Mechanic’s Liens

One of the most frustrating things in life is putting your time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears into improving someone's property, and then to have your work underappreciated, and on top of that, not to get paid. You may even have laid out significant money for supplies and paid your subcontractors.

If you find yourself in that boat, if you act in a timely fashion, you have a powerful remedy under the law - the Mechanic's Lien.

The Mechanic's Lien is based on the premise that you have made an improvement to someone's real estate, and until you are compensated, NY Mechanic's Lien Law gives you an interest in that real property.

But it's not automatic. You have to act in a timely fashion, and you must perfect your lien using a very precise proscribed set of steps. One misstep and your lien will be forfeited. What's more, you have to stay on top of it and renew it yearly, if you still haven't been paid.

The Long Island Mechanic's Lien Practice of Akiva Shapiro Law can help you determine if you qualify for a Mechanic's Lien and can help you perfect your lien and stay on top of it.

Akiva Shapiro gets to know the details of your case personally. Sometimes it's an arm's length deal you're in, and sometimes you have a closer relationship with the client. Akiva Shapiro will get to know the sensitivities of your specific situation and will craft a negotiation strategy with you that takes into account those sensitivities, but also ensures that your rights are protected.

Has this happened to you? Maybe you hired a contractor to do some work, and he completely botched the job, so you decided not to pay him and he filed a Mechanic's Lien on your property? Or maybe you paid your contractor and he didn't pay one of the subcontractors, and the subcontractor filed a Mechanic's Lien on your property?

Just because a Mechanic's Lien was filed on your property doesn't mean you don't have rights and it doesn't mean you don't have recourse.

At the Long Island Mechanic's Lien Practice of Akiva Shapiro Law, we bring to you many strategies to deal with and remove a Mechanic's Lien. For instance, if the contractor didn't do the right job, he may be liable for Breach of Contract. The contractor is liable to you for the cost of doing the job right. Or, perhaps the Mechanic's Lien wasn't properly filed. In such a situation, you have a right to petition the court to have it removed.

Akiva Shapiro takes the time to get to know your situation and your relationship with the contractor. He will work with you to come up with a strategy that is designed to achieve your goals, and to negotiate or litigate to lift the Mechanic's lien from your property.