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No, they are not necessarily the same. The project owner is who hired the general contractor and/or subcontractors to perform labor or services to a construction or repair project and whose name is in the contract. This person or entity could be only leasing the property you are working on and not really own it.
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.
Deadlines for bond claims are much like those for liens. Subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, and suppliers must send a notice of bond claim with a sworn account statement by the 15th day of the third month after the work or material delivery month. These documents should be sent to both the Surety Company and the General Contractor. The charts below categorize contractors and outline necessary documents and submission deadlines.
NOTE: 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.
Sub-subcontractors and suppliers without a direct contract with the prime contractor (those on the second tier and below) must first send a notice only to the general (prime) contractor by the 15th day of the second month after the work was done. This notice can be copies of your unpaid invoices along with a signed cover letter indicating the outstanding amounts. You don't need to provide a sworn statement of account with this notice.
If you have been paid for the month you filed a lien on a property and you received the request to release the lien, then you should sign a lien release. However, if you are still owed for more months and filed a lien(s) for them as well, those liens should remain in place until the balance gets paid.
All you need is for the signer to have access to a camera and a valid ID. You can use any device with a camera (desktop, tablet, or your phone).
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.