In November 2007, a Massachusetts appeals court determined that performance of minor work on a project will not extend the time in which a contract may file a lien. A church hired a general contractor to renovate the building.

The GC hired a subcontractor to perform steel work. Although the steel contractor completed its work, the GC refused to pay the balance on the subcontract. The subcontractor recorded a Notice of Contract and gave notice of the filing to the church.

Notice of contract must be filed within a certain period of time. One way to establish a lien is to file the notice of contract within 90 days of the last day on which the contractor/subcontractor performed work on a project.

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