Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - Lien law
Thread: Lien law
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Old 08-02-2010, 09:00 PM
Autoshow Autoshow is offline
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Originally Posted by dlzdhz View Post
Has anyone heard of this???

You know the old saying.... BUYER BEWARE.....

We just had pavers installed by a VERY reputable company, and 2 weeks after the job was done, one of the workers from the job knocked on our door and handed my husband a letter..... stating he was contacting his attorney due to non-payment for his services from the contractor. The Lien Law, in effect, states that the end user (my husband and I) can be liable for payment to the worker if the contractor does not pay him for services performed....
Excuse me, but we already paid over $7,000 for the job, which included all materials and labor, and why should I be responsible to pay the man's salary for the day again???

I contacted the owner of the company, and he told me not to worry, he had everything under control...the worker was fired, and we would not be responsible for any money. I asked for a letter stating I was not liable for any further costs due to him or anyone else. I am putting my faith in him that this is resolved to our satisfaction...

I contacted Joe Gorman, president of the Villages Homeowners Association, and I was told I needed to get a "Waiver of Lien" from the contractor, and it is a good idea to get this for ANY job a homeowner contracts, especially if the company uses sub-contractors!!!

I also contacted Marlene O'Toole, our Florida Legislator, and she did indeed say we had to be aware of the Lien Law, and to protect yourself, always get a waiver of lien from the contractor. She also suggested that I contact a lawyer and show them paperwork I received from the company owner, including my (belated) waiver of lien. She also said I should monitor that the disgrunteled worker does not put a lien on our home in the future, and this could be done, even if he may have been paid....

The pavers came out beyond gorgeous, but I hope they are worth the aggrevation that came along with them.... Just wanted everyone to be aware of this and not to get burned in the future!!!
I got burned the same way,lien was placed on my home when landscaper did not pay for product.I paid off the 300 dollar lien. cheap lesson for me. Have been here 8 years now and the warning is no matter what the rules are where you came from,here in florida the law is so very different. always make sure you get it all in writing and never pay a contractor in advance,if he does not have the cash or credit to get supplies,get a different contractor.