Hello, my company is the GC, and we've finished work, with a signed contract and now the person is refusing to pay. I've already sent a Notice of Intent to Lien.
As a GC, you have 60 days from recordation of a Notice of Completion (NOC) to record a lien, or 90 days
after completion of the entire project if no NOC is recorded. You must file suit within 90 days of recording the lien.
If you are the direct contractor, or in other words, you have a contract directly with the project owner, your next step would be to record a mechanics lien. Your deadline to record a mechanics lien is the earlier of: (1) 90 days after completion of the project; or (2) 60 days after the owner records a notice of completion or cessation.