Opinion ID: 1207624
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Order Dismissing the Complaint in the Action to Enforce the Mechanic's Lien.

Text: The affidavit accompanying this motion indicates that it was intended to be a motion under H.R.C.P., Rule 12(b) because the movant was asserting that since the lien had been discharged by the prime contractor, the owner had no interest to defend and therefore no relief could be granted against it on any claim. The parties do not dispute that the motion, accompanied by the affidavit which was not excluded by the court, was to be disposed of under H.R.C.P., Rule 56. That rule states in part that the motion shall be served at least 10 days before the time fixed for the hearing. The adverse party prior to the day of hearing may serve opposing affidavits. The judgment sought shall be rendered forthwith if the pleadings, depositions, and admissions on file, together with the affidavits, if any, show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law. The subcontractor, appellant herein, complains that the motion should be stricken because it was served on June 28, 1967, only five days before the date set for the hearing. Although movant did not comply with the literal requirement of the rule, we think that he complied substantially with the notice requirement of the rule as expressed in Clarke v. Civil Service Commission, 50 Haw. 169, 434 P.2d 312 (1967). This court invalidated summary judgment in that case because a time for hearing had not been fixed, the adverse party had no notice of a hearing, and no hearing had in fact been held. Appellant herein had notice of a hearing and had the opportunity to be heard; he has not demonstrated he has been harmed by not having a full ten days of notice. We are reluctant to strike a motion for that reason alone even though we sympathize with the fact that he was under great pressure to submit opposing memorandum. Appellant further complains that the order granting the dismissal should be vacated on grounds that movant has failed to meet his burden of marshalling a record to support summary judgment. Although movant failed to file in time a memorandum of law in support of his motion as required by Rule 8 of the circuit court of the first circuit of the State of Hawaii, we think appellant suffered no harm because the affidavit accompanying the motion clearly stated the legal basis for the motion and made adequate reference to the relevant documents upon which judgment could be made. The affidavit referred to the stipulation filed in M.L. No. 1879 and the order by which the lien was discharged upon the deposit of $29,428.68 with the chief clerk of the first circuit. The affidavit further stated that Hawaiian Pacific was not a party to the contract from which arose the underlying debt. Since Hawaiian Pacific did not itself make the cash deposit, the result is that it no longer had an interest to defend in the suit to enforce the mechanic's lien. In addition, since it was not personally liable on the contract, it had no assumpsit action to defend, and therefore, the owner was properly dismissed as a defendant in the suit. Appellant lastly complains that summary judgment was erroneously granted because it destroyed appellant's statutory right to a mechanic's lien. We disagree. Appellant at all times had his right to an action in assumpsit against the prime contractor. He also had the right to foreclose on the lien as provided by statute, R.L.H. 1955, § 193-45 (HRS § 507-47). Appellant misconstrues, however, the reason for the statute and wrongly interprets the operation of certain provisions in the law. The purpose of the mechanic's lien statute is to provide a manner in which an artisan or materialman can recover amounts due him from persons benefiting from his services even when there was no direct contractual relationship between them. The owner benefits when his contractor sub-contracts with others, so it is only fair that when the subcontractor has benefited the premises, he should have the additional statutory remedy for recovery of amounts due. The law was intended to compensate a person equitably, and was never intended to operate in a manner which might enable the subcontractor to recover twice or to oppress the defendants to his claim. R.L.H. 1955, § 193-41 (HRS § 507-42) specifically provides that an artisan or materialman shall have a lien upon the improvement as well as upon the interest of the owner of the improvement in the real property upon which the same is situated   . The lien is clearly upon property and any improvements thereon. The question arises as to the effect of the discharge of the lien under R.L.H. 1955, § 193-43.1 (1965 Supp.) (HRS § 507-45) which states that a lien on a subdivision of ten or more lots can be discharged by the owner, lessee, principal contractor or intermediate subcontractor by depositing cash with the court to twice the amount of the claim for the lien, upon the condition of payment of any sum for which the claimant may obtain judgment upon his claim. Clearly, the lienor has but one claim  that for the amount owing under the contract. The lien statute does not grant him a second claim, but merely an alternate remedy because the action to foreclose the lien must allege the contract upon which it is based. R.L.H. 1955, § 193-45 (HRS § 507-47) states:    The complaint, in addition to setting forth the ordinary allegations of assumpsit, may pray for the foreclosure of the lien as to which notice has been filed and may pray for any incidental relief according to the usual practice of courts of equity and according to this section in enlargement thereof.    Under the statutory provision, the deposit of money discharges the lien. The action to foreclose the lien no longer exists; appellant, therefore, was left to the incidental relief, including the right to proceed on his claim against the prime contractor. Since Hawaiian Pacific Industries was not a party to the contract which underlay the now discharged lien, and since it had not made the money deposit into court, it had no interest to defend and no judgment could lawfully be entered against it. Therefore, summary judgment was correctly entered in its favor.
Although the motion does not meet the desirable standards of stating with specificity the grounds for dismissal, the accompanying affidavit sufficiently indicates that it is premised on the fact that the subcontractor had a pending assumpsit action against movant on the same cause of action and in which a sum in excess of the claim had been garnished. Movant had already begun to defend that action by filing an answer and a counterclaim, and had also attached certain properties of the appellant. Movant was essentially asserting a matter in abatement, and not asking for summary judgment. Abatement almost always refers to a procedural or jurisdictional defect which can be cured rather than to a substantive issue. Thomas v. Navas, 47 Haw. 605, 393 P.2d 645 (1964). In the instant case, the problem is that of a pending case on the same issue, assumpsit, involving the same plaintiff and defendant, and asking for the same relief, payment of the amount due. The Hawaii cases clearly indicate that where the party is the same in a pending suit, and the cause is the same and the relief is the same, a good plea in abatement lies. Yee Hop v. Nakuina, 25 Haw. 205 (1919); Oahu Lumber & Bldg. Co. v. Ah Yok, 11 Haw. 416 (1898). We hold the motion satisfactory in form and timely made. We specifically reject appellant's contentions that the claim, parties and relief are not identical for the reasons stated in subsection A of this part.