My customer broke contracted payment terms several times. He refused to sign a change order for additional work ALREADY PERFORMED after verbal agreement. I requested a change of payment terms and he refused to make payment. Customer reached out to my subcontractors and paid them directly to complete portions of my contract without my consent. I have HALTED ALL WORK untill new contract can be agreed upon and customer says they are hiring someone to finish the project.
Michael, I strongly recommend you not file a construction lien on your own without legal advice. That can result in making mistakes with your lien which put you in a bad position. You are entitled to lien for work performed for which you have not been paid. But there are so many ways to mess up a construction lien and, in a likely termination situation, you have to be careful not to hand the owner a get-out-of-jail-free card.
I will be candid and tell you situations like yours almost never end well. But by acting proactively and getting with a good construction lawyer, you can minimize the fallout.