Court Opinion

ID: 9684432
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-24 13:57:01.407927+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T18:17:55.757137
License: Public Domain

DISSENTING OPINION
NORVELL, Justice.
Security Lumber Company’s cause of action against Weighard Construction Company was founded upon a sworn account for materials furnished by Security Lumber to the Weighard Company at various times during the months of March, April and May of 1961. Apparently, there was no contract between the mentioned parties obligating the Weighard Company to pay a definite sum of money for specific materials, but the Weighard Company’s liability was controlled by the orders for materials which were placed with Security Lumber from time to time. Any special agreement that the Weighard Company may have had with Security was not in the nature of a “general contract” such "as that involved in Oriental Hotel Co. v. Griffiths, 88 Tex. 574, 33 S.W. 652, 30 L.R.A. 765 (1895),1 so that it cannot be said that there was a contract which constituted the “inception” of the materialman’s lien. Such “inception” would then necessarily date from the time the materials were delivered upon the job site. Trammell v. Mount, 68 Tex. 210, 4 S.W. 377 (1887) .2 The record shows that three separate deliveries of materials were made to the three separate lots or job sites before the deed of trust securing the University Savings and Loan Association loan was filed for record on April 6, 1961. These deliveries took place on March 7, March 28 and April 3. After April 6, 1961, Security made three additional deliveries of materials on April 29, May 15 and May 25. In my opinion, Security’s lien securing the reasonable values of the materials before April 6, 1961 was superior to the University deed of trust, but as to the *297reasonable value of the materials delivered after April 6 (on April 29, May 15 and May 25), I find no compulsion in the wording of the material lien statutes which requires us to hold that the lien or liens securing these amounts must come ahead of the deed of trust. In the absence of statutory wording compelling such result, I would not so hold. The greater good lies with the security of land titles and the certainty of financial obligations.
I think the trial court’s judgment was correct and accordingly dissent from this Court’s order affirming the judgment of the Court of Civil Appeals.

. In connection with Oriental, see, Sullivan & Company v. Texas Briquette & Coal Co., 94 Tex. 541, 63 S.W. 307 (1901), and McConnell v. Mortgage Investment Co. of El Paso, 157 Tex. 572, 305 S.W.2d 280 (1957).

. Trammell v. Mount contains language which seems to infer that delivery to the job site would not be essential if delivery were directed to another place by the owner or he refused to accept delivery. When the liens of others are involved, the soundness of this inference may be doubted. However, the question is not before us in this case.