Nevada County Lumber Co. v. Janiss

In Nevada County Lumber Co. v. Janiss (1938) 25 Cal. App. 2d 579, the contractor had completed an entire building except that the sewage system failed to operate and replacement pipes were necessary for the sewer line to become operational. The court held that even with acceptance by the owner and occupancy of the building, the work was not substantially complete until the sewer line was fixed. In Nevada County the evidence showed the remaining work took three men 11 hours. ( Id. at p. 583.) The court found this constituted sufficient evidence supporting the lower court's conclusion that the time for filing the mechanic's lien did not commence to run until this additional work was completed. ( Id. at pp. 583-584.)