I had some renovation done at my home. I was referred to a general contractor by a party that explained that he would get a referral fee from any contractor that he referred to me, since he was bring them new business. I had not problem with that arrangement, provided that the referral was a valid one with a licensed contractor and the fee did not increase my cost, since the contractor would pay it. I was not aware of the terms of the referral fee, since I was not involved. Two months into the project, the contractor did not finish the project and I had overpaid the contract amount. The contractor never paid a referral fee. I then received an email from the unlicensed source of the referral citing his marketing company and demanding a 7.5% commission ( around $3,000) on the entire contract price from me, threatening to put liens on my property. I was surprised since I had never agreed to my payment of a referral fee, did not sign anything in writing agreeing to such fee, and had never heard of his company before. Despite his assurances, the contractor may not be properly licensed and I have had to spend additional moneys to correct his work. Question: Am I liable for this referral fee under Florida law, without an explicit contract, merely because I used the general contractor? Question: Would a referral fee qualify as a mechanics lien, even though only the referral was provided, no construction labor or materials? Question: Should I be retaining legal counsel now, given the threat, or wait for a lien notice?