You have been retained to perform services (i.e. plumbing, electric, etc) by a general contractor on a private or public project. You perform all the services required of you and pay for the labor, materials and other costs associated with the improvement. Despite this, the general contractor stiffs you by refusing to pay the monies owed. What do you do? Well, other than having the right to start a lawsuit to recover the monies owed under the theory of, among other things, breach of contract or unjust enrichment – you may want to consider your rights under the New York lien law and file a mechanics lien on the real property where the work has been performed. The New York trial attorneys of Bashian & Papantoniou can help guide you through this process. All prospective lienors have a limited time to file a notice of lien and should be aware of this when considering their options. For instance, for liens pertaining to single family residence and condominium apartment, a qualified individual or entity must file a mechanics lien before 120 days from the last date of service. For multifamily homes, residential apartment buildings, co-op and commercial buildings, a qualified individual or entity must file a lien before 8 months of the last date of service. To see if you have the right to file a lien upon real property or to pursue your legal claims in court, please contact the New York trial lawyers of Bashian & Papantoniou.