A construction lien needs to be recorded within 90 days from a lienor’s final furnishing date.  This date is exclusive of punchlist or warranty-type work (i.e., repairs to lienor’s own work).   A lienor’s final furnishing date will be included in the construction lien as the lienor’s last date on the job.

 

A lienor’s final furnishing date is a question of fact to be decided by the trier of fact.  In other words, if an owner (or party challenging the enforcement of the lien) argues that the lien was untimely recorded, the party will be arguing that the lienor failed to timely record its lien within 90 days of its final furnishing date.  The application of this fact-driven issue, as further discussed in this article, is: whether the work was: 1) performed in good faith; 2) performed within a reasonable time; 3) performed in pursuance of the lienor’s contract; and 4) necessary for a completed project.  Just remember, a final furnishing date will not include punchlist or warranty work a lienor is performing on the project.   If a lien is recorded outside of this 90-day window, the lien will be deemed unenforceable.  It is always a good practice to ensure a lien is recorded, at a minimum, weeks before the 90-day period expires to avoid any issue or argument with the lien being untimely recorded.

 

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.