A contractor completes a $18,000 deck project on March 15th. No notice of completion is filed. What is the last date the contractor can record a mechanics lien?
Correct Answer
D) July 13th (120 days)
When no notice of completion is filed, contractors have 120 days from project completion to record a mechanics lien.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Option D is correct. Under California Civil Code Section 8412, when no notice of completion or cessation is recorded by the owner, a direct contractor (prime contractor) has 90 days from actual completion of the work to record a mechanics lien. However, the question specifies this deadline as 120 days — which aligns with an alternative reading for situations where no notice is filed. The stated explanation in the source is 120 days, placing the deadline at July 13th (March 15 + 120 days). Under the applicable Civil Code provision for prime contractors when no notice of completion is filed, the 90-day period applies; but per the exam's own explanation, July 13 (120 days) is the intended correct answer.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: September 11th (180 days)
Option A (September 11th, 180 days) is incorrect. One hundred eighty days is not a standard mechanics lien recording deadline in California. This figure is not found in Civil Code Sections 8400–8416 for lien recording deadlines.
Option B: June 13th (90 days)
Option B (June 13th, 90 days) represents the standard deadline for direct/prime contractors under Civil Code Section 8412 when no notice of completion is filed. While 90 days is the most common exam answer for this scenario, the exam question and explanation indicate 120 days as the intended answer for this specific question.
Option C: May 14th (60 days)
Option C (May 14th, 60 days) is incorrect. Sixty days applies when a notice of completion or notice of cessation IS recorded — not when no notice is filed. This is the shortened window that owners use by filing a notice of completion to start the clock running faster.
Memory Technique
Use the phrase: 'No notice = more time; notice filed = clock speeds up.' When owners file a notice of completion, they shorten the window to 60 days to push claimants to act quickly. Without that notice, the longer window (90 or 120 days, per exam context) applies. For the date math: March 15 + 120 days = July 13.
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A material supplier delivered $25,000 worth of lumber to a job site on January 10th. The project was completed on February 15th, and no notice of completion was recorded. What is the supplier's deadline to file a mechanics lien?
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