If I do work on a house and have not been paid how long do I have to file a lien against the homeowner before it comes invalid ?
You ask about deadlines to file and enforce a Mechanics Lien in Illinois. You do not specify whether you were a General or Subcontractor.
If you are a General Contractor, you have 2 years from the last day of work to foreclosue your claim in Court. To have priority over other claims against the property, you must file a proper notice within 4 months.
If you were a Subcontractor or Supplier, you must file notice of your claim not later than 90 days following the last day of work (60 days if the property was an owner-occupied home). Once filed, you sitll have 2 years from the last day of work to foreclose your Claim in Court.
Even assuming you file your claim in a proper and timely manner, the Owner(s) can compel you to foreclose in Court within 30 days by enclsoing a certain type of notice. So, there are many pitfals. I recommend sitting down with a knowledgable Attorney before taking further action.
I hope this information was helpful. Best of luck.