Again I qualify all my answers with, I am a NY and CT attorney, I am not sure of the procedures in other states. In addition, if I haven't mentioned earlier I am also the attorney for the Suffolk County Electrical Contractors Association (SCECA) for whom this article was written. I encourage all the SCECA members to file their own Mechanics Liens, in other words to avoid paying a blood sucking lawyer(me) to do such a simple task. In NY the form is clear and concise, the only tricky part is knowing when to do it. I advise all my contracting clients to put a term in their contracts that notifies the homeowner that they will be subject to a lien immediately (this is not mandated by law, but rather avoids problems with the owner) A lien can be filed as soon as work is started and a balance is due. A conflict doed NOT have to have begun. Knowing that you must file the lien according to the situation. A big job with no money down, File the lien immediately to secure your intrests. Any size job with any size past due balance, File the lien immediately to secure your intrests. I cant go thru every possible scenario, but my opinion is for the minimal filing fee with the county clerk, err on the side of caution and file often to protect your interests.
