Opinion ID: 1243946
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 15

Heading: voidness of lien

Text: Next, the producers assert the district court was mistaken when it ruled that the thresher's lien Hartnell filed was void as a matter of law. Section 52-501 provides in relevant part: The owner or operator of any threshing machine or combine used in threshing, combining, or hulling grain or seed ... shall have and hold a lien upon such grain, seed, or corn which he or she shall thresh, combine, hull, pick, husk, or shell with such machine or machines to secure the payment to him or her by the owner of such grain, seed, or corn of such charges for such threshing, combining, hulling, picking, husking, or shelling as may be agreed upon or, if no charges are agreed upon, for such charges as may be reasonable for such threshing, combining, hulling, picking, husking, or shelling. Thus, either an owner or an operator of a combine could hold a lien to secure payment for unpaid services related to combining. However, Jandebeur testified that Hartnell did not participate in the harvest to the extent that he was owed any compensation. Unfortunately, as Jandebeur also testified that he and Hartnell combined for other farmers with whom Hartnell had contracted, it is unclear whether Jandebeur was referring to the operation of the combine for his own corn crop or the harvest of a third party's crop. But any claim the producers had for unpaid services during the postcontract period was offset by the judgment against Lone Cedar Ranches for the value of the lost yield. Consequently, neither of the producers could have a claim on any grain or the proceeds therefrom. The lien is, as the district court found, void. As a consequence, the seventh and last assignment of error fails.