Filing a mechanics lien is a great credit and collections tool, but there are a lot of compliance requirements tied to the remedy. Sometimes, notices must be sent at the start of construction (preliminary notices). Sometimes, notices must be sent at the end of construction before a mechanics lien is filed (notice of intent to [...]
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Suppliers to Suppliers Mechanics Lien & Bond Rights
A previous article on our blog indicated that “Suppliers to Suppliers rarely catch a break” with respect to mechanics lien and bond claim laws. The reason here is because most private and public statutes prohibit suppliers to suppliers from filing a mechanics lien or bond claim. It’s important to not only announce this information in [...]
What Is A Joint Check Agreement?
The construction industry is famous for issuing joint checks and entering into joint check agreements, but these agreements can be entered into by anyone in any industry. The basic definition of a joint check agreement is a contractual agreement between multiple parties whereby one party agrees to or is given permission to make payment jointly [...]
Mechanics Lien v. Notice of Intent to Lien: What’s The Difference?
The name of these documents should give away most of the answer, but still it can be confusing to distinguish these two documents and figure out which is the best for your particular situation. It certainly doesn’t help that each state calls the “mechanics lien” by a different moniker, and sometimes the names of these [...]
Construction Attorney or A Lien Service? The Pros and Cons
The question of whether to hire an attorney or a service like Zlien to manage your mechanics lien compliance or file a mechanics lien is a controversial and complicated one. As the CEO of Zlien, a non-law firm, legal document preparation company, and a licensed construction attorney with an active law firm practicing construction law [...]
Chart: Who Does And Does Not Have Rights Under The Miller Act
The Miller Act can be a little confusing as to who does and who does not have claim rights. While the statute is very broad about what type of work or materials are covered — nearly everything furnished to a federal construction project — it is strict about which tiers of project participants can be included. We [...]
Funnel Graphic Shows How Mechanics Lien Claims Are Resolved
People often ask me about what happens after a mechanics lien is filed. It’s an understandable question because no one enjoys the process of filing a mechanics lien and creating a potential adversarial situation. The questions are really these: It the mechanics lien going to work? It is going to get me paid? Is it [...]
Free National Digest of Lien Laws
The landscape of lien laws are complex, diverse and confusing across the nation. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a reliable, easy-to-use reference guide? Wouldn’t it be great if the guide was free? Zlien has spent years compiling the web’s most impressive collection of mechanics lien law information. Our reference guide has everything [...]
Texas Mechanics Lien: List Of All Deadlines Expiring This Friday
The Texas mechanics lien and monthly notice deadlines are an absolute mess. I don’t know anyone in the construction industry or the construction law industry who likes them. Nevertheless, they must be complied with. The only good thing about Texas’ deadlines is that absolutely every deadline expires on the same day each month: the 15th. [...]
Texas Mechanics Lien: Is It Due Tomorrow? Same Day Filing Available
Getting a mechanics lien filed on or before the 15th day of a calendar month is critical in Texas, and if you’re right up against the deadline, you can use Zlien to file your mechanics lien electronically to make certain it gets filed on time. Since Zlien is an authorized e-submitter to most Texas counties, [...]
Mechanics Lien Infographic
Over the years, I’ve published lots of charts and data sets with the mechanics lien and preliminary notice requirements. Mechanic lien laws almost mandate such charts and spreadsheets, as the thousands of variations need to be accounted for and visualized to make any sense. Inspired by awesome infographics used in other industries, we decided to take [...]
Columnists
Scott Wolfe Jr., JD
CEO of Zlien, and a licensed attorney in six states, he's experienced in construction & corporate credit management laws....Read More
Nate Budde, JD
Zlien's Chief Legal Mind and licensed attorney. Nate is a Stanford & Tulane Grad, a Jeopardy! alumni and more....Read More
Seth Smiley, JD
Construction attorney in California & Louisiana, Seth is an experienced construction litigator and Zlien's COO....Read More
Funding Gates
The world's first CRM for receivables management.Read More
Gretchen Lynn
Operations Genius at Zlien - She writes all the fun stuff here.Read More
Jason Bull
Zlien's Research Giant - He shares tips and info on how to confirm project, surety or construction party data.Read More
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