JEFFERSON CITY • A bill limiting the time in which an unpaid contractor can file a lien against a residential property was adopted Friday by the Missouri Legislature.
Rep. John Diehl, R-Town and Country, said the intent was to "protect homeowners from getting hit with surprise liens while they're having a barbecue in their new home."
Workers, contractors and suppliers who cannot get payment from builders or owners can file "mechanics liens" in court against real estate to obtain what they're owed.
Diehl said under current law, a contractor has six months from completing work to file the lien, which means many are filed after a property has been sold.
He said the new bill would require unpaid contractors to file notice of any dispute five days before a closing date, and all such payments would have to be settled to make closing possible.
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Diehl said an angry contractor still could sue a developer or previous owner after the new deadline.
Rep. Rachel Bringer, D-Palmyra, said the bill 'swings the pendulum too far in favor of developers... This will make it much easier for deadbeat developers to get out of paying rightful debts."
Both Diehl and Bringer are lawyers. The House, without amendment, adopted language already approved by the Senate and sent it to Gov. Jay Nixon for consideration.
