Home>Levelset Community>Legal Help>I did roofing at one address for 5 days my pay was to be $120 a day I also did masonry at another address for 1 day at the same pay rate. The guy that hired me as a laborer has not paid me and keeps telling me to be patient. (Hes paid the other laborers who are hispanic but not me I am white if that makes a difference) I dont really understand how to go about this. I have the addresses so now do I look up the owner?
I did roofing at one address for 5 days my pay was to be $120 a day I also did masonry at another address for 1 day at the same pay rate. The guy that hired me as a laborer has not paid me and keeps telling me to be patient. (Hes paid the other laborers who are hispanic but not me I am white if that makes a difference) I dont really understand how to go about this. I have the addresses so now do I look up the owner?
That is my girlfriends number my phone is off because I have no money to pay it until this guy who hired me pays me!
1 reply
Jul 17, 2019
I'm sorry to hear you've had some payment problems here. Considering you're talking about addresses and ownership information, I'll assume you're contemplating a lien filing to recover payment. Let's look at some options for payment recovery - including a mechanics lien filing.
One option for payment recovery might be to merely warn or threaten a customer that a lien will be filed if payment isn't made. Certainly, it's a good idea to first discuss the matter with the nonpaying customer first - nonpayment could be the result of a simple misunderstanding. But, if necessary, showing the customer that a lien claim will be filed, if needed, can help to speed things along some. Plus, before a valid and enforceable mechanics lien can be filed, a Nevada claimant must generally send a Notice of Intent to Lien anyway. So, not only will a Notice of Intent help to show the gravity of the payment dispute, but if a lien will be pursued, one would be needed anyway. For more information about this document, here's a great resource: What Is a Notice of Intent to Lien and Should You Send One?
Regarding mechanics liens, liens are perhaps the most powerful tool available for payment recovery in the construction industry. When a lien claim is filed, the property owner's title is put in jeopardy - and that will often put the lien claimant's customer in hot water, too. Plus, pursuing a lien claim is cheaper and faster than pursuing a debt via traditional litigation. Of course, the requirements and deadlines surrounding lien claims are strict - so it's important to follow the necessary steps. For more information on Nevada mechanics lien requirements, here's a great resource: Nevada Mechanics Lien Overview.
As you hinted at above, in order to properly file a mechanics lien in Nevada, ownership information will be necessary. When a lien is filed through a third-party service, like Levelset, that service may be able to research the ownership information for the project. But this research can certainly be performed without professional help, too. Levelset has a helpful resource on that topic: How to Find the Property Owner on a Construction Project.
When contemplating a lien filing, there's one more consideration to keep in mind - the cost. The filing fees for filing a mechanics lien can vary from county to county, but no matter what, there will be some fees associated with filing a mechanics lien. Further, if a third-party filing service is used, that cost will rise. So, when deciding whether or not to file a lien, it's important to keep the cost in mind, particularly when recovering smaller amounts.