29-1-201. Definitions; agency relationships presumed.

(a) Except as otherwise provided, as used in this act:

(i) "Contractor" means:

(A) A person employed by and contracting with an owner to improve an owner's property including:

(I) An architect;

(II) A professional engineer; and

(III) A surveyor.

(ii) "Furnish" includes selling or renting;

(iii) "Improve or improvement" means:

(A) Demolition, erection, alteration or repair of any property for its permanent benefit;

(B) Any work performed or material furnished for the permanent change of any real property; and

(C) Materials manufactured pursuant to contract.

(iv) "Lien claimant" means any person who claims a lien under this act pursuant to a contract for improvement of property entered into by an owner of the property;

(v) "Owner" means:

(A) With respect to construction liens: any person with a legal or equitable interest in the property to be changed, altered or improved, for whose use or benefit any improvement shall be made or any materials furnished;

(B) With respect to mines, quarries, oil, gas or other wells: a person holding any interest in the legal or equitable title, or both, to any leasehold for oil or gas purposes and purchasers under executory contract, receivers and trustees;

(C) With respect to ditches, canals and reservoirs: a person holding any interest in the legal or equitable title to any ditch, canal or reservoir including rights-of-way, water permits, ditch rights and related easements of any type or kind. "Owner" includes purchasers under executory contract, receivers and trustees.

(vi) "Subcontractor" means a person, other than a contractor performing work for a contractor or subcontractor under contract;

(vii) "Work" shall be as requested, authorized or ratified under contract.

(viii) "Material" means:

(A) Component parts incorporated into the project;

(B) Equipment and machinery, whether or not incorporated into the project; and

(C) Fuel and lubricants consumed in a project.

(ix) "Materialman" means a person other than a contractor who furnishes material to, but does not perform work for, an owner, a contractor or subcontractor under contract;

(x) "Property" means real property, personal property, or both;

(xi) "Real property" means all interests in real property, including but not limited to, the fee estate, leasehold interests, easements and rights of way;

(xii) "Send" or "sent" means, in connection with any writing or written notice, to deposit in the mail or deliver for transmission by any other usual means of communication with postage or cost of transmission provided for and properly addressed and, in the case of an instrument to an address specified thereon or otherwise agreed, or if no address is specified, to any address reasonable under the circumstances. The foregoing method of delivery includes delivery by any commercial carrier that requests and maintains a receipt for delivery of written documents and also includes an electronic record as set forth in the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act if the sender and recipient have previously communicated by electronic means. In the event any writing is transmitted by mail with the United States postal service, such writing shall be mailed by first class mail, by certified mail, return receipt requested, or by mail delivery requiring a receipt for delivery. The time a writing is deemed to have been sent is the time at which the writing is deposited in the mail or delivered for transmission by any other means and, in the case of an electronic record, the time of sending is as specified in W.S. 40-21-115;

(xiii) "Written" or "writing" means printing, typewriting or any other intentional reduction to tangible form, including an electronic record created, generated, sent, communicated, received or restored by electronic means;

(xiv) "This act" means W.S. 29-1-103 through 29-10-106.

(b) Only the following agency relationships are presumed in this act:

(i) If any spouse enters into a contract for the performance of any work or the furnishing of any materials for the benefit of the property of the other spouse for which a lien is provided by this act, the spouse contracting for the work shall be presumed to be the agent of the spouse owning the property;

(ii) Between joint tenants;

(iii) Among tenants in common; and

(iv) An employee is an agent of his employer.