LIEN LAWS BY STATE
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Kansas Statutes

Prepared by: Craig R. Altman – President, TRADITION SOFTWARE, INC.

All contractors and suppliers must identify themselves in advance to the Owner on a new residential construction project by delivering to them a Notice Of Intent To Perform. On existing residential projects where a improvement is being made, Subcontractors must send a Warning Statement to the Owner prior to a Lien Statment being recoded.

General/Prime Contractors (Private Project): KANSAS Statutes Annotated § 60-1102 mandate that a General/Prime Contractor on a commercial or residential project must record a Lien Statement with the Clerk of the District Court in the county where a project you provided construction related equipment, labor, materials or services is located. It must be recorded within four (4) months after the last day of supplying equipment, labor, materials, labor or services to a project.

Subcontractors (Private Project): KANSAS Statutes Annotated § 60-1103 mandate that a Subcontractor on a commercial or residential project must record a Lien Statement with the Clerk of the District Court in the county where a project you provided construction related equipment, labor, materials or services is located. It must be recorded within three (3) months after the last day of supplying equipment, labor, materials, labor or services to a project.

CHAPTER 60 PROCEDURE, CIVIL

ARTICLE 11 LIENS FOR LABOR AND MATERIAL

60-1101 Liens of Contractors; Priority

60-1102 Filing and Recording of Lien Statement

60-1103 Liens of Subcontractors; Procedure; Recording and Notice, Owner’s Liability

60-1103a Subcontractors’ Liens; Improvement of Residential Property

60-1103b Subcontractors’ Liens; New Residential Property

60-1104 Assignment

60-1105 Limitations and Amendment

60-1106 Parties

60-1107 Stay of Proceedings

60-1108 Action by Landowner for Adjudication, Cancellation

60-1109 Pro Rata Distribution

KANSAS STATUTES

CHAPTER 60 PROCEDURE, CIVIL

ARTICLE 11 LIENS FOR LABOR AND MATERIAL

60-1101 Liens of Contractors; Priority

Any person furnishing labor, equipment, material, or supplies used or consumed for the improvement of real property, under a contract with the owner or with the trustee, agent or spouse of the owner, shall have a lien upon the property for the labor, equipment, material or supplies furnished, and for the cost of transporting the same. The lien shall be preferred to all other liens or encumbrances which are subsequent to the commencement of the furnishing of such labor, equipment, material or supplies at the site of the property subject to the lien. When two or more such contracts are entered into applicable to the same improvement, the liens of all claimants shall be similarly preferred to the date of the earliest unsatisfied lien of any of them.

60-1102 Filing and Recording of Lien Statement

(a) Filing. Any person claiming a lien on real property, under the provisions of K.S.A. 60-1101, and amendments thereto, shall file with the clerk of the district court of the county in which property is located, within four months after the date material, equipment or supplies, used or consumed was last furnished or last labor performed under the contract a verified statement showing:

(1) The name of the owner,

(2) the name and address sufficient for service of process of the claimant,

(3) a description of the real property,

(4) a reasonably itemized statement and the amount of the claim, but if the amount of the claim is evidenced by a written instrument, or if a promissory note has been given for the same, a copy thereof may be attached to the claim in lieu of the itemized statement.

(b) Recording. Immediately upon the receipt of such statement the clerk of the court shall index the lien in the general index by party names and file number.

60-1103 Liens of Subcontractors; Procedure, Recording and Notice, Owner’s Liability

(a) Procedure. Any supplier, subcontractor or other person furnishing labor, equipment, material or supplies, used or consumed at the site of the property subject to the lien, under an agreement with the contractor, subcontractor or owner contractor may obtain a lien for the amount due in the same manner and to the same extent as the original contractor except that:

(1) The lien statement must state the name of the contractor and be filed within three months after the date supplies, material or equipment was last furnished or labor performed by the claimant;

(2) if a warning statement is required to be given pursuant to K.S.A. 60-1103a, and amendments thereto, there shall be attached to the lien statement the affidavit of the supplier or subcontractor that such warning statement was properly given; and

(3) a notice of intent to perform, if required pursuant to K.S.A. 60-1103b, and amendments thereto, must have been filed as provided by that section.

(b) Owner contractor is defined as any person, firm or corporation who:

(1) Is the fee title owner of the real estate subject to the lien; and

(2) enters into contracts with more than one person, firm or corporation for labor, equipment, material or supplies used or consumed for the improvement of such real property.

(c) Recording and notice. When a lien is filed pursuant to this section, the clerk of the district court shall enter the filing in the general index. The claimant shall

(1) cause a copy of the lien statement to be served personally upon any one owner and any party obligated to pay the lien in the manner provided by K.S.A. 60-304, and amendments thereto, for the service of summons within the state, or by K.S.A. 60-308, and amendments thereto, for service outside of the state,

(2) mail a copy of the lien statement to any one owner of the property and to any party obligated to pay the same by restricted mail or

(3) if the address of any one owner or such party is unknown and cannot be ascertained with reasonable diligence, post a copy of the lien statement in a conspicuous place on the premises. The provisions of this subsection requiring that the claimant serve a copy of the lien statement shall be deemed to have been complied with, if it is proven that the person to be served actually received a copy of the lien statement.

(d) Rights and liability of owner. The owner of the real property shall not become liable for a greater amount than the owner has contracted to pay the original contractor, except for any payments to the contractor made:

(1) Prior to the expiration of the three-month period for filing lien claims, if no warning statement is required by K.S.A. 60-1103a, and amendments thereto; or

(2) subsequent to the date the owner received the warning statement, if a warning statement is required by K.S.A. 60-1103a, and amendments thereto.

The owner may discharge any lien filed under this section which the contractor fails to discharge and credit such payment against the amount due the contractor.

60-1103a Subcontractors’ Liens; Improvement of Residential Property

(a) As used in this section, “improvement of residential property” means:

(1) Improvement of a preexisting structure in which the owner resides at the time the claimant first furnishes labor, equipment, material or supplies and which is not used or intended for use as a residence for more than two families or for commercial purposes or improvement or construction of any addition, garage, fence, swimming pool, outbuilding or other improvement appurtenant to such a structure; or

(2) any construction upon real property which is

(A) owned or acquired by an individual at the time the claimant first furnishes labor, equipment, material or supplies;
(B) intended to become and does become the principal personal residence of that individual upon completion; and
(C) not used or intended for use as a residence for more than two families or for commercial purposes.

(b) A lien for the furnishing of labor, equipment, materials or supplies for the improvement of residential property may be claimed pursuant to K.S.A. 60-1103 and amendments thereto only if the claimant has:

(1) Mailed to any one of the owners of the property a warning statement conforming with this section; or

(2) in the claimant’s possession a copy of a statement signed and dated by any one owner of the property stating that the general contractor or the claimant had given the warning statement conforming with this section to one such owner of the property.

(c) The warning statement provided for by this section, to be effective, shall contain substantially the following statement:

“Notice to owner: (name of supplier or subcontractor) is a supplier or subcontractor providing materials or labor on Job No. ______ at (residence address) under an agreement with (name of contractor). Kansas law will allow this supplier or subcontractor to file a lien against your property for materials or labor not paid for by your contractor unless you have a waiver of lien signed by this supplier or subcontractor. If you receive a notice of filing of a lien statement by this supplier or subcontractor, you may withhold from your contractor the amount claimed until the dispute is settled.”

(d) The warning statement provided for by this section shall not be required if the claimant’s total claim does not exceed $250.

60-1103b Subcontractors’ Liens; New Residential Property

(a) As used in this section, “new residential property” means a new structure which is constructed for use as a residence and which is not used or intended for use as a residence for more than two families or for commercial purposes. “New residential property” does not include any improvement of a preexisting structure or construction of any addition, garage or outbuilding appurtenant to a preexisting structure.

(b) A lien for the furnishing of labor, equipment, materials or supplies for the construction of new residential property may be claimed pursuant to K.S.A. 60-1103 and amendments thereto after the passage of title to such new residential property to a good faith purchaser for value only if the claimant has filed a notice of intent to perform prior to the recording of the deed effecting passage of title to such new residential property. Such notice shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the district court of the county where the property is located.

(c) The notice of intent to perform and release thereof provided for in this section, to be effective, shall contain substantially the following statement, whichever is applicable:

NOTICE OF INTENT TO PERFORM
“I (name of supplier, subcontractor or contractor) of (address of supplier, subcontractor or contractor) do hereby give public notice that I am a supplier, subcontractor or contractor or other person providing materials or labor on property owned by _______________________ and having the legal description as follows:”

RELEASE OF NOTICE OF INTENT TO PERFORM NO. ______ AND WAIVER OF LIEN

“I __________________________ (name of supplier, subcontractor or contractor) of ________________________ (address of supplier, subcontractor or contractor) do hereby acknowledge that I filed notice of intent to perform no. ______ covering property owned by __________________________ (name of property owner) and having the legal description as follows:_________________________________________

In consideration of the sum of $______________, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, I hereby direct the clerk of the district court of ______________, Kansas to release the subject notice of intent to perform and do hereby waive and relinquish any statutory right to a lien for the furnishing of labor, equipment, materials or supplies to the above-described real estate under the statutes of the state of Kansas.”

(d) When any claimant who has filed a notice of intent to perform has been paid in full, such claimant shall be required to file in the office in which the notice of intent to perform was filed, and to pay any requisite filing fee, a release of such notice and waiver of lien which shall be executed by the claimant, shall identify the property as set forth in the notice of intent to perform, and state that it is the intention of the claimant to waive or relinquish any statutory right to a lien for the furnishing of labor or material to the property. Upon such filing, the notice of intent to perform previously filed by such claimant shall be of no further force or effect, and such claimant’s right to a lien under K.S.A. 60-1101 and 60-1103, and amendments thereto, shall be extinguished.

(e) Any owner of the real estate upon which a notice of intent to perform has been filed, or any owner’s heirs or assigns, or anyone acting for such owner, heirs or assigns, and after payment in full to the claimant, may make demand upon the claimant filing the notice of intent to perform, for the filing of a release of the notice and waiver of lien as provided for in subsection (d), unless the same has expired by virtue of the provisions set forth in subsection (f).

(f) Notwithstanding the requirements of subsections (d) and (e), a notice of intent to perform shall be of no further force or effect after the expiration of 18 months from the date of filing the same, unless within such time the claimant has filed a lien pursuant to K.S.A. 60-1101 and 60-1103, and amendments thereto.

60-1104 Assignment

All claims for liens and rights of action to recover therefore under this act shall be assignable so as to vest in the assignee all rights and remedies herein given, subject to all defenses thereto that might be made if such assignment had not been made. Where a statement has been filed and recorded as herein provided, such assignment may be made by filing with the clerk of the court a separate instrument in writing to be attached to the original lien.

60-1105 Limitations and Amendment

(a) Limitations. An action to foreclose a lien under this article shall be brought within one year from the time of filing the lien statement, but if a promissory note has been attached to the lien statement in lieu of an itemized statement, the action shall be commenced within one year from the maturity of said note.

(b) Amendment. Where action is brought to enforce a lien the lien statement may be amended by leave of the judge in furtherance of justice, except to increase the amount claimed.

60-1106 Parties

In such actions all persons whose liens are filed as herein provided, and other encumbrancers of record, shall be made parties, and issues shall be made and trials had as in other cases. Where such an action is brought by a subcontractor, or person other than the original contractor, such original contractor shall be made a party defendant, and shall at his or her own expense defend against the claim of every subcontractor, or other person claiming a lien under this article, and if he or she fails to make such defense the owner may make the same at the expense of such contractor; and until all such claims, costs and expenses are finally adjudicated, and defeated or satisfied, the owner shall be entitled to retain from the contractor the amount thereof, and such costs and expenses as he or she may be required to pay. If the sheriff of the county in which such action is pending shall make return that he or she is unable to find such original contractor, the court may proceed to adjudicate the liens upon the land and render judgment to enforce the same with costs.

60-1107 Stay of Proceedings

In any action to foreclose a lien under this article if the building or other improvement is still in course of construction, the judge on application of any party engaged in furnishing labor or materials for such building or improvement, may stay the trial thereof for a reasonable time to permit the filing of a lien statement by such party under the provisions of this act.

60-1108 Action by Landowner for Adjudication, Cancellation

If any lien or liens are filed under the provisions of this article and no action to foreclose any of such liens is commenced, the owner of the land may file such owner’s petition in the district court of the county in which such land is situated, making such lien claimants defendants therein, and praying for an adjudication of such lien or liens so claimed. If any such lien claimant shall fail to establish such claimant’s lien, the court may tax against such claimant the whole or such portion of the costs of such action as may be just. If no action to foreclose or adjudicate any lien filed under the provisions of this article shall be instituted within the time provided in subsection (a) of K.S.A. 60-1105, and amendments thereto, the lien shall be considered canceled by limitation of law.

60-1109 Pro Rata Distribution

If the proceeds of the sale be insufficient to pay all the claimants, then the court shall order them to be paid in proportion to the amount due each.