Keep Time On Your Side
A quick reminder from Bob Watson and Eastburn and Gray, PC to turn your clocks back 1 hour this Sunday, November 1.
Keep time on your side. If you’ve supplied labor or materials to a construction project in PA as a contractor, sub or supplier, you may have the right to file a mechanics’ lien claim – but only if you act fast.
1. If you’re a sub or supplier who doesn’t have a contract with the property’s owner, remember to give that owner notice of your intention to file the lien claim no later than 5 months after your last work on a job. This is a necessary step before any sub or supplier can file a lien claim.
2. Whether you have a contract directly with the owner or not, the lien claim itself must be filed before your 6 month anniversary of last work.
Threatening to file a lien claim isn’t a step which should be taken lightly, especially when good business relationships are at stake. Nevertheless, if you identify a problem on the horizon, the sooner you let the owner know who you are and that your bills haven’t been paid, the easier it may be for the owner to be sure you’re taken care of.
A new online construction notices directory is coming in 2017, which will further affect your lien rights and how you protect them. We’re working with the PA Department of General Services to get the most up to date information about the new system. Stay tuned for more news on this important topic as it develops.
If you, or someone you know, may be affected by the information in this legal alert, please contact Bob Watson at Eastburn and Gray. To learn more about Eastburn and Gray and our Construction Law practice group, please visit the firm’s website, www.eastburngray.com.
