Waiting For Payment On A Florida Construction Project? How Construction Liens Work
You’ve done the work, delivered the materials, but you’re still waiting to get paid. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, this is a common scenario for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers throughout Florida. Filing a construction lien can help you get what you’re owed.
Whether you’re trying to collect money or you’re a property owner dealing with a lien, our Boca Raton construction liens lawyer explains how it works.
When Florida Construction Liens Come Into Play
You don’t need a massive construction disaster to end up with a lien situation. Most of the time, liens happen because payments get messy, especially when there are multiple contractors, subs, and suppliers all expecting their cut. Common scenarios we see include:
- You finished the job, sent the invoice, and still haven’t been paid.
- There’s a fight over the final payment or money held back (retainage).
- The general contractor and subcontractors aren’t communicating, and now nobody knows who owes what.
- The project ran out of funding, so payments stopped coming.
- The owner claims your work didn’t meet the contract standards, so they’re refusing to pay.
- The property owner paid the general contractor, but they failed to pay subcontractors or suppliers.
In Florida, construction payments flow through multiple parties. When one payment gets stuck, it creates a domino effect.
What Florida Law Requires to Protect or Challenge a Lien
Florida’s Construction Lien Law doesn’t mess around. There are hoops you have to jump through, and they’re not optional. Forgot to send one notice? Miss a deadline by two days? Your lien might get tossed, even if you’re 100 percent in the right about being owed money.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Send a Notice to Owner. If you’re a subcontractor or supplier, you usually have to mail this notice before you can file a lien.
- File your Claim of Lien on time. You’ve got a narrow window to record your lien with the county.
- Get the details right. Vague descriptions of the problem won’t cut it.
- File a lawsuit to enforce it. Recording a lien is just step one. If you want to collect, you’ll need to sue within a year (sometimes less).
- Keep your paperwork. Lien releases and payment records are your best defense if a dispute comes up later.
As a property owner, if someone files a bogus lien against you, you can challenge it in court or bond it off to clear your title.
Speak With An Experienced Boca Raton Construction Liens Lawyer Today
For property owners, a Florida construction lien can jeopardize your ability to sell. For contractors or suppliers, it can help you get the money you are owed.
Neuman Law, P.A. has spent decades handling construction lien cases across Florida. Whether you need to file a lien, enforce one, or fight an improper claim, we provide the professional legal representation you need to get results.
Don’t let a payment dispute drag on. Contact our Boca Raton construction liens lawyer today. We represent clients in Palm Beach County, Martin, Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Hillsborough Counties.
Source:
leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0713/0713.html