Massachusetts Notice of Identification Form
Download your Notice of Identification Form | Free Downloadable Template
Get help filing your Massachusetts Preliminary Notice
Notice of Identification to General Contractor Preliminary Notice of Identification may be sent by a lower tiered contractor (sub-subs, suppliers to subs, and lower tiers). If sent, the contractor preserves its right to lien the project with greater protections. The notice must be sent as statutorily required within 30 days of first furnishing labor and/or materials to the project. The notice should be sent to the prime contractor.
Rules and regulations for sending a Massachusetts Preliminary Notice
Those who do not contact with the property owner or prime contractor may deliver a Notice of Identification to the General Contractor. If this is delivered, greater lien rights are preserved. The notice must be delivered as statutorily required within 30 days from when labor and/or materials are first furnished. This deadline makes the end of that 30-day period.
After completing the Massachusetts Notice of Identification Form, you must deliver it to the appropriate parties required by statute. Notices are typically served on the property owner and, for sub-tier parties, the general contractor. However, depending on the type of notice, it can be helpful to send notices to anyone else who is in charge of your payment, like a lender or surety company on the project.
Others are asking about Massachusetts Preliminary Notice
When do I serve the other parties the Notice of Subcontract?
If this is a subcontractor's lien under G.L. c. 254 s. 4, you give notice to the owner that you have recorded the Notice of Contract after you record it.
Notice of Identification- THIS IS URGENT
A Notice of Indentification isn't required to have the right to file a MA mechanics lien, but it will greatly increase the amount of protection (i.e. value recoverable under your lien claim). We recommend that anyone who was hired by a subcontractor in Massachusetts to send this notice on every project.
A sub-sub's lien claim in Massachusetts is limited to the unpaid balance owed to the 1st tier sub at the time the subcontractor a Notice of Contract is filed. However, if the Notice of Identification is sent properly, and the subcontractor ultimately files a lien, the amount secured will be the amount owed to the GC.
So how does one "send a Notice of Identification properly?"
The notice must be sent to the GC and the owner by certified mail with return receipt requested, within 30 days of first furnishing labor or materials to the project.
- You can download a free MA Notice of Identification template here
- For more on the MA Notice of Identification, see: Massachusetts Preliminary Notices- All You Need to Know
What is the procedure to protect our ability to file a mechanics lien for nonpayment? Customer is a HOMEBUILDER.
Property sales during the project
Mechanics liens are available to those who have improved property and gone unpaid for their work. If you haven't improved the property yet, then filing a mechanics lien will likely result in an invalid, unenforceable, and potentially even fraudulent lien claim. If you're going unpaid later on in the project, and if you believe the property will soon be sold, it'd be wise to file a mechanics lien claim before the sale, if you've decided to file a mechanics lien at that point. That could reduce potential complexities with the claim. Even if that lien won't make its way into the title search, having the lien attach to the property before the sale will preserve that claim for payment and the lien will be effective. Note that if you've filed a mechanics lien and notified the current owner of the property, they'll have a responsibility to inform a purchaser of the lien claim. Finally, if the property is sold during the project and you end up having to file a mechanics lien at some point after the sale - a lien should still be on the table. If a new owner takes over the property but allows construction to continue, they'll be authorizing the continuation of the work and assuming the liability associated with being an owner of an active construction site. Granted, it couldn't hurt to consult with a local Massachusetts attorney for some clarity on potential complexities. You can find a Massachusetts lawyer here: Find a Massachusetts Construction Lawyer.Additional Massachusetts resources
For further discussion on Massachusetts notice and lien requirements, these articles will be useful: - Massachusetts Preliminary Notice Guide and FAQs - Massachusetts Mechanics Lien Guide and FAQs - How to File a Massachusetts Mechanics Lien – A Practical GuideView more Preliminary Notice Massachusetts questions
Other forms to use in Massachusetts
Massachusetts County Recorders
Looking to file/record a mechanics lien in Massachusetts? You'll need to get your Massachusetts mechanics lien filed and recorded with the county recorder in the county where the construction project is located. Here is a listing of all county recorders in Massachusetts. Click on any county to find more information about how to get your lien recorded in that county.
Barnstable
John F. Meade, Register
Barnstable, Massachusetts, 2630
phone: 508-362-7733
fax: 508-362-5065
Berkshire
334 Main St, Ste 2
Great Barrington, Massachusetts, 01230-1894
phone: 413-528-0146
fax: 413-528-6878
Dukes
81 Main St
Edgartown, Massachusetts, 2539
phone: (508) 627-4025
fax:
Essex
Shetland Park - 45 Congress St, Suite 4100
Salem, MA, Massachusetts, 1970
phone: 978-542-1700
fax:
Franklin
425 Main Street, PO Box 1495
Greenfield, Massachusetts, 01302-1495
phone: 413-772-0239
fax: 413-774-7150
Hampden
50 State Street
Springfield, Massachusetts, 1103
phone: 413-755-1722
fax: 413-731-8190
Middlesex
208 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2141
phone: (617) 679-6310
fax:
Nantucket
16 Broad Street
Nantucket, Massachusetts, 2554
phone: 508-228-7250
fax:
Norfolk
649 High Street
Dedham, Massachusetts, 2026
phone: 781-461-6101
fax: 781-326-4246
Plymouth
50 Obery Street
Plymouth, Massachusetts, 2360
phone: 508-830-9200
fax:
Suffolk
24 New Chardon Street
Boston, Massachusetts, 2114
phone: 617 788-6250
fax:
Worcester
90 Front Street
Worcester, Massachusetts, 1608
phone: (508) 798-7717
fax: