Exterior of the still under construction Senderos at South Mountains Apartments in Phoenix

At least four contractors are claiming they are owed a combined $2.3 million from six different unpaid work claims following the construction of the Senderos at South Mountain Apartments in Phoenix, Arizona. 

The 156,888-square-foot, 96-unit community opened in May of 2020 with 10 different buildings housing a combination of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments. 

Mechanics liens are a legal claim for unpaid construction work that can hinder a property title until the claimant contractor has received payment. 

According to the lien affidavits, Senderos at South Mountain, LLC of Hastings, MN is the property owner behind the six mechanics lien claims.

General contractor From Third Building Company, LLC is one of the four claimant contractors on the project. Three subcontractors have filed mechanics liens against From Third Building since October 12 at the Senderos at the South Mountain Apartments project, totaling a combined $968,256.63 in unpaid work. 

From Third Building Company and Senderos at South Mountain could not be reached for comments. 

Each mechanics lien claim was processed with the Maricopa County clerk’s office pursuant to Arizona mechanics lien laws

Six mechanics liens placed on Senderos at South Mountain Apartments in Phoenix

Four contractors are allegedly owed a combined $2,324,625.12 for their work in constructing the Senderos at South Mountain Apartments, located at 9700 S. Central Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. 

From Third Building Company has filed two mechanics lien claims against Senderos at South Mountain, totaling $1,356,368.49. 

The GC’s largest claim was filed on October 19 for $1,133,439.03. Another lien claim worth $222,929.46 filed by the GC has been active since May 22. 

Both lien affidavits state the GC’s contract was worth $14 million with Senderos at South Mountain. 

On October 12, subcontractor Paul Johnson Drywall, Inc. filed a lien against From Third Building Company worth $907,195.50. According to the lien affidavit, the subcontractor provided their drywalling services to the project between November of 2018 and October of 2020. 

Subcontractor Heritage Interiors, LLC has filed two identical lien claims against From Third Building Company, both of which state the claimant subcontractor is owed $56,628.13. Heritage Interiors processed their claims on October 19-20. 

Two days later on October 22, subcontractor Coyote Glass, LLC filed the latest mechanics lien against From Third Building Company, claiming they are owed $4,433. 

Over 5,000 new Phoenix apartments projected in 2020

According to apartment database RentCafe, Phoenix is one of the top 20 US metro areas for projected apartment construction growth in 2020. 

The database’s report found that Phoenix is expected to gain a total of 5,665 new apartments by the end of 2020, ranking it 15 out of 20 metro areas listed in the report. 

Phoenix’s apartment construction numbers for 2020 exceed notable cities including Philadelphia, PA (4,461 new apartments), San Antonio, TX (4,594), Nashville, TN (4,831), Charlotte, NC (5,544), and Orlando, FL (5,617). 

Despite these high numbers, RentCafe’s report also found that Phoenix’s percent change in apartment construction between 2019 and 2020 shrank 37%.