A bond can be considered as a promise made by a surety (insurance) to fulfill the obligation of payment according to the terms of a contract. Since liens are not allowed on publicly owned property. To protect contractors, the law provides for subcontractors, sub-subcontractors and suppliers to file claim against a bond furnished by the general contractor.
Related questions and answers
It is the document where a subcontractor, sub-subcontractor or supplier is stating that the job agreed in a contract (oral or written) has been completed and the payment has not been made. The surety (bonding company) is now liable for such debt. Bond claims are required to send a notice that includes a sworn statement of account, which must also be notarized. Both documents are included when you prepare the bond claim with texaseasylien.com.
It is recommended to send notice for every month you perform work in the event of non-payment. Since the deadlines in Texas laws are strict and relatively narrow. It is very important for Subcontractors and Sub-subcontractors (1st and 2nd Tier contractors) to send notice of outstanding invoices for each month as soon as possible to protect their right to file a lien claim. It is a low cost letter that could prevent expensive litigation costs in the future.
The deadline to file a mechanic's lien depends on a contractor's role and the type of project. For Commercial Projects (Private), the following charts specify the required documents and the last date to submit them. We have separated the charts by type of contractor. It is essential to know that the last day to file or submit a lien document is always the 15th day of every month.
FOR CLAIMS RESULTING FROM A CONTRACT SIGNED BEFORE DECEMBER 31ST, 2021
IF THE 15th OF THE MONTH FALLS ON A WEEKEND OR A HOLIDAY, THE LAST DAY TO FILE A VALID LIEN WILL BE THE EARLIEST BUSINESS DAY.
FOR CLAIMS RESULTING FROM A CONTRACT SIGNED AFTER JANUARY 1ST, 2022
IF THE 15th OF THE MONTH FALLS ON A WEEKEND OR A HOLIDAY, THE LAST DAY TO FILE A VALID LIEN WILL EXTEND TO THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY AFTER THAT WEEKEND OR HOLIDAY.
Original (General) Contractor - Constitutional - Mechanic’s Lien Requirements | |||
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Chart of Filing Deadlines | |||
Month of: a) Written Termination b) Abandonment of Project c) Settlement or: d) Completion of the Contract | Commercial Projects (Private) 🔗 | ||
Pre-lien Notice to Property Owner is Not Required |
File the Lien Affidavit On or Before: | ||
January | None | May 15th | |
February | None | June 15th | |
March | None | July 15th | |
April | None | August 15th | |
May | None | September 15th | |
June | None | October 15th | |
July | None | November 15th | |
August | None | December 15th | |
September | None | January 15th | |
October | None | February 15th | |
November | None | March 15th | |
December | None | April 15th |
Subcontractor (1st Tier) Lien Requirements | |||
---|---|---|---|
Chart of Filing Deadlines | |||
Month of Activity | Commercial Projects (Private) 🔗 | ||
Send Invoice by: | Send Pre-lien Notice to Property Owner and Original Contractor by: |
File the lien by the following date OR within 30 days after the overall project is complete**. | |
January | March 15th | April 15th | May 15th |
February | April 15th | May 15th | June 15th |
March | May 15th | June 15th | July 15th |
April | June 15th | July 15th | August 15th |
May | July 15th | August 15th | September 15th |
June | August 15th | September 15th | October 15th |
July | September 15th | October 15th | November 15th |
August | October 15th | November 15th | December 15th |
September | November 15th | December 15th | January 15th |
October | December 15th | January 15th | February 15th |
November | January 15th | February 15th | March 15th |
December | February 15th | March 15th | April 15th |
IMPORTANT:
**You can file a lien affidavit 30 days after completing the overall project only if you sent the pre-lien notice for that specific month on time.
|
Sub-subcontractor (2nd Tier) Lien Requirements | |||
---|---|---|---|
Chart of Filing Deadlines | |||
Month of Activity | Commercial Projects (Private) 🔗 | ||
Send Invoice by: | Send Pre-lien Notice to Property Owner and Original Contractor by: |
File the lien by the following date OR within 30 days after the overall project is complete**. | |
January | March 15th | April 15th | May 15th |
February | April 15th | May 15th | June 15th |
March | May 15th | June 15th | July 15th |
April | June 15th | July 15th | August 15th |
May | July 15th | August 15th | September 15th |
June | August 15th | September 15th | October 15th |
July | September 15th | October 15th | November 15th |
August | October 15th | November 15th | December 15th |
September | November 15th | December 15th | January 15th |
October | December 15th | January 15th | February 15th |
November | January 15th | February 15th | March 15th |
December | February 15th | March 15th | April 15th |
IMPORTANT:
**You can file a lien affidavit 30 days after completing the overall project only if you sent the pre-lien notice for that specific month on time.
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Yes. If you think about it, you could get paid the balance of one month but not others. Then you would be required to release the lien for the amount that was paid but would have lost your rights for the other months. It is always better to secure your rights in all forms possible by using the tools created to protect you.
To prepare a bond claim, you will need the general information of the project and your contract. Below is a list of some of the necessary information: • Project Information: Owner, name of project, common address (or legal property description); • Contract: Name (or company name) and mailing address of the General (Prime) Contractor, amount, retainage amount and type of agreement; • Bonding company (surety): Name, address and bond number; • Work: Invoices, description of the unpaid work performed and the amount owed per each individual month.