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Mechanics Lien

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SEA

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? California

On August 26 it will be two years since I called a plumbing company and asked for someone to come out to repair a small water leak and to run a line to my refridgerator for the water/ice dispenser. The guy fixed the leak but did not complete the job of running the water line to my fridge. He said he did though. He told my husband it would take about an hour or so for the water to freeze before we could get ice from the dispenser. My husband wrote him a check and he left. We never did get ice OR water. I started calling the company telling them it did not work and they need to send the guy or someone else back out to fix it. I called at least ten times and I didn't get anywhere. No one returned my phones calls and no one came back out to fix the problem. Meanwhile I noticed on the invoice they had charged me tax on the labor. I notified the company they could not charge me tax on labor but that was ignored also. I even called the State Board of Equalization and they told me they could not charge tax on labor and if they did to let them know. On my last phone call to the plumbing company I told them if I did not get a phone call back and if I did not get someone back out to my house to fix this problem I would stop payment on the check. I did not hear from anyone so I stopped payment. About six to ten months later I got a bill. I ignored it because they did not finish the job. I may have recieved one more bill after that but I am not sure. Just a couple of days ago I recieved a letter in the mail saying they were going to put a mehcanics lien on my house if I did not pay this invoice. Can they do this? They did not finish the job. And hasn't the time ran out for them to file a mechanics lien? What should I do?
 
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seniorjudge

Senior Member
SEA said:
What is the name of your state? California

On August 26 it will be two years since I called a plumbing company and asked for someone to come out to repair a small water leak and to run a line to my refridgerator for the water/ice dispenser. The guy fixed the leak but did not complete the job of running the water line to my fridge. He said he did though. He told my husband it would take about an hour or so for the water to freeze before we could get ice from the dispenser. My husband wrote him a check and he left. We never did get ice OR water. I started calling the company telling them it did not work and they need to send the guy or someone else back out to fix it. I called at least ten times and I didn't get anywhere. No one returned my phones calls and no one came back out to fix the problem. Meanwhile I noticed on the invoice they had charged me tax on the labor. I notified the company they could not charge me tax on labor but that was ignored also. I even called the State Board of Equalization and they told me they could not charge tax on labor and if they did to let them know. On my last phone call to the plumbing company I told them if I did not get a phone call back and if I did not get someone back out to my house to fix this problem I would stop payment on the check. I did not hear from anyone so I stopped payment. About six to ten months later I got a bill. I ignored it because they did not finish the job. I may have recieved one more bill after that but I am not sure. Just a couple of days ago I recieved a letter in the mail saying they were going to put a mehcanics lien on my house if I did not pay this invoice. Can they do this? They did not finish the job. And hasn't the time ran out for them to file a mechanics lien? What should I do?

Did they give you a preliminary notice before they did the work?
 

SEA

Junior Member
No, they did not give me a preliminary notice. All they gave me was a bill when it was "supposedly" finished. I made sure I kept it to just in case this did turn out to be a problem.
 

acmb05

Senior Member
SEA said:
What is the name of your state? California

On August 26 it will be two years since I called a plumbing company and asked for someone to come out to repair a small water leak and to run a line to my refridgerator for the water/ice dispenser. The guy fixed the leak but did not complete the job of running the water line to my fridge. He said he did though. He told my husband it would take about an hour or so for the water to freeze before we could get ice from the dispenser. My husband wrote him a check and he left. We never did get ice OR water. I started calling the company telling them it did not work and they need to send the guy or someone else back out to fix it. I called at least ten times and I didn't get anywhere. No one returned my phones calls and no one came back out to fix the problem. Meanwhile I noticed on the invoice they had charged me tax on the labor. I notified the company they could not charge me tax on labor but that was ignored also. I even called the State Board of Equalization and they told me they could not charge tax on labor and if they did to let them know. On my last phone call to the plumbing company I told them if I did not get a phone call back and if I did not get someone back out to my house to fix this problem I would stop payment on the check. I did not hear from anyone so I stopped payment. About six to ten months later I got a bill. I ignored it because they did not finish the job. I may have recieved one more bill after that but I am not sure. Just a couple of days ago I recieved a letter in the mail saying they were going to put a mehcanics lien on my house if I did not pay this invoice. Can they do this? They did not finish the job. And hasn't the time ran out for them to file a mechanics lien? What should I do?
Pull the refridgerator out and unscrew the water line (turn water off first) then take out the little plastic plug thats on the end of the fridge connection. You sould have water in no time.
 

danville12

Junior Member
The plumber is bluffing.

He most likely has lost his lien rights by waiting 6 months. I would write him back and let him know that you are going to call another plumber out to fix his work. If he doen't reply call the other plumber and then send him a lletter with the other guys bill. You can also complain to the BBB, the state contractors board.
 

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