What is a 20-day preliminary lien notice?
A 20-day preliminary lien notice is a notice sent to you by anyone who helps improve your property (labor or material supplier). As they do not have a contract directly with you, it is their way of protecting themselves to ensure that they are paid. If not paid, they may record what is called a mechanics’ lien on your property. A mechanics’ lien is a claim, like a mortgage or home equity loan, made against your property and recorded with the county recorder. Your prime contractor will not send you a 20-day preliminary lien notice as they have an existing contract with you and the law assumes that you already know that they are improving your property. As the name suggests they may send you a notice up to 20 days after improving your property. A 20-day preliminary lien notice must, by California Contractor Law be sent to you after a sub-contractor or material supplier makes an improvement to your property. Therefore receiving a notice should not be interpreted as receiving a lien, but s
