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Whenever filing a mechanics lien, it’s critical to properly identify the property being encumbered. It is this description, after all, that controls which property is being listed with the lien.

More importantly perhaps, each state’s mechanics lien laws have strict requirements as to what does and does not constitute proper identification of land.  If you don’t describe the property sufficiently, you’re lien is toast.

In Alaska, a formal legal property description must be included in the mechanics lien claim…usually.

The actual statute requires “a legal description sufficient for identification” in order for the lien to be valid.

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However, courts have very occasionally taken into account circumstances and the place where the lien is recorded to allow less-than formal legal descriptions within mechanics lien claims. These allowances, while perhaps a worthy last ditch effort to save an otherwise invalid lien, are the exceptions to the rule.  It should not be relied upon, and you should go to great effort to get the legal property description within your mechanics lien claim.

When you file an Alaska mechanics lien with Levelset , Levelset’s platform actually researches the property for you, finding the legal description and including it in your mechanics lien claim.

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