Court Opinion

ID: 9576438
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-21 21:24:24.84372+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:07:42.272134
License: Public Domain

Judge Webb
dissenting.
I dissent. Article X § 3 of the Constitution of North Carolina requires that the General Assembly shall provide that mechanics and laborers have an adequate lien on the subject matter of their labor. Pursuant to this constitutional mandate the General Assembly has adopted G.S. 44A-8 which provides:
Any person who performs or furnishes labor or professional design or surveying services or furnishes materials pursuant to a contract, either express or implied, with the owner of real property for the making of an improvement thereon shall, upon complying with the provisions of this Article, have a lien on such real property to secure payment of all debts owing for labor done or professional design or surveying services or material furnished pursuant to such contract.
The complaint alleges that the work done and materials furnished were pursuant to a contract with the McFarlands who then owned the property. This should comply with the statute. In light of the constitutional mandate that mechanics and laborers should have a lien on the subject of their work I would not extend the statutory requirement, as we have done in this case, to require that the plaintiff be able to get a money judgment against the person who made the contract.
I vote to reverse.