Mark this on your calendar – beginning on October 1, 2019 subcontractors and suppliers (e.g., claimants/lienors) serving a notice of nonpayment to preserve rights under a payment bond must now do so under oath. But, that is not all. The notice of nonpayment form will now require the claimant to attest, as follows, in the new notice of nonpayment form:
Notice of Nonpayment
To: (Name of Contractor and address)
(Name of Surety and address)
The undersigned notifies you that:
1. The lienor has furnished_______ (describe labor, services, or materials) for the improvement of the real property identified as_______ (property description). The corresponding amount unpaid to date is $______, of which, $______ is unpaid retainage.
2. The lienor has been paid to date the amount of $____ for previously furnishing________ (describe labor, services, or materials) for this improvement.
3. The lienor expects to furnish________ (describe labor, services, or materials) for this improvement in the future (if known), and the corresponding amount expected to become due is $_____ (if known).
I declare that I have read the foregoing Notice of Nonpayment and that the facts stated in it are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Dated on _______
(signature and address of lienor)
The foregoing instrument was sworn to (or affirmed) and subscribed before me this___ days of ____, _____, by __________(signatory)
(Signature of Notary Public-State of Florida)
(Print, Type, or Stamp Commissioned Name of Notary Public)
Personally Known OR Produced Identification
Type of Identification Produced____
It will be imperative to work with counsel when putting together a notice of nonpayment. The reason being is that the added language in the statute will give the contractor a built-in “fraud” defense upon receipt of any notice of nonpayment. Fraudulent notices of nonpayment will now be asserted defensively as a matter of course akin to the fraudulent lien defense when a construction lien is recorded. This is supported by new statutory language to Florida Statute sections 713.23 (dealing payment bonds on private projects) and 255.05 (dealing with payment bonds on public projects except FDOT projects) relative to notices of nonpayment that goes into effect on October 1, 2019:
The negligent inclusion or omission of any information in the notice of nonpayment that has not prejudiced the contractor or surety does not constitute a default that operates to defeat an otherwise valid bond claim. A claimant who serves a fraudulent notice of nonpayment forfeits his or her rights under the bond. A notice of nonpayment is fraudulent if the claimant has willfully exaggerated the amount unpaid, willfully included a claim for work not performed or materials not furnished for the subject improvement, or prepared the notice with such willful and gross negligence as to amount to a willful exaggeration. However, a minor mistake or error in a notice of nonpayment, or a good faith dispute as to the amount unpaid, does not constitute a willful exaggeration that operates to defeat an otherwise valid claim against the bond. The service of a fraudulent notice of nonpayment is a complete defense to the claimant’s claim against the bond.
Again, it is imperative to work with counsel when putting together a notice of nonpayment!
Please contact David Adelstein at dadelstein@gmail.com or (954) 361-4720 if you have questions or would like more information regarding this article. You can follow David Adelstein on Twitter @DavidAdelstein1.