The lien right is generally gone — courts enforce these deadlines strictly, and "I didn't know" or "we were still negotiating" almost never revives a lapsed window. You become an ordinary unsecured creditor: you can still sue on the contract, chase the debt in collections, or negotiate, but you've lost the leverage that made owners and lenders take you seriously.
You may still have options: a payment-bond claim if the project was bonded, a prompt-payment-act claim, or a breach-of-contract suit. But each has its own deadline. The fix is boring and absolute: calendar every date the moment a project starts — or let software watch the clock for you.
General education, not legal advice — lien law is state-specific and changes. For your state's exact windows, use the free deadline calculator; for anything contested, talk to a construction attorney.
Free 50-state deadline calculators, a free license-renewal lookup, and an agent that watches every date and drafts the notices — from $29/mo, 50% off for a year with FOUNDING50.
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