Michigan Claim of Lien
Ninety days from your last day on the job. After that, the statute says the lien right ceases to exist — no extensions, no good excuses.
Important: Clear Path Document Services is a non-attorney document preparation service and cannot provide legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created. Read full disclaimer
Quick Answer
Under MCL 570.1111, the right of a contractor, subcontractor, laborer, or supplier to a Michigan construction lien ceases to exist unless a claim of lien is recorded within 90 days after the lien claimant's last furnishing of labor or material for the improvement, in the office of the register of deeds for each county where the property is located. The claim is valid only as to the real property described in it and located in the county where it was recorded. A copy of the claim of lien, with the recorded proof of service of the notice of furnishing where one was required, must also be served on the designee or the owner or lessee. Recording a lien does not by itself get you paid — enforcement is a separate court action with its own deadline. Clear Path prepares the document at your direction. We are not a law firm and cannot tell you whether you have a valid lien.
Who qualifies for this service?
This document preparation service is a fit for Michigan residents who match the criteria below. If your situation is different, contact us and we'll tell you whether we can help or whether you should speak with an attorney.
- General contractors with a direct contract who were not paid
- Subcontractors who served a notice of furnishing and remain unpaid
- Material suppliers owed for delivered materials
- Equipment providers who furnished to the improvement
- Laborers with unpaid wages on a project
- Anyone approaching the 90-day mark who needs the document prepared today
How the process works
Clear, predictable steps from intake to court-ready paperwork.
Send us the dates first
Last furnishing date, contract amount, payments received, and the property information.
Deadline review
We map your 90-day window before anything else so you know how much time is left.
Written quote
Flat preparation fee. County recording fees are separate. Nothing is purchased online.
Preparation
Claim of lien in the statutory form with the legal description, first and last furnishing dates, contract amount, payments, and balance.
Notarization
Lien claims are signed and notarized — we handle that at our office or by mobile notary.
Recording and service
We tell you which register of deeds, what the fee is, who must be served, and what proof to keep.
Paperwork we organize for you
Document preparation only. We do not represent you in court.
Documents and information you'll need
- Notice of commencement, if provided
- Legal description or parcel number for the property
- Your contract, proposal, purchase orders, and change orders
- Invoices and a statement of payments received
- First and last dates you furnished labor or materials
- Proof of service of your notice of furnishing, if one was required
- Owner, lessee, designee, and general contractor names and addresses
Common mistakes to avoid
Small errors can cost you weeks. Here's what we see most often.
- Counting 90 days from the invoice date instead of the last furnishing date.
- Doing a small warranty callback and assuming it restarted the clock. It generally does not.
- Using the street address instead of the legal description from the notice of commencement.
- Recording in the wrong county, or not recording in every county the property sits in.
- Inflating the amount with items that are not lienable.
- Recording it and never serving the designee, owner, or lessee.
- Recording and then forgetting the one-year enforcement deadline.
Local Michigan considerations
MCL 570.1111 requires recording within 90 days after the lien claimant's last furnishing, in the register of deeds for each county where the property is located, and the claim is valid only as to the property described and located in that county. MCL 570.1117 requires that proceedings to enforce a construction lien through foreclosure be brought no later than 1 year after the date the claim of lien was recorded, with a notice of lis pendens recorded when the action is filed. Whether a particular item is lienable, whether your last furnishing date is what you think it is, and whether a deadline has already run are legal questions — bring them to an attorney. We prepare the document from the facts and dates you give us.
Key Terms
- Claim of lien
- The recorded document asserting a construction lien against described real property for an unpaid balance.
- Last furnishing
- The final date the claimant provided labor or material for the improvement under their contract — the date the 90-day clock runs from.
- Register of deeds
- The county office where real property documents, including construction liens, are recorded.
- Lis pendens
- A recorded notice that a lawsuit affecting the property has been filed.
- Foreclosure of lien
- The court action that enforces a recorded construction lien, which must be started within one year of recording.
People Also Ask
Reviewed and updated by the Clear Path document team. Informational only — not legal advice.
Ready to get your paperwork started?
Start the guided intake, or call or text us — we review every matter before quoting a price, and nothing is purchased online.