Source: http://paulberninglaw.com/tools/california-mechanics-lien-forms
Timestamp: 2019-04-22 08:15:57+00:00

Document:
The mechanics lien, stop payment notice and payment bond forms below are provided as a public service and do not constitute legal advice or representation. Because these forms involve important financial issues, legal counsel should be consulted if there are any questions or doubts about the forms, their use or the rights and obligations arising from them. The forms may need to be customized or revised to fit particular circumstances. Use of these forms is governed by the Terms and Conditions for this website.
The text of these forms can be copied into documents by clicking and dragging to define the needed text, copying the define text and pasting it into a document.
on _________________,__________, at ____ __ m.
[Civil Code §8200 (e)(2) requires Direct Contractors – those in a direct contractual relationship with project owners – to give preliminary notice to construction lenders or reputed construction lenders.
[Civil Code §8118 requires that certain documentation from the U.S. Postal Service or Express Service Carrier be kept with the Proof of Notice Declaration. Generally, this includes of proof of payment for delivery plus a return receipt, delivery confirmation, signature confirmation, tracking record, other proof of delivery or attempted delivery, or other documentation showing delivery or attempted delivery of the notice. Notice and delivery requirements and procedures are set out at Civil Code §§8106, et seq. and must be carefully followed, including the address used for giving notice. Civil Code §8106 (c) provides that notice also may be given as provided in Code of Civil Procedure §415.20 for service of a summons and complaint. Legal counsel should be consulted if that method is to be used. Click here to access these statutes.
[Civil Code §9302 (b) requires that preliminary notices for California Department of General Services and California Department of Public Works projects be given to the disbursing officer for the department for which the Work is being constructed.
Civil Code §§8132, 8134, 8136 and 8138 provide for four kinds of releases for payments to general contractors, subcontractors and suppliers. Two deal with progress, or during-the-job, payments; two deal with final, or end-of-the-job, payments. Viewed from another perspective, two are conditional – they are effective only if the contractor is paid and the check clears the bank – and two are unqualified releases. Sections 8132, 8134, 8136 and 8138 provide the form of the releases and require that the form be substantially followed.
The progress payment releases are used during the construction project. Contractors (as well as subcontractors and suppliers) often are required to submit a signed conditional release with their pay applications. As the release states, it takes effect only when the contractor actually is paid. Thus, contractors may safely provide conditional releases with pay applications. Although a conditional release and proof of actual payment effectively constitute an unconditional release, many owners nevertheless seek unconditional releases. For one thing, this means owners do not have to match up conditional releases with proof of payment to have an effective release. Proper procedure is for the unconditional release to be submitted with the next pay request after the conditional release – and only if payment has been made. Thus, the April pay request for $1,000 would be accompanied by a conditional release in that amount. The May pay request for $1,100 would be accompanied by a conditional release in that amount plus an unconditional release for April's payment of $1,000 – if the payment check had cleared the bank.
Care must be taken in filling out the effective or "through" date of the release. The release should cover only the same period as the accompanying billing. Thus, if the owner is being billed for work through March 31, that date should be used as the through date for the release – even if the release is being signed on April 30. If April 30 were entered as the “through” date on the release, then the contractor might be deemed to have waived its rights to payment for work and materials provided in April – even though the contractor had not yet billed for them.
Also, the contractor must be aware of what the releases say is and is not being released. While the release excludes numerous items from its reach, it specially includes the cost of work and material provided pursuant to a fully executed change order unless specifically reserved in the release itself.
Owners need to be concerned with whether subcontractors, sub-subcontractors and suppliers are being paid by the general contractor or subcontractor to whom they are providing goods or services. Non-payment could render conditional releases ineffective.
In terms of conditional v. unconditional, the releases for final payments operate in the same manner as progress payment releases.
But, both final payment releases provide a location in which a contractor can exclude claims for disputed work from the release. Thus, if the contractor and owner have a dispute about extra work, the contractor can be paid for the undisputed amount owed, and the contractor can provide the owner with a release for the entire price of the project except the specific issues in dispute. If there are such disputes, the releases must be filled out with care.
Both the exact wording and the format of the lien releases are specified in the statutes.
Any participant in the construction process – owner, contractor, subcontractor, supplier, design professional – should consult legal counsel if it has any uncertainty about lien releases or other payment issues.
This document waives and releases lien, stop payment notice, and payment bond rights the claimant has for labor and service provided, and equipment and material delivered, to the customer on this job through the Through Date of this document. Rights based upon labor or service provided, or equipment or material delivered, pursuant to a written change order that has been fully executed by the parties prior to the date that this document is signed by the claimant, are waived and released by this document, unless listed as an Exception below. The claimant has received the following progress payment: $_________________.
Claimant [name] (“Claimant”) hereby claims a mechanics lien on the real property in [city], County of [county], California, commonly known as [street address if there is one; in any event, a description of the jobsite sufficient for identification] and more particularly described in Exhibit A to this Claim of Mechanic’s Lien [attach correct copy of legal description of property if it can be obtained; otherwise, delete reference to Exhibit A], owned or reputed to be owned by [name of owner], for the sum of $ [amount of lien], plus interest at the rate of [enter contractual interest rate, if any] percent per year or such other rate permitted by law from [date when payment was due], which is due and unpaid (after deducting all just credits and offsets) and consisting of labor, services, material and equipment furnished by Claimant and consisting of [general statement of the kind of work furnished]. Claimant was employed by or furnished the work to [person who hired you or with whom you have contract].
I am the Claimant’s agent authorized to make this verification on the Claimant’s behalf and the foregoing Claim of Lien is true of my own knowledge except for matters stated in it on the basis of my information or belief, and as to those matters, I believe it to be true.
[The Claim of Mechanics Lien must be served before it is recorded.
[Civil Code §8416 (c) and (d) require the lien claimant to obtain a certificate of mailing, postage prepaid, for the Claim of Mechanics Lien. It is advisable to use the Postal Service's Return Receipt Requested and delivery tracking services.
I am the Claimant’s agent authorized to make this verification on the Claimant’s behalf and the foregoing Stop Payment Notice is true of my own knowledge except for matters stated in it on the basis of my information or belief, and as to those matters, I believe it to be true.
[Civil Code §9354 (b) (1) requires that stop payment notices for state public works projects be served on the director of the department awarding the contract.

References: §8200
 §8118
 §8106
 §415
 §9302
 v. 
 §8416
 §9354