A contractor completes work on March 15th but the owner refuses final payment. Under Alabama mechanics' lien law, what is the deadline to file the lien?
Correct Answer
D) July 14th (120 days)
Alabama mechanics' lien law requires liens to be filed within 120 days of completion of work or last furnishing of materials.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Alabama law requires mechanics' liens to be filed within 120 days of completion. Counting 120 days from March 15: March has 16 remaining days (15th to 31st), April = 30, May = 31, June = 30, July = 3 — totaling 120 days, placing the deadline on July 14th.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: May 14th (60 days)
May 14th represents only 60 days from March 15th, which is the deadline used in some other states. Alabama's 120-day rule gives contractors twice that long, so May 14th would cause a contractor to file unnecessarily early or mistakenly think they missed the window.
Option B: September 13th (180 days)
September 13th is 182 days from March 15th, roughly 6 months. This exceeds Alabama's 120-day filing window; a lien filed on September 13th would be untimely and unenforceable.
Option C: June 13th (90 days)
June 13th corresponds to approximately 90 days from March 15th — the deadline used by several neighboring states. Alabama's statutory period is 120 days, so June 13th would be 30 days too early to be the 'maximum' deadline.
Memory Technique
March 15 + 4 months = July 15, minus 1 day = July 14. Use the 'add 4 months, subtract 1 day' shortcut for any Alabama lien deadline question. Four months because 120 days ≈ 4 months.
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