Reaves

The judgment in this case forecloses two purported mechanic’s liens, totaling $19,894.25, including interest to the date of the judgment, besides costs, on lands near Mojave in Kern County. The appellants maintain that at the time of the trial there was no lien upon the land in question for the reason that nothing was then due to the *15 respondents because they had accepted stock in Fremont Valley Development Corporation in lieu of monies previously owed to them for labor performed, and in any event because the purported liens were filed too late.

The plaintiffs, J. C. Reaves, Jr. and Wilbur Rickett, doing business in Kern County under the name of Rickett and Reaves, a copartnership, had been hired by Wendell Stevens and Leo C. Smith, acting as partners under the name, California Land Development Company, to make surveys and do other engineering work in the development of several subdivisions in the Mojave area. That they did the civil engineering work properly is a conceded fact; it is also admitted that the unpaid balances, for the reasonable value of their services, are $7,632.96 on tract 2388 in the south half of the southeast quarter of section 29, township 31 south, range…