Many property owners get in disputes with their general contractor near the end of the project. They believe that their might be multiple mechanic’s liens placed on their property by subcontractors of the general or material suppliers to the general or subcontractors. The only ones the owner has to worry about are those who served via Certified mail or personally 20 day preliminary notices on the owner, general contractor and the construction lender (if any). The 20 day preliminary notice must be served within 20 days of the subcontractor or material supplier first supplying labor or materials to the Project. However, a subcontractor or material supplier can serve it after the 20 days of first starting work but it only relates back to the work or materials supplied 20 days previous to the service of the Preliminary Notice. For example if a supplier of drywall ships drywall to the Project on May 1, 2021 and does not serve a Preliminary Notice until after May 21, 2021 they can not lien the project but if they serve the Preliminary Notice on May 22, 2021 and then ship more drywall on May 30, 2021 they can lien the Project for the second shipment of drywall but not the first.
Always contract an attorney regarding Mechanic’s Liens and 20 day preliminary notices early on if there is any doubt.