Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
By Lenore T. Brakefield, Naples Construction Law Attorney
Hurricane Ian was strong, but Southwest Florida is stronger. Look almost anywhere in Collier and Lee Counties, and you will see the recovery efforts of many as we rebuild and repair homes, buildings, docks, pools, decks, and other structures throughout our community. However, many construction projects run into contractor payment issues which may result in a Construction Lien, also known as a Mechanics Lien, recorded against your property. If you find yourself in this situation, the construction law attorneys at Woodward, Pires & Lombardo in Naples, and Marco Island, FL are experienced with builder issues and are here to help.
What is a construction lien?
Under Florida law, those who provide services or materials for the improvement of your property, and are not paid-in-full, may enforce a claim for payment against your property for the value of the services or material provided by recording a construction lien, also known as a Mechanics Lien. The amount of the Lien is limited to the value of the services provided pursuant to the lienor’s contract minus amounts already paid.
Who can place a construction lien on my property?
Any contractor, subcontractor, sub-subcontractor, laborer, materialman or professional (architect, landscape architect, interior designer, engineer, surveyor or mapper) (“lienor”), whether in a direct contract with you or not, can record a claim of lien. A lienor who does not have a direct contractual relationship with you must satisfy several requirements before perfecting its right to lien your property.
First, the lienor must serve you with a “Notice to Owner.” The purpose of this document is to notify you that a lienor, whether a company you hired directly or not, is providing construction services or materials to your property. The Notice to Owner must be sent in the form provided by Section 713.06(2)(c) Florida Statutes and must include specific language, including the following:
“Under Florida’s laws, those who work on your property or provide materials and are not paid have a right to enforce their claim for payment against your property. This claim is known as a construction lien.
If your contractor fails to pay subcontractors or material suppliers or neglects to make other legally required payments, the people who are owed money may look to your property for payment, EVEN IF YOU HAVE PAID YOUR CONTRACTOR IN FULL.”
This language means even if you paid your contractor in full, a lienor that timely serves you with a Notice to Owner and does not get paid in full by your contractor can record a construction lien on your property. Ultimately, you may be forced to pay twice to release the lien.
What can happen if a construction lien is placed on my property?
A construction lien is valid for one year after it is recorded in the official records of the county where your property is located. The lienor must commence an action to foreclose the lien within one year or the Lien is not enforceable.
If Florida’s lien laws are properly complied with, and an action to foreclose the Lien is timely filed, the lienor may be able to force the sale of your property. Additionally, a Lien can interfere with and delay the sale of your home. You will not be able to close on a sale of your home until the lien is released or bonded off.
Is there a way to avoid having a lien remain on my property?
You can protect your property from liens by securing a bond prior to beginning construction. The bond, instead of your property, serves as security for the payment of a potential lienor. Alternatively, you can also transfer liens to bonds after a lien is recorded.
What can I do to protect myself from Liens?
. Request from your contractor a list of all lienors who are performing services or furnishing materials for improvements on your property.
. Keep track of these lienors and make sure you receive a Lien release or waiver as payment is made.
. Before making the final payment to your contractor, request an affidavit that specifies all unpaid parties.
. Make sure these parties are paid and sign waivers or releases before making final payment.
. At any point before a lienor files a claim of lien, you may request a sworn statement regarding unpaid services or materials. The lienor has 30 days to respond to this request.
Whose responsibility is it to obtain these waivers and releases?
In short, it depends. Your contractor may be responsible for obtaining waivers and releases if that is part of your contract. If it is not a part of your contract, you are responsible for obtaining these waivers and releases. If you pay your contractor through a series of draws, make sure you receive waivers or releases from each company you have a direct contract with or have received a Notice to Owner from as payments are made.
If you have a construction loan, the lender may handle this for you. Bottom line, it is your house, so make sure all lienors are paid and provide waivers or releases. The moral of the story is you always require a release or waiver of Lien from anyone performing services or supplying materials for improvements to your property.
If a construction lien is recorded on your property, contact an experienced attorney at Woodward, Pires & Lombardo in Naples FL, who can check the validity of the Lien and advise you about any available defenses.
About the Author
Lenore T. Brakefield, Esq. is a Naples native and graduated cum laude from the University of Florida Levin College of Law. She focuses her law practice on civil and commercial litigation, including construction litigation matters. Lenore also handles local government law, code enforcement violations, community association law, real estate law, and contract and transactional matters.
Additionally, Lenore is a Certified Financial Litigator (CFL™) by the American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators. Contact Lenore at lbrakefield@wpl-legal.com.
Woodward, Pires & Lombardo, P.A.
Naples Office:
3200 Tamiami Trail N, Ste 200
Naples, FL 34103
239-649-6555
Marco Island Office:
606 Bald Eagle Dr, Ste 500
Marco Island, Fl 34145
239-394-5161
