Nebraska Bond Claim Guide and FAQs

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, it shall be the duty of the State of Nebraska or any department or agency thereof, the county boards, the contracting board of all cities, villages, and school districts, all public boards empowered by law to enter into a contract for the erecting, furnishing, or repairing of any public building, bridge, highway, or other public structure or improvement, and any officer or officers so empowered by law to enter into such contract, to which the general provisions of the mechanics’ lien laws do not apply and when the mechanics and laborers have no lien to secure the payment of their wages and suppliers who furnish material and who lease equipment for such work have no lien to secure payment therefor, to take from the person as defined in section 49-801 to whom the contract is awarded a payment bond or bonds in a sum not less than the contract price with a corporate surety company and agent selected by such person, conditioned for the payment of all laborers and mechanics for labor that is performed and for the payment for material and equipment rental which is actually used or rented in the erecting, furnishing, or repairing of the public structure or improvement or in performing the contract.

(2) The labor and material payment bond or bonds referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall not be required for (a) any project bid or proposed by the State of Nebraska or any department or agency thereof which has a total cost of fifteen thousand dollars or less or (b) any project bid or proposed by any county board, contracting board of any city, village, or school district, public board, or officer referred to in subsection (1) of this section which has a total cost of ten thousand dollars or less unless the state, department, agency, board, or officer includes a bond requirement in the specifications for the project.

(3) The bond or bonds referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall be to, filed with, approved by, and safely kept by the State of Nebraska, department or agency thereof, officer or officers, or board awarding the contract. No contract referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall be entered into by the State of Nebraska, department or agency thereof, officer or officers, or board referred to in subsection (1) of this section until the bond or bonds referred to in subsection (1) of this section has been so made, filed, and approved.

(4) The bond or bonds referred to in subsection (1) of this section may be taken from the person to whom the contract is awarded by the owner and owner’s representative jointly as determined by the owner. The corporate surety company referred to in subsection (1) of this section shall have a rating acceptable to the owner as the owner may require.

Every person who has furnished labor or material in the prosecution of the work provided for in the contract set out in subsection (1) of section 52-118, in respect of which a bond is or bonds are furnished under such section, and who has not been paid in full therefor before the expiration of a period of ninety days after the day on which the last of the labor was done or performed by him or her or material was furnished or supplied by him or her for which such claim is made shall have the right to sue on such bond or bonds for the amount or the balance thereof unpaid at the time of the institution of such suit and to prosecute the action to final execution and judgment for the sum or sums justly due him or her. Any person having a direct contractual relationship with a subcontractor but no contractual relationship, express or implied, with the contractor furnishing such bond or bonds shall have a right of action upon the bond or bonds upon giving written notice to the contractor within four months from the date on which such person did or performed the last of the labor or furnished or supplied the last of the material for which such claim is made, stating with substantial accuracy the amount claimed and the name of the party to whom the material was furnished or supplied or for whom the labor was done or performed. Such notice shall be served by mailing the same by registered or certified mail, postage prepaid, in an envelope addressed to the contractor at any place he or she maintains an office or conducts his or her business or his or her residence or in any other manner in which a notice may be served.

Every suit instituted under section 52-118.01 shall be brought by any person entitled to the benefit of this action, but no such suit shall be commenced after the expiration of one year after the date of final settlement of the principal contract. The action shall be in the name of the party claiming the benefits of this action.

For the purposes of subsection (1) of section 52-118, equipment which is rented for a project covered by such subsection under a lease with an option to purchase shall be considered to be equipment rented under a straight lease agreement not to exceed the reasonable rental value of the equipment during the period such equipment is actually used on such project and unless and until the option to purchase is validly exercised under the contract.