’Twas the night before the mechanic’s lien expired on the big fancy house;
The general contractor wasn’t stirring, the ungrateful louse.
In hopes that my payment soon would be there.
The construction loan mortgagee was all snug in its bed,
Certain that of all the lien claimants, its mortgage was ahead.
And I with my toolboxes packed snug in my truck,
Sighed at the thought I might be out of luck.
I figured I'd wait and hopefully find
That funds were still there at the end of the line,
When what to my inquiring eyes should appear?
An invoice from the excavator, evidencing land he did clear.
With an urgent call to my attorney, "run an O&E so quick,"
I knew in a heartbeat the bank would feel sick!
More rapid than coursers the O&E came,
And I whistled, and I shouted, and with joy I proclaimed…
"I'm prior, I'm before, I'm first, I'm superior!
And for that matter, so's the guy who put on the exterior."
And so with a nod of my counsel's wise head,
I knew straight away I had nothing to dread.
She spoke not a word, but went straight to her work,
And she filed and she served, then she turned with a jerk,
And I heard her exclaim as the lien claimed was paid,
Fear not, justice gets served, even if it is delayed!
About the Author
Shari A. Jacobus is a construction attorney with Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC. She can be reached at 952-941-4005 or sjacobus@hjlawfirm.com.
