Opinion ID: 2178141
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Relevant pre-claim facts

Text: In August, 1999, Jost, construction manager for SMC, entered into an agreement with Willes Construction whereby Willes Construction was to provide demolition and abatement work for renovation of a building located at 118 N. Howard Street in Baltimore City (Lexington Towers). The building consisted of eight condominium units with general and limited common areas. Seven of the units (in which apparently 173 residential units are now contained) were owned by an entity known as Baltimore Condo 2-8, LLC (Baltimore Condo), [4] with the remaining unit, which apparently comprised the first floor of the building, owned by an entity known as RA Baltimore Trust (RA Trust). [5] Ultimatethe mechanic's lien action in the present case arose out of this contract. Work was done to both the individual units and to the general common elements. On September 30th, upon receiving a payment it had requested, Willes Construction executed a Partial Release of Liens (Release), which was signed by Willes Construction's president, Kevin Willes. The Release identified the property covered by the Release, stating that it was real estate known and identified as 118 North Howard Street (Old Hecht Company Building), located at 118 North Howard Street, Baltimore, Maryland, and owned by Balto. Condo 2-8, LLC and RA Baltimore Trust. It then stated, in pertinent part: The UNDERSIGNED, for and in consideration of the sum One hundred fourteen thousand nine hundred three ($114,903) ... does hereby waive and release any and all liens or claims or right of lien on the aforementioned property and improvements thereon, and on monies or other consideration due or to become due on account of labor or services, materials, fixtures, or apparatus heretofore furnished. On the morning of Monday, October 4, 1999, Willes Construction's services as a subcontractor were terminated in accordance with the terms of the contract. The issue of whether that termination was proper is not before this Court in this case. Thereafter, Willes Construction drafted a Notice to Owner or Owner's Agent of Intention to Claim a Lien for [d]emolition work, removal of escalators, electrical wiring, plumbing, ironwork, mechanical systems, asbestos abatement in limited areas together with dumpsters and labor to perform the above work for the period from August 1999 through October 25, 1999. On November 23, 1999, this notice was served only upon SMC, Jost, and Baltimore Condo. [6] It was not served upon RA Trust, an owner of one of the condominium units comprising one floor of the Lexington Towers. On April 20, 2000, Willes Construction filed its Initial Complaint to establish and to enforce a lien, against the same entities-again not including RA Trust, asking that a lien be established against Lexington Towers in the amount of $267,842.37. More than a year later, after being notified that the case was going to be dismissed for lack of prosecution pursuant to Maryland Rule 2-507, Willes Construction, on May 12, 2001, filed an Amended Complaint, which merely added a count for breach of contract to the original allegations. At this point, more than a year after its original complaint, with requests for the issuance of summons attached, had been filed, and with no other activity indicated by the docket entries, no lien had been established. Petitioners thereafter filed an answer to the Amended Complaint and, on August 6, 2001, filed a motion to dismiss on several grounds, including that the Amended Complaint was defective in that it and the pre-filing notice did not properly notify the owners, and that the claim to establish and enforce a mechanic's lien was made more than one year after the filing of the Initial Complaint on April 20,2000.