Opinion ID: 2378547
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Pendleton v. Sard

Text: On the basis of supportive evidence, the Referee found that plaintiff, with the knowledge and consent of the defendant owner, furnished labor and materials which entered into the construction of defendant's dwelling house. Plaintiff alleged and proved full compliance with the provisions of 10 M.R.S.A., Secs. 3251 to 3255 inc., and became entitled to a lien therefor as found by the Referee. As to the dollar amount to be secured by lien, the fair and reasonable value of the lienable items necessarily had to be determined by evidence. Although the parties may by contract fix in advance what this fair and reasonable value of the items in place will be, no such contract was proven in this case. Thus it became proper to introduce evidence bearing on the question, In what amount has the property been enhanced by the labor and materials furnished? Bangor Roofing v. Robbins et al. (1955) 151 Me. 145, 148, 116 A.2d 664, 666. As testimony was adduced it became evident that the plaintiff had applied a markup to cover profit and transportation. Although not separately lienable, they are proper factors for consideration in determining the fair and reasonable value of the lienable items incorporated into the property. Bangor Roofing v. Robbins et al., supra. In the course of the cross-examination of the plaintiff, the defendant's counsel was deprived by ruling of the Referee of the opportunity to inquire as to the hourly price actually paid by plaintiff to his workmen for their labor. This deprivation of the right of cross-examination on a material issue constituted prejudicial error. This error, however, adversely affects only the determination of the dollar amount secured by lien and in nowise taints the adjudication that plaintiff is justly entitled to a lien for the fair and reasonable value of the items which were shown by the evidence to have been furnished. The case must therefore be remanded for further hearing upon the sole issue of the fair value of the items heretofore properly determined to be lienable.