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Am I allowed to file a lien on the property described below?

South Carolina

I updated a house for a family member who sold the house. I was to be paid once the closing proceeds were distributed. The family member now won't pay me. I am not a licensed contractor but I had several subcontractors perform work for me and I paid them personally. I also did a lot of work on the house myself and kept records of material and labor costs. I don't think I need to be a licensed contractor to perform "home improvements." I see myself as simply a laborer who helped a family member with repairs and expected to be paid after closing. I just want to know what legal rights I have to recoup my expenses through filing a mechanic's lien.

1 reply

May 28, 2020
You do fall under the licensing requirement (and, accordingly, are not legally entitled to payment), but you wouldn't prevail on a lien claim against the new owner anyway since the lien wasn't filed before the title changed. You would probably be best served trying a collection action in magistrate's court where the equities sometimes play a larger role than the black letter law.
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