Ok, so that’s not what the letter — sent by certified mail, no less — actually said.
But, it’s not hard to see why my client thought that.
In fact, what they received was a subcontractor notice, commonly referred to as a prelien notice, informing them that the value of the goods and services that the contractor expected to provide (as part of an upcoming home renovation) was approximately $75,000.
Explanation
What caused the upset was that the contractor sent its notice to my client, who sold their home to a builder earlier this Spring, instead of the builder.
Why did the contractor do that?
Because the (overextended) builder hadn’t yet filed an updated deed with Hennepin County or paid the related deed transfer tax. See, “The Case of the AWOL New Owner.”
As a result, the contractor — which was obliged to notify the title owner of its right to file a property lien if it went unpaid, and was obviously pulling its information from the county — thought my client was still the owner.
Next Steps
Unfortunately, the misdirected prelien notice was only the latest in a series of snafus relating to the builder-buyer.
Besides reassuring my client (again) that they could disregard any and all such notices, I’ve made repeated trips to both City Hall and the County to advise them of the sale (and document same); and repeatedly contacted the builder and their agent to correct the situation.
Uggh!!
