The main way it can help is....when the homeowner even gets a letter notifying him of the intention to place a lien on the property for unpaid labor and materials his next action is a loud call to the company that offered the installation (Directv, DISH, CATV company etc). So instead of a manager getting a call from a mumbling tech about threatening to sue your ass....the owner of the company (or the legal department) calls down the stream to make the customer happy again.
In the real world one of the terms of a large contract.....change the furnace in a factory for example.....includes a confessed lien in favor of the person doing the work as security for undertaking a major project. Sometimes this step is bypassed by bonding on both sides to protect both parties.
Some states will not even allow attempting to put a lien on property until some dollar amount or percentage is reached. These are way above what a satellite or cable install runs. Other states just allow it...and if the homeowner tries to sell he has to pay the lien before he can sell the property. This is called encumberment. It is not fast but it will work for large amounts. It takes time + will pay interest on the debt.
For small jobs like individual installations the court costs and legal fees are also much more than the amount owed by any one installation customer. The installation company is another story.
Joe
Re: liens
Member #: 66409
Registered: 2/26/2009
Posted:
991
Name:
joe diamond
Name:
Joe Diamond
Company:
phone & dtv contractor
Occupation:
installer
Location:
east MD
Personal:
late 70s
Experience:
~32 years
