Legal Blog

Delaware To Amend Mechanic’s Lien Law To Allow Liens For Engineering And Surveying Work

As a general proposition, mechanic’s lien laws are designed to protect the economic interest a party has when it physically installs work into a construction project.  Conceptually, it is a way to protect the party providing labor and materials that add value to a piece of property by being incorporated into the real estate.  This baseline traditionally resulted in contractors and subcontractors being the claimants.  Interestingly, Delaware also allowed for an architect to file a lien for services rendered – but only an architect.

 

House Bill 423 seeks to enlarge the reach of the lien law to include work by certain other design professionals as part of a mechanic’s lien claim.  The bill, sponsored by Representatives Baumbach, Sokola, and Lavelle, would amend the section entitled “Persons entitled to obtain a lien” to include engineers and surveyors.  Perhaps more importantly, however, the revised statute would place conditions on the ability of design professionals to file a lien.  This would include architects.

 

Under the new lien law, only the 3 described categories of design professional would be eligible to file a lien; and in order to do so, the work to which the design professional’s services relate must actually be built, the authority having jurisdiction must approve the plans or survey, or the plans or survey must be recorded with the Recorder of Deeds.

 

This bill would significantly change the reach of the mechanic’s lien law in Delaware by expanding  it reach for design services.  It has not yet passed, but we will monitor the situation and report back on the bill’s status.

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If you have any questions on this or other construction issues, please contact me at jquinter@offitkurman.com.

 

ABOUT JOSHUA QUINTER

jquinter@offitkurman.com |484.531.1701

Josh Quinter is a commercial litigation and business planning lawyer with a focus on construction law. Mr. Quinter actively works with his clients in the areas of business planning, contract negotiation and project consulting, risk management and dispute resolution, and litigation. His client service and professionalism have earned him the distinction of being named a Pennsylvania Super Lawyer, a Lawyer on the Fast Track, and a Rising Star.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABOUT OFFIT KURMAN

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