Do you remember that place people used to visit to read books, research journals and publications and find a wealth of information? I believe folks used to call that place a library. And, if I’m not mistaken, visiting this wonderful place used to be completely free. You can learn more about this mysterious place on Wikipedia (ironically).
You may be surprised to learn that these libraries still exist, and in many cases, they actually use the offerings of technology to expand and diversify their offerings. This leads me to one such library, the Sacramento County Public Law Library.
The Sacramento County Law Library’s website is one of my favorite library websites out there, and particularly so because of the awesome resources it offers to the general public on California Mechanics Lien laws (on Twitter @saclawlibrarian). I have commented about the library’s resources in the past, but I revisited the site this week and noticed that things have improved.
The Mechanics Lien “Research Guide & Step-by-Step” page will give anyone a thorough eduction on the mechanics lien laws in California, from the state’s notice requirements to how a mechanics lien is actually recorded at a county recorder office. Really, a soup-to-nuts guide on the mechanics lien process, with more detailed discussions about mechanics lien law nuances available to those interested, such as the “California Mechanics’ Liens and Related Construction Remedies” guide, which is pretty comprehensive publication that will nearly make you a California mechanics lien law expert.
Now, with all this information available, the question becomes, how do you use it and do you really have time to digest all that information to properly prepare your own mechanics lien claim?
You may not have the time, actually. And, you may not even want to file the lien yourself. I’ve talked about this in the past too – why would you want to file your own lien when it will take time, be outside your wheelhouse, and cost you just about the same as using a service like Zlien? Take, for example, the lien filed by Hillside Lumber that we discussed in a recent blog post, when “doing it yourself” cost that company over $60k.
Nevertheless, there a huge benefit to the general public and construction outfits in particular when the mechanics lien rules are made comprehensible by public and private resources. While you may not want to file your own lien, there are huge benefits to understanding the process, so you can protect your rights, get the right information about every project, and monitor your lien deadlines. And kudos again to the Sacramento library, who leads the pack in providing this exact sort of information to the construction industry.
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