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What's the best time to submit a "notice of intent to lien" in the state of New York?

New YorkNotice of Intent to Lien

If a due date is not until 7/3/2020. But Level set wants to send a "Notice of Intent to Lien" is it best to send these before the due date or after the due date has passed? For example, New York.

2 replies

Jun 8, 2020
Since a Notice of Intent to Lien isn't required in the state of New York, this is ultimately a business decision. It's important, however, to keep your NY lien deadlines in mind. Which are 8 months from the last date of furnishing labor or materials to the project; or 4 months if a single-family residential project. Sending a Notice of Intent will not extend this deadline. However, the best practice is to send a notice after the payment becomes due. Sending the notice beforehand may be a little premature since the payment problem hasn't technically arisen yet since payment isn't due. It may come off as assuming that the party isn't going to pay. We do recommend a few steps before filing a lien claim.  Once payment becomes past due is to first send a friendly invoice reminder. If that doesn't work, escalate the issue by sending a payment demand letter. And lastly, if neither of those options produces the payment; then sending a notice of intent to lien stating that if payment isn't made within x amount of days, a lien will be filed against the property. Here are some other resources you may find helpful:
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Jun 17, 2020
New York isn't a state which requires a Notice of Intent to Lien before a lien claim can be filed. So, while a Notice of Intent can be really useful for forcing payment, a claimant is free to send one whenever they like (or to not send one at all). Obviously, for states where a Notice of Intent is required, the relevant deadlines should be followed.

When should a Notice of Intent to Lien be sent?

With that being said, a Notice of Intent to Lien should certainly be sent before the mechanics lien deadline. Generally, at the very least, a Notice of Intent should be sent with enough time to negotiate payment before a lien would have to be filed. Many claimants opt to send one with a minimum of 10 days before the lien deadline. However, if there's a serious payment dispute at hand, if the slow payment is creating problems, or if your customer is proving hard to work with, then sending a Notice of Intent to Lien earlier may be warranted. Ultimately, the timing is a business decision that every claimant will have to make themselves based on their customers, the relationships involved, and their appetite for risk. Finally, if you have questions about the Levelset platform, feel free to reach out to the Levelset Support team or to your account manager. Currently, the Expert Center is designed for construction law and construction payment questions in general.
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