Missouri Mechanic’s Lien Requirements [Infographic]

TIMING

• Must be filed within six months after the indebtedness accrues
• Indebtedness accrues on the last day work is performed
• “A subcontractor cannot, after the termination of an account, extend the mechanic’s lien filing time by rectifying some fault of his in performing the contract.” S & R Builders & Suppliers, Inc. v. Marler, 610 S.W.2d 690, 693 (Mo. Ct. App. 1980).

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NOTICE

1. General Contractor

NOTICE TO OWNER

FAILURE OF THIS CONTRACTOR TO PAY THOSE PERSONS SUPPLYING MATERIAL OR SERVICES TO COMPLETE THIS CONTRACT CAN RESULT IN THE FILING OF A MECHANIC’S LIEN ON THE PROPERTY WHICH IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS CONTRACT PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 429, RSMO. TO AVOID THIS RESULT YOU MAY ASK THIS CONTRACTOR FOR “LIEN WAIVERS” FROM ALL PERSONS SUPPLYING MATERIAL OR SERVICES FOR THE WORK DESCRIBED IN THIS CONTRACT. FAILURE TO SECURE LIEN WAIVERS MAY RESULT IN YOUR PAYING FOR LABOR AND MATERIAL TWICE. ~ R.S.Mo. § 429.012  

2. Subcontractor

A. Residential Owner Occupied Property of 4 Units or Less

• Consent to Mechanic’s Lien must be in 10 point bold font signed writing, stating:

CONSENT OF OWNER

CONSENT IS HEREBY GIVEN FOR FILING OF MECHANIC’S LIENS BY ANY PERSON WHO SUPPLIES MATERIALS OR SERVICES FOR THE WORK DESCRIBED IN THIS CONTRACT ON THE PROPERTY ON WHICH IT IS LOCATED IF HE IS NOT PAID.” R.S.Mo. § 429.013.2

B. Other Real Property: 10 day Notice of Intent to File Mechanic’s Lien Statement

“Every person except the original contractor, who may wish to avail himself of the benefit of the provisions of sections 429.010to 429.340, shall give ten days’ notice before the filing of the lien, as herein required, to the owner, owners or agent, or either of them, that he holds a claim against such building or improvement, setting forth the amount and from whom the same is due.” ~ R.S.Mo. § 429.100

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MECHANIC’S LIEN STATEMENT CONTENTS

 (a) a just and true account of the demand;

-inaccuracies are unintentional and are the result of honest inadvertence, accident, or oversight, and do not result from deliberate intention or design;

-inclusion of a nonlienable item is the result of honest mistake or inadvertence without intent to defraud and if the nonlienable items can be separated from the lienable items

-no rigid definition of just and true– depends on the facts of each particular case

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General Contractors

“if [] lien statement simply states his account in a lump sum, without itemization.’ Commercial Openings, Inc. v. Mathews, 819 S.W.2d 347, 349–50 (Mo. 1991)(internal citations omitted).

Subcontractors

must  have “an itemized statement of the labor and materials furnished.’” Commercial Openings, Inc. v. Mathews, 819 S.W.2d 347, 349–50 (Mo. 1991)(internal citations omitted).

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(b) a true description of the property, or so near as to identify the same;

• “need not be letter perfect…” Breckenridge Material Co. v. Byrnesville Const. Co., 842 S.W.2d 551, 552 (Mo. Ct. App. 1992).
• “only be sufficient to enable one familiar with the locality to identify the premises intended to be covered by the lien.” Breckenridge Material Co. v. Byrnesville Const. Co., 842 S.W.2d 551, 552 (Mo. Ct. App. 1992).

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(c) the name of the owner or contractor, or both if known to the person filing the lien; and

(d) verification by the oath of himself or some credible person for him

• Must be Notarized ~ S.Mo. § 429.080

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EXAMPLES OF LIENABLE ITEMS

If used in improving the property:

• lumber
• paneling
• sheet rock
• tape
• paint
• paint brushes
• sandpaper
• saw blades

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LAWSUIT TO FORECLOSE MECHANIC’S LIEN

• An action to foreclose a mechanic’s lien must be commenced within 6 months of filing the lien ~ S.Mo. § 429.170

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