We had process a lien and we haven't got paid, we need to move forward what is the next step to proceed.
We have not being contact by the property owner, and we will like to collect payment. We need assistance in how to proceed.
1 reply
Oct 3, 2017
Hi, that's a great question. If you have received no response from filing a lien (and presumably serving the lien on the property owner) there are a couple steps you can take next.
If you don't want to proceed directly to an enforcement/foreclosure lawsuit - which you can - you may send the owner a notice of your intention to initiate a foreclosure lawsuit. This document, while not required, lets the property owner know that you are serious, will start a lawsuit, and that s/he could even lose their property as a result.
Keep in mind, however, that there is a strict time limit in which your lien remains valid and enforceable. In Illinois the deadline to initiate an enforcement action is 2 years from the date the work was completed, which provides a relatively long time to attempt to get paid prior to taking that step. A lien foreclosure/enforcement suit is a full-blown lawsuit, and you will likely want to enlist a lawyer to represent you there.