Lavaca County Recorder Mechanics Lien Filing

You can file your mechanics liens in person at Lavaca County Clerk’s office located at:

412 N. Texana
P.O. Box 326
Hallettsville, TX 77964

(361) 798-3612 phone
(361) 798-1610 fax

Office Hours:
Monday – Friday
8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Closed for Lunch
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

The Lavaca County Clerk does not publicly disclose information on recording backlog.

If the project is located in Lavaca county, then yes, you will want to record your lien with the Lavaca County, Texas Recorder’s office.

All documents must comply with Lavaca County Clerk’s recording requirements.

Every document concerning real property must have:

1) A heading at the top of the first page to identify the type or kind of legal paper it is
2) Names typed or printed under the signatures
3) Proper acknowledgment
4) An address for every grantee in documents conveying real property (Texas Property Code 11.003, eff. Jan. 1, 1982)

*Any document submitted for recording that does not meet these requirements can be sent back or recorded at twice the filing or recording fee. (LGC 191.007(h))

Documents to be filed must be original or a certified copy.

The margin requirements for filing a lien in Lavaca County are 2 inch margins at the top of the first page with .5 margins on all other sides. All other pages must have .5 inch margins on all sides. Your lien claim should be filed on Letter size 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Not following these margin and paper size requirements may invalidate your lien claim.

You can make credit card payments to Certified Payments online at:
https://www.certifiedpayments.net/

Use Bureau Code: 4528745

This web site only takes VISA, MASTERCARD, OR DISCOVER.
To make a payment by phone, call:
866-539-2020- press 1 for Customer Service
OR
866-549-1010- for automated system

Note that a 2.85% convenience fee with a $2.00 minimum will be charged.

The Lavaca County Clerk’s recording fee is $26.00 for the first page and $4.00 for each additional page.

Additional Recording Fees

Indexing Fee: $0.25 for each extra name after (5)

Lien Fees

Federal Tax Lien/Release of Lien: $31.00
State Tax Lien/ Release of: $16.00

Copy Fees:

Letter or Legal Size Copies: $1.00 per page
Certified Copies: $1.00 per page plus $5.00 for certification

You can obtain a recorded copy of your lien in person at Lavaca County Clerk’s office located at:

412 N. Texana
Hallettsville, TX 77964

(361) 798-3612 phone
(361) 798-1610 fax

Office Hours:
Monday – Friday
8:00 AM to 4:30 PM

Closed for Lunch
12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

You can also submit a written request by mail to:

P.O. Box 326
Hallettsville, TX 77964

by fax (361) 798-1610 or e-mail at countyclerk@co.lavaca.tx.us

Include the Book the record is located in along with the volume & page or file number. (example- ORB Vol. 1 Pg. 1)

Include name, date of request and contact information.

Copies must be paid for prior to issuance.

Copy fees are as follows:

Letter or Legal size copies: $1.00/ page
Ledger size copies: $1.50/ page
Certified Copies: $1.00/ page + $5.00 for Certification
Burning of CD (CD provided): $15.00
Burning of Hard Drive: $306.00

You can get the property’s legal description from the Lavaca County Clerk’s office in person.

You can also search for property legal descriptions online with the Lavaca County Appraisal District.

Determining if you have the right to file a lien in Lavaca County, Texas can be complicated. Texas has one of the most complex lien laws in the U.S. and filing a lien in Lavaca is no different. Generally, construction contractors who

1) furnish labor or materials
2) send all required documents before filing a lien, such as monthly notices
3) if a homestead, have a proper written contract
4) and meet any state deadlines and fees for your lien claim.

You can learn more about Mechanics Liens in Texas and more specific requirements for filing a lien overall in our step by step guide.

Yes, you will need to have sent a Texas Preliminary Notice (monthly notices) to be able to file a lien in Lavaca County, TX. Not sending the correct Texas Monthly Notice may result in an invalid lien claim at the time of filing with the Lavaca County Recorder / Assessor.