was introduced in evidence, which appellants claim is a promissory note given for the loan. Translated into English, it is unintelligible as a promissory note, and we think the court's conclusion that the respondent is entitled to a lien is sustained bv the record!
The judgment is affirmed.
Fullerton and Root, JJ., took no part.