Opinion ID: 1614056
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Late Filing of Defendant Contractor's Counterclaim.

Text: Finally, we consider the claim of the plaintiff bank that the trial court abused its discretion in permitting the contractor's counterclaim to be filed some ten months after his original answer and only two months before trial. The issue of the relative priority of the plaintiff bank's mortgage and the contractor's mechanic's lien was placed in issue in paragraphs eleven and twelve of the bank's petition for foreclosure of its mortgage. It thereby assumed the burden to prove that its mortgage was the senior of the two liens. During the pendency of the action, the bank accepted a deed conveying to it the title of defendant Martha Smith and defendant Robert Smith to the subject premises. It was only after learning of this occurrence that the defendant contractor filed a counterclaim for foreclosure of his mechanic's lien against the bank. Based upon these transactions, we conclude that the counterclaim qualifies as a valid supplemental pleading under Rule 90, Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure. The trial court did not abuse its discretion in permitting the counterclaim to be filed. See Moser v. Thorp Sales Corp., 312 N.W.2d 881, 895 (Iowa 1981); Hackney v. Tower, 260 Iowa 1101, 1107, 152 N.W.2d 257, 261 (1967). We have considered all issues necessary to decide the present appeal and find no reason to disturb the judgment of the trial court. AFFIRMED.