ANNOUNCER: I’m with Christian Jannetta from Cohen Highley Lawyers. Who Can Register a Construction Lien?
CHRISTIAN: Anyone who provides labour or materials to an improvement to a property has an automatic right to a construction lien against that property. A claim for lien can be made when such a party is not fully paid for their work.
ANNOUNCER: So, what qualifies as an improvement?
CHRISTIAN: An improvement is something that benefits or increases the value of land, such as construction, renovation, alteration, or demo. To qualify as an improvement, the project must be of a permanent nature.
ANNOUNCER: What impact does a lien have?
CHRISTIAN: A lien is a charge on the title of the property that secures any outstanding payments for work done on the improvement. It’s a powerful remedy. It will impact an owner’s ability to sell or refinance the property. And a successful lien claimant can ultimately apply to have the property sold and collect its account from the sale proceeds.
