A contractor completes work on March 15th but the property owner doesn't make final payment. Under Michigan's Construction Lien Act 497, what is the last day the contractor can record a lien claim?
Correct Answer
C) June 13th
Under Michigan's Construction Lien Act 497, a lien claim must be recorded within 90 days of completion. 90 days from March 15th is June 13th.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Michigan's Construction Lien Act (Act 497) requires a contractor to record a lien claim within 90 days of the last date labor or materials were furnished. Starting from March 15th and counting forward exactly 90 days: March has 31 days, so 16 remaining days in March after the 15th; April has 30 days; May has 31 days; and then into June. 16 (March) + 30 (April) + 31 (May) = 77 days, leaving 13 more days into June — arriving at June 13th. This is the correct deadline.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: July 15th
July 15th would represent approximately 122 days after March 15th — far beyond the 90-day statutory window. By July 15th, the lien right would have already expired under Act 497.
Option B: June 15th
June 15th is 92 days after March 15th, which exceeds the 90-day deadline by 2 days. The lien would already be time-barred if filed on June 15th. This answer results from rounding to a 'clean' date without precise counting.
Option D: July 13th
July 13th is approximately 120 days after March 15th — well beyond the 90-day filing window. This answer reflects confusion between the 90-day recording period and some other deadline.
Memory Technique
Use the finger-counting method for months (March=31, April=30, May=31) and subtract the starting date: (31-15) + 30 + 31 = 16 + 30 + 31 = 77 days through May 31. Remaining: 90 - 77 = 13 days into June = June 13th. Practice this arithmetic — it is a skill tested repeatedly on construction lien questions.
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