Missouri Mechanics Lien Form
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Get help filing your Missouri Mechanics Lien
The construction or mechanics lien, known in Missouri as a Claim of Lien or Mechanics Lien Statement, and is filed on private construction jobs. Construction liens are available to parties who have performed labor or provided materials to a jobsite, and have not been paid.
Fill out the form on the right to download your Missouri Mechanics Lien Form. Use this form to file a lien in Missouri.
Rules and regulations for sending a Missouri Mechanics Lien
In Missouri, mechanic liens must be filed within 6 months from the last furnishing of labor and/or materials to a project. This deadline marks the end of that 6 month period on your project.
After completing the Missouri Mechanics Lien Form, you must deliver it to the appropriate parties required by statute. Notices are typically served on the property owner and, for sub-tier parties, the general contractor. However, depending on the type of notice, it can be helpful to send notices to anyone else who is in charge of your payment, like a lender or surety company on the project.
Others are asking about Missouri Mechanics Lien
Property owner refuses to pay. What are my options?
Certainly, pursuing a mechanics lien is one of the best ways to force payment. But, as you may know, there are certain notices required prior to a lien filing. Granted, sending those notices could show the customer that you mean business and are prepared to do what it takes to get paid. So, even just by going through the standard notice steps, that could push a customer to pay what's owed.
Since it looks like you tagged this question with "Mechanics Lien" and "Notice of Intent to Lien," let's first look at some mechanics lien and preliminary notice tools first. Then, I'll share a few other options.
Pursuing a debt via mechanics liens and required notices
In Missouri, a GC must provide the owner a Notice to Owner in order to preserve their right to file a lien. The notice must be given before payment is received. So, if additional work was done on a separate contract (be that written or oral), and if payment hasn't been made for that work, then presumably there's time to send an effective Notice to Owner. The notice has some statutory language that's in all caps and reads a little scary, so it's possible the notice, itself, could lead to payment. More on MO's notice requirements, including the Notice to Owner, here: Missouri Preliminary Notice FAQs.
A Missouri Notice of Intent to Lien is required by most MO lien claimants, but GC's hired directly by the owner won't need to send one. However, regardless of what's required, sending a Notice of Intent to Lien can be a great tool for forcing payment. It acts as a warning shot, letting recipients know that if payment isn't made and made soon, a mechanics lien will be filed. More on that here: What is A Notice of Intent to Lien And Should I Send One?
If this happens to be a residential project, and if the property owner has recorded a document called a "Notice of Intended Sale," then lien claimants must file an additional notice document called a "Notice of Lien Rights." This has to be done at least 5 days before the property is transferred to a buyer, so if you've worked on a residential property you think might be sold soon, it could be a good idea to get a Notice of Lien Rights filed. Plus, the document would likely make it harder to sell the property without first having the notice removed from the property title - even if a lien filing hasn't actually been done. For an example of what that form looks like: Missouri Notice of Rights Form.
Finally, there are lots of ways a mechanics lien could lead to payment, as Leveset discusses here: How Do Mechanics Liens Work? 17 Ways a Lien Gets You Paid. Missouri mechanics liens are due within 6 months of the last furnishing date on the project, which leaves a lot of time for sending notices and negotiating payment. But, sometimes, a lien will be necessary. For more on Missouri's lien rules: (1) Missouri Mechanics Lien Guide and FAQs; and (2) How to File a Missouri Mechanics Lien.
Other options for payment recovery
Even if mechanics liens aren't on the table of some reason, there are other payment recovery tools that can be effective. For one, sending a payment reminder that enables electronic payment could make it extremely easy to pay, which could be enough to get paid. Or, sending a payment demand letter (perhaps with the help of an attorney) could show the customer you mean business by threatening legal action.
Pursuing claims in small claims court (like breach of contract, prompt payment claims, etc.) could force payment as well. And, if it's a larger some, pursuing traditional litigation could force their hand as well. And again, simply threatening legal action will often help to move negotiations along.
In deciding how to force payment, note that the advice of an attorney could be valuable. Levelset offers Legal Guard which provides easy access to Missouri construction lawyers. Plus, you can always contact a firm via Levelset's Missouri construction lawyer directory: Top Missouri Construction Law Firms.
What are the Lien laws/rules for the state of MO. How much time do i have to file a lien after last day worked on site?
On the State of Missouri form am I as the one filing against the Ownwe am I Th"Grantor" or the "Grantee"?
Under Missouri's mechanics lien laws , "owners shall be deemed grantors, and claimants shall be deemed grantees." Thus, if you're the filing party/claimant, your information should be provided as the "grantee."
- For a full breakdown of the lien process in Missouri, see: How to File a Missouri Mechanics Lien
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Other forms to use in Missouri
Missouri County Recorders
Looking to file/record a mechanics lien in Missouri? You'll need to get your Missouri mechanics lien filed and recorded with the county recorder in the county where the construction project is located. Here is a listing of all county recorders in Missouri. Click on any county to find more information about how to get your lien recorded in that county.
Adair
106 W. Washington St. 3rd Floor
Kirksville, Missouri, 63501
phone: 660-665-2552
fax:
Andrew
411 Court Street
Savannah, Missouri, 64485
phone: 816-324-4221
fax:
Boone
705 East Walnut St
Columbia, Missouri, 65201
phone: (573) 886-4000
fax:
Camden
1 Court Circle, Suite 13
Camdenton, Missouri, 65020
phone: (573) 346-2243
fax:
Cape Girardeau
44 N Lorimier St
Cape Girardeau, Missouri, 63701
phone: (573) 335-8253
fax:
Cass
2501 W. Mechanic Street, 1st Floor
Harrisonville, Missouri, 64701
phone: 816-380-8233
fax:
Chariton
306 S Cherry St
Keytesville, Missouri, 65261
phone: N/A
fax:
Clay
11 South Water Street
Liberty, Missouri, 64068
phone: 816-407-3850
fax:
Cole
301 E High Street Rm 305
Jefferson City, Missouri, 65101
phone: 573-634-9150
fax:
Greene
1010 N Boonville Ave
Springfield, Missouri, 65802
phone: (417) 868-4074
fax:
Jackson
308 W Kansas Ave
Independence, Missouri, 64050
phone: 8168811710
fax:
Jasper
601 S. Pearl Avenue
Joplin, Missouri, 64801
phone: (417) 358-0441
fax:
Jefferson
300 Main St
Hillsboro, Missouri, 63050
phone: 636-797-5060
fax:
Macon
101 E Washington St # 1
Macon, Missouri, 63552
phone: (660) 385-4631
fax:
Pettis
415 South Ohio Ave Suite 106
Sedalia, Missouri, 65301
phone: 660-826-5000 ext 922
fax:
Platte
415 3rd Street, Suite 5
Platte City, Missouri, 64079
phone: (816) 858-3326
fax:
Ralls
311 South Main Street
New London, Missouri, 63459
phone: 573-985-5631
fax:
Saint Charles
300 north Street ste 216
st charles, Missouri, 63301
phone: 636-949-7900 extension 7741
fax:
Saint Francois
1 W Liberty St, Suite 100
Farmington, Missouri, 63640
phone: 573-756-3623
fax:
Saint Louis City
10 N. Tucker Blvd.
City of St. Louis, Missouri, 63101
phone: 314-622-4903
fax:
Saline
19 E Arrow
Marshall, Missouri, 65340
phone: (660) 886-2300
fax:
St Louis
41 South Central Avenue
Clayton, Missouri, 63105
phone: (314) 615-7100
fax: 3146152671
Stoddard
403 South Prairie
Bloomfield, Missouri, 63825
phone: (573) 568-4640
fax:
Taney
266 Main Street
Forsyth, Missouri, 65653
phone: (417) 546-7230
fax:
Vernon
100 W. Cherry, Suite 15
Nevada, Missouri, 64772
phone: 4174482525
fax:
Warren
104 West Main St
Warrenton, MO, Missouri, 63383
phone: 636-456-3363
fax: 636-456-2422