Court Opinion

ID: 9657132
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-23 20:15:20.442108+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:13:41.259824
License: Public Domain

J. H. Gillis, J.
(dissenting). I dissent. I am convinced from a review of the record, that the errors made in plaintiff’s statement of account and lien were inadvertent and not made in bad faith. I am also convinced that since there is evidence to support the trial judge’s finding on this issue, that determination should not be disturbed on appeal unless *467shown to be clearly erroneous. Morman v. Ryskamp (1926), 235 Mich 140.
It has long been held that unintentional errors which result in overstatement of the amount due from the recalcitrant debtor will not defeat a mechanic’s lien. McMonegal v. Wilson (1894), 103 Mich 264; Fairbairn v. Moody (1898), 116 Mich 61; Union Trust Co. v. Casserly (1901), 127 Mich 183; Vaughan v. Ford (1910), 162 Mich 37; Grace Harbor Lumber Co. v. Ortman (1916), 190 Mich 429; Knowlton v. Gibbons (1920), 210 Mich 547; Ypsilanti Lumber & Coal Co. v. Leslie (1922), 218 Mich 664; Hart v. Reid (1928), 243 Mich 175.
It is not the law in this state that understatement of the statement of account and lien by a contractor through inadvertent omission of a subcontractor’s bill results in loss of the lien. That very situation arose in Spicer v. Dugrey (1922), 221 Mich 264, 267 where it was held:
“This Court has occasionally criticized some statements of liens which overstated the amount due because it was evidently the intent of the legislature to keep such accounts from being overstated to the detriment of the owner or other persons claiming liens. When the account is understated it results in no loss to anyone except to the lienor, who loses the lien against the premises for that part of his claim which has been omitted.”
While it is true that failure to make out and give any statement of account and lien is fatal, Wood v. Bolinger (1930), 252 Mich 489; Wildey v. Gillett (1912), 171 Mich 153, I am not persuaded that any error committed in a good-faith attempt to assert a valid lien pursuant to the essential statutory requirements should always result in failure of the lien. While overstatement of the account may often result in prejudice to the debtor, I fail to see how *468this defendant can seriously contend he was harmed because the resulting lien was for an amount less than that which he owed. In my opinion, plaintiff’s substantial compliance with the statute in listing more than 90 % of the outstanding indebtedness established a valid lien. See MCLA § 520.27 (Stat Ann 1970 Eev § 26.307).
I would affirm the decision of the trial court.