I regretably had to lien a commercial building for non-payment of over $6,000. They got me to get release of lien forms from all suppliers before they'd pay me. After 2 months of the GC telling me that the checks coming I had no choice. In Texas you have a very limited time to file the lien (90 days) and after that you loss that ability. I assume they were trying to delay me to the point I could not lien the building.
The lien was filed and the property owner (not the tenant) wants to sell the building. The way they get around the lien is to 'bond around it'. This is a legal way to put the lien aside and proceed with the sale. I'm not sure what involvement I'll have with the bonding company but it can't be worse than the GC.
Liening may not be the best option and requires very specific time lines to perfect. I now have a 'canned' lien process to help me with a chart showing the required timelines.
