Hi - A company is filing for a mechanics lien on our home. We are disputing $800 of a $9000 bill for cleanup serivce after a fire in california. I paid the $8200. I never received a 20 day preliminary notice and the only thing I signed was a service authorization form. It was a simple 1 pager , no mechanics lien warning. Is the lien going to be valid ? With no prelim. notice ? I saw there’s an exception that a prelim. Notice is not needed if there’s a direct contractural relationship with the owner. Does that apply in my case ?
Generally, yes, if you as the property owner have a direct contractual relationship with the lien claimant, then the preliminary notice exception applies. The contract can be written, oral or implied based on the underlying facts of the transaction.