A subcontractor completes electrical work valued at $6,200 on May 20th but is not paid. Under Tennessee lien law, what is the deadline for filing a lien if no preliminary notice was given?
Correct Answer
A) No lien rights without preliminary notice
Tennessee lien law requires preliminary notice for work exceeding $3,000. Without proper preliminary notice, lien rights are forfeited.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Tennessee lien law (TCA 66-11) requires subcontractors and materialmen whose work or materials exceed $3,000 to serve a preliminary notice on the owner and prime contractor before lien rights attach. The $6,200 electrical work exceeds the $3,000 threshold, so without the required preliminary notice, all lien rights are forfeited — there is no deadline because there is no right to file.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option B: May 20th of the following year
One year from completion (May 20th of the following year) is not a valid lien filing window in this scenario. Without preliminary notice, there is no extended waiting period that preserves rights.
Option C: November 18th (180 days)
180 days (November 18th) is not a standard Tennessee lien filing deadline for subcontractors; this figure may be confused with other notice periods or other states' lien laws.
Option D: August 18th (90 days)
90 days (August 18th) is sometimes the deadline for filing a lien after last furnishing labor or materials in Tennessee for prime contractors, but it does not apply to subcontractors who failed to serve preliminary notice.
Memory Technique
In Tennessee: No notice = No lien (for work over $3,000). Preliminary notice is the 'key that unlocks' lien rights. Without the key, no door opens — not in 90 days, not in 180 days, not ever.
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