Chap. 351.—An ACT to amend and re-enact sections 4 and 5 of chapter
115 of the Code of 1873, in relation to Mechanics’ Liens, so as more
effectually to protect Sub-Contractors.

Approved March 31, 1875.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly, That sections
four and five of chapter one hundred and fifteen of the Code
of cightcen hundred and geventy-three, be amended and re-
enacted so as to read as follows:

§ 4. A general contractor, or a sub-contractor, or person
contracting to furnish materials about a building or other
improvement, for a goneral contractor, or other person than
the owner, wishing to avail himself of the lien given him by
the preceding section, shall file, within thirty days after the
complotion of the work, or after he shall have been com-
pelled, by the action of the owner, to abandon the work,
in the clerk’s office of the county or corporation court of
the county or corporation in which the property, upon
which a lien is sought to be secured, is situated, and in the
clerk’s office of the chancery court of the city of Rich-
mond, where the property is in said city, a true account
of the work done or materials furnished, sworn to by said
claimant or his agent, with a statement attached signify-
ing his intention to claim the benefit of said lien, and set-
ting forth a brief description of the property upon which
he claims the lien. It shall be the duty of tho clerk in
whose office such account and statement shall be filed, as
herein before provided, to record the same in a book kept
for that purpose, and from the time of such filing all persons
shall be deemed to have notice thereof.

§ 5. Any sub-contractor, or any person contracting to fur-
nish materials, about a building or otber improvement, for a
general contractor, or other person than the owger, may give
notice in writing to the owner of such building or othor im-
provement, stating the value of the Jabor performed or ma-
terials furnished, and shall, within twenty days after such
building or other improvement is completed, or the work
thereon otherwise terminated, furnish the owner thereof
with an affidavit showing a correct account of the amount
due to said party by the contractor, and remaining unpaid
to the sub-contractor or person contracting to furnish ma-
terials, and the said owner shall be liable for the amount of
such claim to said sub-contractor or person contracting to
furnish materials: provided, the same docs not exceed the
amount named: by the said claimant in the affidavit herein
before required; and in that event the owner of the building
or other improvement shall be liable to the claimant for the
amount named in said affidavit, and no more.

2. This act shall be in force from its passage.