Art. 2 Mechanics' Liens. §§ 18, 19 for the payment of the debt specified in the notice of lien, and the action may be prosecuted to judgment against such person. Formerly L. 1897, ch. 418, § 16. § 18. Duration of lien under contract for a public improvement. If the lien is for labor done or materials furnished for a public improvement, it shall not continue for a longer period than three months from the time of filing the notice of such lien, unless an action is commenced to foreclose such lien within that time, and a notice of the pendency of such action is filed with the comptroller of the state or the financial officer of the municipal corporation with whom the notice of such lien was filed, or unless an order be made by a court of record, continuing such lien, and a new docket be made stating such fact. And the supreme court of this state, or any justice thereof, or the county court of the county in which such lien was filed, or the county judge of such county, are hereby authorized to make an order continuing any such lien for a period not exceeding six months, upon the application of a lienor upon such affidavits or evidence as in the opinion of such court or judge shall be deemed sufficient. Nothing in this section contained, however, shall prevent any such court or judge from making a new order continuing such lien in each succeeding six months, if in the discretion of such court or judge the same shall be deemed just and equitable. This section. is hereby declared to be a remedial statute and is to be construed liberally to secure the beneficial interests and purposes thereof. Formerly L. 1897, ch. 418, § 17, as am'd by L. 1899, ch. 25, § 1, and L. 1902, ch. 37, § 3, with L. 1899, ch. 25, § 3, incorporated. A lien other than § 19. Discharge of lien generally. a lien for labor performed or materials furnished for a public improvement specified in this article, may be discharged as follows: 1. By the certificate of the lienor, duly acknowledged or proved and filed in the office where the notice of lien is filed, stating that the lien is satisfied and may be discharged. 2. By failure to begin an action to foreclose such lien or to secure an order continuing it, within one year from the time of filing the notice of lien. 3. By order of the court vacating or canceling such lien of record, for neglect of the lienor *or prosecute the same, granted pursuant to section fifty-nine of this chapter. Subd. 3, am'd by L. 1909, ch. 240, § 53. 4. Either before or after the beginning of an action by the owner or contractor executing an undertaking with two or more sufficient sureties, who shall be freeholders, to the clerk of the *So in original. $ 20 Mechanics' Liens. Art. 2 county where the premises are situated, in such sums as the court or a judge or justice thereof may direct, not less than the amount claimed in the notice of lien conditioned for the payment of any judgment which may be rendered against the property for the enforcement of the lien. The sureties must together justify in at least double the sum named in the undertaking. A copy of the undertaking, with notice that the sureties will justify before the court, or a judge or justice thereof, at the time and place therein mentioned, must be served upon the lienor or his attorney, not less than five days before such time. Upon the approval of the undertaking by the court, judge or justice an order shall be made discharging such lien. The execution of any such bond or undertaking by any fidelity or surety company authorized by the laws of this state to transact business, shall be equivalent to the execution of said bond or undertaking by two sureties; and such company, if excepted to, shall justify through its officers or attorney in the manner required by law of fidelity and surety companies. Any such company may execute any such bond or undertaking as surety by the hand of its officers, or attorney, duly authorized thereto by resolution of its board of directors, a certified copy of which resolution, under the seal of said company, shall be filed with each bond or undertaking. If the lienor cannot be found, or does not appear by attorney, such service may be made by leaving a copy of said undertaking and notice at the lienor's place of residence, or if a corporation at its principal place of business within the state as stated in the notice of lien, with a person of suitable age and discretion therein, or if the house of his abode or its place of business is not stated in said notice of lien and is not known, then in such manner as the court may direct. The premises, if any, described in the notice of lien as the lienor's residence or place of business shall be deemed to be his said residence or its place of business for the purposes of said service at the time thereof, unless it is shown affirmatively that the person serving the papers or directing the service had knowledge to the contrary. Formerly L. 1897, ch. 418, § 18, as am'd by L. 1908, ch. 254, § 1. § 20. Discharge of lien by payment of money into court. A lien specified in this article, other than a lien for performing labor or furnishing materials for a public improvement, may be discharged, at any time before an action is commenced to foreclose such lien, by depositing with the county clerk, in whose office the notice of lien is filed, a sum of money equal to the amount claimed in such notice, with interest to the time of such Art. 2 Mechanics' Liens. § 21 deposit. After such action is commenced the lien may be discharged by a payment into court of such sum of money, as, in the judgment of the court or a judge or justice thereof, after at least five days' notice to all the parties to the action, will be sufficient to pay any judgment which may be recovered in such action. Upon any such payment, the county clerk shall forthwith enter upon the lien docket and against the lien for the discharge of which such moneys were paid, the words "discharged by payment." A deposit of money made as prescribed in this section shall be repaid to the party making the deposit, or his successor, upon the discharge of the liens against the property pursuant to law. All deposits of money made as provided in this section shall be considered as paid into court and shall be subject to the provisions of the code of civil procedure relative to the payment of money into court and the surrender of such money by order of the court. An order for the surrender of such moneys may be made by any court of record having jurisdiction of the parties and of the subject matter of the proceeding for the foreclosure of the lien for the discharge of which such moneys were deposited. If no action is brought in a court of record to enforce such lien, such order may be made by any judge of a court of record. Formerly L. 1897, ch. 418, § 19. § 21. Discharge of lien for public improvement. A lien against the amount due or to become due a contractor from the state or a municipal corporation for the construction of a public improvement may be discharged as follows: 1. By filing a certificate of the lienor or his successor in interest, duly acknowledged and proved, stating that the lien is discharged. 2. By lapse of time, when three months have elapsed since filing the notice of lien, and no action has been commenced to enforce the lien. 3. By satisfaction of a judgment rendered in an action to enforce the lien. 4. By the contractor depositing with the comptroller of the state or the financial officer of the municipal corporation, or the officer or person with whom the notice of lien is filed, such a sum of money as is directed by a justice of the supreme court, which shall not be less than the amount claimed by the lienor, with interest thereon for the term of one year from the time of making such deposit, and such additional amount as the justice deems sufficient to cover all costs and expenses. The amount so deposited § 22 Mechanics' Liens. Art. 2 shall remain with the comptroller or such financial officer or other officer or person until the lien is discharged as prescribed in subdivision one, two or three of this section. 5. Either before or after the beginning of an action by a contractor executing an undertaking with two or more sufficient sureties, who shall be freeholders, to the state or the municipal corporation with which the notice of lien is filed, in such sums as the court or a judge or justice thereof may direct, not less than the amount claimed in the notice of lien, conditioned for the payment of any judgment which may be recovered in an action to enforce the lien. The sureties must together justify in at least double the sum named in the undertaking. A copy of the undertaking with notice that the sureties will justify before the court or a judge or justice thereof at the time and place therein mentioned must be served upon the lienor, not less than five days before such time. If the lienor cannot be found, such service may be made as prescribed in subdivision four of section nineteen of this article. Upon the approval of the undertaking by the court, judge or justice, an order shall be made discharging such lien. The execution of such undertaking by any fidelity or surety company authorized by the laws of this state to transact business shall be equivalent to the execution of such an undertaking by two sureties and such undertaking, if excepted to, shall justify through its officers or attorney in the manner required by law of fidelity and Surety companies. Any such undertaking may be executed in such undertaking as surety by the hand of its officers or attorney duly authorized thereto by resolution of its board of directors, a certified copy of which resolution under the seal of such company, shall be filed with each undertaking. Except as otherwise provided herein the provisions of article five of title six of chapter eight of the code of civil procedure are applicable to an undertaking given for the discharge of a lien on account of public improvements. Formerly L. 1897, ch. 418, § 20, as am'd by L. 1898, ch. 169, § 1; L. 1902, ch. 37, § 4, and L. 1908, ch. 254, § 2. § 22. Building loan contract. A contract for a building loan, either with or without the sale of land, and any modification thereof, must be in writing and duly acknowledged, and within ten days after its execution be filed in the office of the clerk of the county in which any part of the land is situated, and the same shall not be filed in the register's office of any county. If not so filed the interest of each party to such contract in the real property affected thereby, is subject to the lien and claim of a person who shall thereafter file a notice of lien under this chapter. A Ants. 2, 3 Enforcement of Liens on Real Property. §§ 23-25 modification of such contract shall not affect or impair the right or interest of a person, who, previous to the filing of such modification had furnished or contracted to furnish materials, or had performed or contracted to perform labor for the improvement of real property, but such right or interest shall be determined by the original contract. The county clerk is entitled to a fee of twenty cents for filing such a contract or modification. Such contracts and modifications thereof shall be indexed in a book provided for that purpose, in the alphabetical order of the names of the persons to whom such loans shall be made. Formerly L. 1897, ch. 418, § 21, as am'd by L. 1900, ch. 78, § 1. § 23. Construction of article. This article is to be construed liberally to secure the beneficial interests and purposes thereof. A substantial compliance with its several provisions shall be sufficient for the validity of a lien and to give jurisdiction to the courts to enforce the same. Formerly L. 1897, ch. 418, § 22. The me § 24. Enforcement of mechanic's lien. chanics' liens specified in this article may be enforced against the property specified in the notice of lien and which is subject thereto and against any person liable for the debt upon which the lien is founded, as prescribed in article three of this chapter. Formerly L. 1897, ch. 418, § 23. § 25. Priority of liens for public improvements. Persons having liens under contracts for public improvements standing in equal degrees as co-laborers or material men shall have priority according to the date of filing their respective liens; but in all cases laborers for daily or weekly wages shall have preference over all other lienors having liens arising under the same contracts pursuant to this article, without reference to the time when such laborers shall have filed their notice of lien. Formerly L. 1897, ch. 418, § 24, as added by L. 1898, ch. 169, § 2. ARTICLE 3 Enforcement of Liens on Real Property Section 40. Construction of article. 41. Enforcement of a mechanic's lien on real property. 42. Enforcement of a lien under contract for a public im provement. 43. Action in a court of record; consolidation of actions. 44. Parties to an action in a court of record. |