Maine Notice of Lien Form

You may well have the right to assert and pursue a mechanic's lien if you meet these requirements under Maine law, which provides: "Whoever . . . performs services as . . . a real estate licensee . . . in selling any interest in land, improvements or structures, by virtue of a contract with or by consent of the owner, has a lien thereon and on the land on which it stands and on any interest such owner has in the same, to secure payment thereof, with costs." 10 M.R.S. § 3251.

You should also be aware that, assuming you have a contract directly with the property owner, you must commence an “action against the debtor and owner of the property affected and all other parties interested therein, filed with the Superior Court or District Court clerk in the county or division where the house, building or appurtenances, wharf, pier or building thereon on which a lien is claimed is situated within 120 days after the last of the labor or services are performed or labor, materials or services are so furnished . . . .” 10 M.R.S. § 3255.

Finally, you may have other rights and remedies besides pursuing a mechanics lien.

Perhaps, but it depends on the facts. Maine law provides: “Whoever performs labor or furnishes labor or materials, . . . used in erecting, altering, moving or repairing a house, . . . by virtue of a contract with or by consent of the owner, has a lien thereon and on the land on which it stands and on any interest such owner has in the same, to secure payment thereof, with costs.” 10 M.R.S. § 3251.

It appears you meet the “performs labor” and “repairing a house” requirements, but was your labor performed “by virtue of a contract with or by consent of the owner”?

You should also be aware that, if you do not have a contract directly with the property owner, you must file/record any lien claim (called a Notice of Lien) in the registry of deeds for the county in which the property is located within 90 days of the date of last furnishing labor or materials.

Finally, you may have other rights and remedies besides pursuing a mechanics lien.

 If you are talking about only filing the statement required by 10 M.R.S. § 3253 with the York County Registry of Deeds, depending on how complex it is to prepare that statement, it should likely cost between approximately $1,000 and $1,500. No, the statement cannot be completed online but, once it is properly prepared and executed, the original can be sent to the Registry of Deeds for filing via an out of town law firm as long as the statement itself complies with the recording requirements of the York County Registry of Deeds and 10 M.R.S. § 3253, which provides as follows: 

 §3253. Dissolution unless claim filed 

1. Filing of claim. The lien under section 3252 is dissolved unless the claimant, within 90 days after ceasing to labor, furnish materials or perform services:  

A. Files in the office of the register of deeds in the county or registry district in which the building, wharf or
pier is situated a true statement of the amount due the claimant, with all just
credits given, together with a description of the property intended to be
covered by the lien sufficiently accurate to identify it and the names of the
owners, if known. The statement must be subscribed and sworn to by the person
claiming the lien, or by someone in the claimant's behalf, and recorded in a
book kept for that purpose by the register of deeds for the county or registry
district, who is entitled to the same fees as for recording mortgages; and 

B. Provides a copy of the statement under paragraph A to the owner or owners by ordinary mail. For purposes of this paragraph, a post office certificate of mailing the notice to the owner is
conclusive proof of receipt by the owner. 

2. Exemption for contract with owner. This section does not apply when the labor,
materials or services are furnished by a contract with the owner of the property affected.