Under Michigan's Construction Lien Act 497, a subcontractor must serve a Notice of Furnishing within how many days of first furnishing labor or materials?
Correct Answer
B) 20 days
Michigan Construction Lien Act 497 requires subcontractors to serve a Notice of Furnishing within 20 days of first furnishing labor or materials to preserve lien rights.
Why This Is the Correct Answer
Michigan Construction Lien Act 497 requires a subcontractor (or sub-subcontractor, supplier, or laborer who does not have a direct contract with the owner) to serve a Notice of Furnishing within 20 days of first furnishing labor or materials to the project. This preliminary notice is a prerequisite to preserving lien rights — without it, the subcontractor cannot file a valid construction lien.
Why the Other Options Are Wrong
Option A: 10 days
10 days is too short and does not correspond to any Michigan Construction Lien Act deadline. It may be confused with notice requirements under other states' lien laws, but Michigan specifically requires 20 days for the Notice of Furnishing.
Option C: 30 days
30 days is a common distractor because many states use 20–30 day windows for preliminary lien notices. Michigan's specific deadline is 20 days, not 30. Confusing these two numbers is one of the most common exam errors on Michigan lien law.
Option D: 45 days
45 days has no relevance to the Notice of Furnishing deadline. The 45-day period does appear in some contexts in lien law (such as certain notice-to-owner rules in other states), but not for Michigan's Notice of Furnishing requirement.
Memory Technique
20 days = 'Score your notice' (score = 20 in sports like darts). Within 20 days of starting work, score your position with a Notice of Furnishing, or you lose your lien rights.
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