Every year, state legislatures across the country pass new laws and revise old ones. In fact, these state legislatures often tinker with existing statutes that have been in place for many years and are working as intended. This year, the Connecticut legislature has raised a bill, Raised Bill No. 887, “An Act Concerning the Requirements for the Filing of a Mechanic’s Lien” (the “Act”), that may have an adverse effect on the construction industry through unintended consequences.
The Act would add a new requirement for a mechanic’s lien to be valid. Specifically, the Act states that the contractor performing the work must hold “the appropriate registration or license to perform the services.” On one hand, the Act has the valid purpose of discouraging unlicensed individuals from performing construction services. On the other hand, this revision to the mechanic’s lien laws would be duplicative of the laws and regulations pertaining to licensure already in place insofar as the existing laws and regulations prohibit certain work from being performed without a license. In addition, the mechanic’s lien statutes are not the best place to address this issue.
The mechanic’s lien laws were established in all fifty states to provide contractors and suppliers with recourse in the event of nonpayment for their labor,