It's amazing how many contractors and suppliers are utilizing our mechanics lien form. Even as contractors ourselves we're still amazed at how many contractors are being stiffed when it comes time to getting paid.

I guess thank goodness there's a mechanic's lien process, at least it's another opportunity to collect what's owed. :o)

This page contains a copy and paste of a few Civil Code sections that pertain to the mechanics lien form process: the info your mechanics lien form needs to contain; the time constraints you're under; etc.

Below that is a link to purchase our California mechanics lien form from our 100% safe and secure Yahoo store. :) If you are looking for mechanic's lien info for a state other than California please click here.

The California Mechanic's Lien Law is changing effective January 2011, requiring extensive changes to the process. The California Mechanic's Lien form package and the California Mechanic's Lien Combo package (mechanic's lien form, mechanic's lien release form, mechanic's lien partial release form, mechanic's withdrawal form), available now, contain the 2010 documents, the 2011 documents, an article discussing the new 2011 requirements, and the new documents that are required in 2011. If you do not follow the new process beginning January 1 2011, then your lien will not be valid. The information below will be changed shortly to reflect the new law (but again, there is an article in the download package that discusses the new law).

3084. (a) "Claim of lien" means a written statement, signed and verified by the claimant or by the claimant's agent, containing all of the following:

1. A statement of the claimant's demand after deducting all just credits and offsets.<
2. The name of the owner or reputed owner, if known.<
3. A general statement of the kind of labor, services, equipment, or materials furnished by the claimant.
4. The name of the person by whom the claimant was employed or to whom the claimant furnished the labor, services, equipment, or materials.
5. A description of the site sufficient for identification.

(b) A claim of lien in otherwise proper form, verified and containing the information required by this section shall be accepted by the recorder for recording and shall be deemed duly recorded without acknowledgment.

3115. Each original contractor, in order to enforce a lien, must record his claim of lien after he completes his contract and before the expiration of (a) 90 days after the completion of the work of improvement as defined in Section 3106 if no notice of completion or notice of cessation has been recorded, or (b) 60 days after recordation of a notice of completion or notice of cessation.

3116. Each claimant other than an original contractor, in order to enforce a lien, must record his claim of lien after he has ceased furnishing labor, services, equipment, or materials, and before the expiration of (a) 90 days after completion of the work of improvement if no notice of completion or cessation has been recorded, or (b) 30 days after recordation of a notice of completion or notice of cessation.

Just a quick sidenote: While you'll see the word lien spelled lein quite often, it is actually supposed to be lien. ;o)