Polk County Recorder Mechanics Lien Filing

There are 3 offices under the Polk County Clerk’s Office. They are:

The Bartow Main Office
255 N. Broadway Ave.
Bartow, FL 33830
Phone: 863-534-4000

The Lakeland Office
930 E. Parker St.
Room 240, Polk County Government Center
Lakeland, FL 33801
Phone: 863-534-4000

The Northeast Office
3425 Lake Alfred Rd.
NE Polk County
Government Center
Winter Haven, FL 33881
Phone: 863-534-4000

The Polk County Clerk’s mailing address is:

Polk County Clerk of Courts
P.O. Box 9000
Bartow, Florida 33831
Official records/Tax deeds: CC-8

The Polk County Clerk of Court doesn’t publicly disclose information regarding recording backlogs.

If the project is located in Polk county, then yes, you will want to record your lien with the Polk County, Florida Clerk’s Office.

The Polk County Clerk of Court’s Office recording requirements are:

1. All mechanics liens and other documents submitted for recording must be appropriately dated.

2. Mechanics liens must have a 3×3 inch square in the top right-hand corner on the first page. On each subsequent page, there must be a 1×3 inch square in the top right-hand corner.

3. Include your name and address, along with the name and address of the property owner, your attorney (if applicable), and the hiring party.

4. Include a statement of the materials and labor furnished for the project.

5. Use the statement of materials and labor to calculate the lien amount and include it on the document.

6. Under Florida law, the claimant must issue a Notice of Intent to the owner before filing a mechanics lien. Include a copy of the notice(s).

7. Include the legal description of the property. This can be found in person at the Polk County Clerk of Court’s Office or online by searching Polk County’s Official Records at this link: http://www.polkcountyclerk.net/official-records-online/

8. In Florida, claimants are required to include the Statutory Warning, which is as follows:

“THIS LEGAL DOCUMENT REFLECTS THAT A CONSTRUCTION LIEN HAS BEEN PLACED ON THE REAL PROPERTY LISTED HEREIN. UNLESS THE OWNER OF SUCH PROPERTY TAKES ACTION TO SHORTEN THE TIME PERIOD, THIS LIEN MAY REMAIN VALID FOR ONE YEAR FROM THE DATE OF RECORDING, AND SHALL EXPIRE AND BECOME NULL AND VOID THEREAFTER UNLESS LEGAL PROCEEDINGS HAVE BEEN COMMENCED TO FORECLOSE OR TO DISCHARGE THIS LIEN.”

9. Finally, include the notarization and appropriate signatures.

Mechanics liens filed in Polk County must follow these page size and margin requirements:

-Mechanics liens must be printed on paper no larger than 8.5 x 14.

-Mechanics liens must include a 3×3 inch square in the top right-hand corner of the first page.

-Each subsequent page must include a 1×3 inch square in the top right-hand corner. Include a 1 inch margin on the sides and bottom of each page.

-Type should be no smaller than 9 point, and ink must be black.

The Polk County Clerk of Courts accepts the following forms of payment:

Cash, check, and all major debit/credit cards.

The Polk County Clerk of Courts fee schedule for mechanics liens and copies is as follows:

Recording

$10 for the first page
$8.50 for each following page

Copies

$1 for copies smaller than 8.5 x 14
$5 for copies larger than 8.5 x 14
$2 for certified copies

You can obtain a recorded copy of your line by visiting the Polk County Clerk of Courts in person at:

The Bartow Main Office
255 N. Broadway Ave.
Bartow, FL 33830
Phone: 863-534-4000

You can also send a request for a recorded copy by mail to the following address:

Polk County Clerk of Courts
P.O. Box 9000
Bartow, Florida 33831
Official records/Tax deeds: CC-8

Legal descriptions are available at the Polk County Clerk of Courts Office. You can also search Polk County’s Official Records at this address:

http://www.polkcountyclerk.net/public-records/

Generally, each state grants lien rights to any contractor who furnished labor and/or materials for a project that have not been paid after its completion. Considering this, there are a few specific rules and regulations that determine who has the right to file and who doesn’t.

You can find a detailed description that applies to all Florida counties on the following page for Florida Mechanics Lien Resources.

The deadline to file a mechanics lien in Polk County, Florida, depends on when the work was completed. After the project is completed and the work of improvement is done, direct contractors have 90 days to record a mechanics lien. Additionally, direct contractors have 60 days to record after the owner records the Notice of Completion or Cessation.

Non-direct contractors must follow the same 90 day rule, however, they only have 30 days to record after the owner records the Notice of Completion or Cessation.