With an 85% adoption rate of PreLien2Lien Online (www.PL2L.com) by customers at the end of 2017, TRADITION SOFTWARE is upgrading and consolidating in January 2018 it’s web hosting infrastructure from facilities in Denver, CO and Los Angeles, CA to a single facility near our suburban Chicago headquarters. Corporate marketing websites for TRADITION SOFTWARE (www.TraditionSoftware.com) and TRADITION LIEN SERVICE (www.TraditionLienService.com) have already been moved. PreLien2Lien Online (www.PL2L.com) will be moved the weekend of January 19-21. MyLienCenter (www.MyLienCenter.com) and MyLienWaiver (www.MyLienWaiver.com) will be moved at a later date to be determined.

TRADITION SOFTWARE has also hired a new interim Software Development Manager, Jim Boyd, along with two (2) additional software development professionals, to replace Miriam Liskin, who retired in early December after eleven (11) years working for the company. She was the chief technical architect of the PreLien2Lien software redesign in 2007. Miriam co-designed along with myself MyLienCenter in 2009, and PreLien2Lien Online in 2016. Her work had a far reaching positive effect for so many people, whether it was helping thousands of companies in getting paid, or in the resulting jobs, benefits and paychecks for employees of TRADITION SOFTWARE. On a personal level, Miriam helped me with programming homework for Computer Science classes I took for professional development. She even taught my son Randall and daughter Lauren how to geocache at a company party on a hot California summer day. For everyone she has helped through the years, we wish her the best.

Legislators for the state of CALIFORNIA have enacted Senate Bill (SB) 2, Chapter 2.5 of the Statues of 2017 that will in effect increase by $75 the cost to record CALIFORNIA Mechanics Liens and Releases in all fifty-eight (58) counties in CALIFORNIA effective January 1, 2018. This is addition to the Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund Fees that range from $3.00 – $10.00 in certain counties PLUS each counties respective recording fees that range from $9.00 – $28.00.

According to Jaime T. Pailma, Division Manager, Document Recording Division for Los Angeles County’s Registrar-Recorder/Clerk’s Office, “….the bill imposes a mandate on County Recorders to charge an additional $75 at the time of recording every real estate instrument, paper, or notice required or permitted by law to be recorded, except those expressly exempted from payment of recording fees, per each transaction per parcel of real property, not to exceed $225.”

The Nevada County Clerk Recorder-Registrar of Voters, Gregory J. Diaz, notes that a waiver of the $75 fee “….shall not be imposed on any real estate instrument, paper, or notice recorded in connection with a transfer subject to the imposition of a documentary transfer tax as defined in Section 11911 of the Revenue and Taxation Code or on any real estate instrument, paper, or notice recorded with a transfer of real property that is a residential dwelling to an owner-occupier.”

For a listing of CALIFORNIA County Recorders with addresses and phone numbers to contact about the new law and price increase, you can visit our listing by counties at TraditionSoftware.com/county-assessors-clerks-recorders/california/.

Thirty percent of current customers using software as a service (SaaS) solution.

Companies aggressively converting to cloud based version.
In early 2016 our first online version of PreLien2Lien (www.pl2l.com/demo) was released for early adopters. Version 2.0 was released in July 2016, with a single screen data entry design users have greatly enjoyed. Currently two (2) companies per day on average are switching to the new version, with thirty (30) percent now using PreLien2Lien Online.

Companies are asking their employees to multitask.
People across multiple departments are sharing in the workload for simple sales, customer service, accounting and legal tasks. “Bob Smith”, Sales Manager, can logon to PreLien2Lien to enter basic information for a 1st notice. “Mary Jones”, Accounts Receivable Manager can logon and print a Conditional Waiver And Release Upon Progress notice to attach to an invoice to incentivize payment. And “Brandon Johnson”, Chief Legal Officer, can logon to PreLien2Lien to print a Construction Lien to record. Companies of various sizes can share one or more user licenses instead of installing software on multiple PC’s in multiple departments.

People increasingly don’t want to install software every year.
People are increasingly using their large cell phones for traditional computer business tasks. At times they are alternating from reading a book on a tablet to surfing the web. Someone could use their cell phone or tablet to enter project information into PreLien2Lien Online or even print notices to a Bluetooth enabled printer.

All data entry on one screen.
It was not that long ago that screen sizes and resolution prevented a large amount of data entry to occur on one screen. Now, monitors for desktop PC’s are large, cell phones and tablets let you magnify portions of a screen, and graphical user interface (GUI) design promotes ease of use on one screen so that there are not tabs to click for secondary data entry.

Annual subscription pricing remains the same for PreLien2Lien Online.
Unlike competitors who raise the cost of their subscriptions every year, PreLien2Lien has had only one small price increase in twelve (12) years. Annual Subscription pricing for PreLien2Lien Online will remain frozen at $220 (One-State), $275 (Regional) and $330 (USA). Customers who will not make the change to the cloud based version will see a $70- $80 price increase in 2018.

Redesign of software based PreLien2Lien will have data entry on one screen.
April will be our twelfth anniversary of acquiring PreLien2Lien from SIERRA PHOENIX. The tabbed data entry process has not changed much since the program’s original inception in 1996. But like the online version, the software based PreLien2Lien version will have a major (GUI) redesign that will eliminate the tabs in lieu of a single data entry screen design.

GENERAL PLUMBING SUPPLY COMPANY, headquartered in Walnut Creek, CA is a provider of plumbing, electrical, heating, air conditioning and commercial lighting equipment for residential and commercial applications.

The Sonora, CA location started using PreLien2Lien in 2005. Three (3) other locations later became TRADITION SOFTWARE PreLien2Lien-One State customer sites to print lien notices and waivers in California, including Walnut Creek, CA (2007), Brentwood, CA (2007) and Auburn, CA (2011).

Loyal, left competitive software solutions, using in multiple states, adopting online software.

Two hundred and thirty-four companies have been customers for eleven consecutive years.
During my two year tenure as a Vice President at PreLien2Lien’s main competitor, LienWriter, owned by GOLDENOMEGA.NET, my daily frustration was that there needed to be a better lien software solution. In March 2005 I completed the purchase of LienWriter’s direct competitor, SIERRA PHOENIX. Since then, in addition new customers being added each year, two hundred and thirty-four (234) companies across the U.S. have remained loyal annual subscribers. Our success comes from long time customers like BLAZONA CONCRETE CONSTRUCTION (West Sacramento, CA), CITY LIGHTING PRODUCTS (St. Louis, MO) and METAL SALES MANUFACTURING (Louisville, KY).

Thirty-five current customers were previous LienWriter customers.
History shows that LOTUS had a spreadsheet called 1-2-3 before MICROSOFT Excel. YAHOO was the leading internet search engine before GOOGLE. While LienWriter was the first lien software solution to market in 1996, thirty-five (35) current customers have switched from using LienWriter to PreLien2Lien. Companies such as BRISTOLITE DAYLIGHTING SYSTEMS (Santa Ana, CA), MEAD CLARK LUMBER (Santa Rosa, CA) and TNT EQUIPMENT (Columbus, OH, Dallas, TX) have all benefited from a software solution that is easier to use, more reliable, and most importantly, more legally compliant for about half the cost.

PreLien2Lien is used by companies in thirty-one states.
Construction lien laws are different on a state-by-state basis. PreLien2Lien has over 1,600 legal lien notices that are customized per the laws of each state. While a significant portion of our customers are in our home state of California, in thirty-one (31) states elsewhere companies such as WASTE CONNECTIONS (Clifton Park, NY), ROBERTS SAND (Tallahassee, FL) and SUBURBAN SHEET METAL (Kennedale, TX) are using the software for their state’s respective lien laws.

Twenty companies are lien services.
A lien service prepares construction lien notices potentially on behalf of hundreds companies as a professional document preparer. Our own TRADITION LIEN SERVICE division has used PreLien2Lien to mail and record notices for the benefit of three hundred and eighty (380) customers. Companies in Chicago, IL, Phoenix, AZ and San Diego, CA represent a portion of the twenty (20) lien service entities that use PreLien2Lien and it’s online portal, www.MyLienCenter.com.

Twelve companies switched recently to PreLienLien Online.
Our new software as a service (Saas) solution released in December 2015 for construction lien management is PreLien2Lien Online (www.PL2L.com). Current online customers including GB SYSTEMS (Kenmore, WA), PARCELL STEEL (Corona, CA), and WAREHOUSE PAINT (Auburn, CA) are enjoying the benefit of logging on from any computer, cell phone or tablet with an internet connection. They can then enter construction project information for printing 1st notices, waivers, warnings, bond claims, stop notices and lien claims.

CITY LIGHTING PRODUCTS, headquartered in St. Louis, MO is a provider of lighting solutions, both locally and nationally, to the construction and maintenance industries.

The St. Louis, MO location started using PreLien2Lien in 2003. Three (3) other locations later became TRADITION SOFTWARE PreLien2Lien-USA customer sites to print lien notices and waivers in multiple states, including Kansas City, MO (2006), Pittsburgh, PA (2006) and Denver, CO (2016).

TRADITION SOFTWARE, INC., a California based corporation located in Roseville, CA, announces that PreLien2Lien is now available online as a web based lien management solution (www.PL2LOnline.com) for customers.

For almost twenty (20) years, PreLien2Lien has been a leading PC based software solution for U.S. contractors, subcontractors, suppliers and companies providing services for state-by-state construction lien management. Now customers can enter construction project information online and print a variety of notices – 1st Notices, Warnings, Waivers, Bond and Lien Claims, Stop Notices and Releases from any computer, smart phone or tablet using a simple login and password combination.

With the new online version strictly being marketed initially to current PreLien2Lien customers who have Annual Subscriptions up for renewal in January 2016, companies in California, Texas and Washington have already signed up to use the new product. As users at those companies go to print a notice, they will see a state specific menu like the one for the state of Washington below.

Annual Subscription pricing for current customers will be $200 per year for the One State unlimited version and $100 for the Lite ten (10) project version. New customers can save $50 off the PC based version of PreLien2Lien, paying $299 for the first year. Lite customers can save $20, paying $129 for PreLien2LienOnline compared to $149 for the PC based version. Additional pricing options are available for customers who license the Regional and USA editions of PreLien2Lien.

There will be a free data upload of current PC, Terminal Server, Citrix or Server based PreLien2Lien data within one business day. As with all our Annual Subscriptions, free user training and technical support is available by phone at our toll free number (800) 886-8770 Monday – Friday, 8AM – 4PM PST.

Craig Altman, Founder and President of TRADITION SOFTWARE and Miriam Liskin, Software Development Manager, are the co-designers for PreLien2LienOnline (www.PL2LOnline.com).

TESCO CONTROLS, INC., Sacramento, CA is a full service system integrator and original equipment manufacturer specializing in the water / wastewater, traffic and electrical utility industries.

TESCO CONTROLS has been a TRADITION SOFTWARE PreLien2Lien-USA customer since 2006 to print lien notices and waivers in multiple states including CALIFORNIA. Their credit department had been using a competitive software solution before making the switch to PreLien2Lien.

Twice a week I like to go on a 4-mile run after work. I saw on multiple occasions a TESCO CONTROLS’ systems box alongside the sidewalk.

This photo was taken on Westbrook Boulevard in the Westpark area of west Roseville alongside LENNAR CORPORATION’s Carrington At Westpark new home community.

Effective January 1, 2015, pursuant to Senate Bill 1050, all CALIFORNIA county Recorder’s Offices will require the Notary Consumer Disclosure. This bill requires a legible notice at the top in an enclosed box, stating that the Acknowledgment, or or Jurat verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which the acknowledgment, or jurat is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of the document.

Documents such as a Mechanics Lien or Release of Mechanics Lien where the person appeared before a notary or other officer on or after January 1, 2015 must have this disclosure or will be rejected. Documents acknowledged before January 1, 2015 will be accepted for recording and must meet current applicable statue.

PreLien2Lien will have this new notary text change incorporated into the 18.12.01 version, slated to be released after Thanksgiving.

The state of MISSISSIPPI enacted new lien laws on April 11, 2014. Effective immediately, Subcontractors, Sub-Contractors and Material Suppliers who were unjustly denied construction lien rights in the past were finally awarded those rights like those that General Contractors in the state and contractors of all types in the other 49 states and the District Of Columbia were awarded previously.

Totally new for all contractors MISSISSIPPI Code § 85-7-409 (3) requires on single family construction a Pre-Lien Notice To Owner be sent by a lien claimant to the Owner ten (10) days in advance of recording a MISSISSIPPI Claim Of Lien.

Totally new lien waivers, copied almost word for word using the state of GEORGIA’s statutory lien waivers, take the place of the traditional Conditional Final or Progress and Unconditional Final or Progress waivers. MISSISSIPPI Code § 85-7-433 (1) mandates that a Interim Waiver And Release Upon Payment be used when a partial payment – not the final payment – is promised, or more preferably, received and deposited. If a Claim Of Lien is to be filed later, lien rights can only be for equipment, labor, materials or services provided after the date specified on an Interim Waiver And Release Upon Payment.

MISSISSIPPI Code § 85-7-433 (2) mandates that a Waiver And Release Upon Final Payment be used when a final payment is promised, or more preferably, received and deposited.

Finally, MISSISSIPPI Code § 85-7-419 mandates that a Affidavit Of Nonpayment be used within sixty (60) days of executing the Waiver And Release Upon Final Payment when a final payment is promised but not received, or a check received bounces. A Affidavit Of Nonpayment needs to be filed with the Clerk in the county where the project is located.

PreLien2Lien V.18.05.01 incorporates these new notices.