Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 254 - Liens on Buildings and Land
Section 4 - Subcontractors; Written Contract; Notice; Filing; Form; Indirect Contractual Relationship; Notice of Identification

Section 4. Whoever furnishes labor, including subcontractor construction management services, or who furnishes material, or both labor and material, or furnishes rental equipment, appliances or tools, or who performs professional services, under a written contract with a contractor, or with a subcontractor of such contractor, may file or record in the registry of deeds for the county or district where such land lies a notice of his contract substantially in the following form:
Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a written contract dated , between ___ ___ contractor (or subcontractor) and ___ said ___ is to furnish or has furnished labor or material, or both labor and material, or is to furnish or has furnished rental equipment, appliances or tools, or is to perform or has performed professional services, in the erection, alteration, repair or removal of a building, structure or other improvement of real property by , contractor, for , owner, on a lot of land or other interest in real property described as follows:
(Insert description)
As of the date of this notice, an account of said contract is as follows:
1. contract price $______________ 2. agreed change orders $______________ (indicate whether addition or subtraction) 3. pending change orders: $______________ (indicate whether addition or subtraction) 4. disputed claims $______________ (indicate whether addition or subtraction) 5. payments received $______________
The regular mailing address of the party recording or filing this notice is as follows: .
Such person may file or record the notice of contract at any time after execution of the written contract whether or not the date for performance stated in such written contract has passed and whether or not the work under such contract has been performed, but not later than the earliest of: (i) sixty days after filing or recording the notice of substantial completion under section two A; or (ii) ninety days after filing or recording of the notice of termination under section two B; or (iii) ninety days after the last day a person entitled to enforce a lien under section two or anyone claiming by, through or under him performed or furnished labor or materials or both labor and materials to the project or furnished rental equipment, appliances or tools, or performed professional services.
Such notice may also be filed by a person or his assignee, agent, authorized representative or third party beneficiary to whom amounts are due or for whose benefit amounts are computed and due for or on the basis of the labor of that person performing labor under a written contract with a contractor, or with a subcontractor of such contractor and the person filing such notice shall not be required to itemize the amount of the contract, the amount of pending changes in the contract, the amount of outstanding claims or the amount paid in such notice.
Upon filing or recording a notice, as hereinbefore provided, and giving actual notice to the owner of such filing, the subcontractor shall have a lien upon such real property, land, building, structure or improvement owned by the party who entered into the original contract as appears of record at the time of such filing, to secure the payment of all labor and material and rental equipment, appliances or tools or professional services which he is to furnish or has furnished for the building or structure or other improvement, regardless of the amount stated in the notice of contract. Such lien shall not exceed the amount due or to become due under the original contract as of the date notice of the filing of the subcontract is given by the subcontractor to the owner.
If the person claiming a lien under this section has no direct contractual relationship with the original contractor, except for liens for labor by persons defined in section one of this chapter, the amount of such lien shall not exceed the amount due or to become due under the subcontract between the original contractor and the subcontractor whose work includes the work of the person claiming the lien as of the date such person files his notice of contract, unless the person claiming such lien has, within thirty days of commencement of his performance, given written notice of identification by certified mail return receipt requested to the original contractor in substantially the following form:
Notice of Identification
Notice is hereby given to , as contractor, that , as subcontractor/vendor/design professional, has entered into a written contract with ___ to furnish labor or materials, or labor and materials, or rental equipment, appliances or tools to, or to perform professional services for a certain construction project located at ___ (Street Address), ___ (Town or City), Massachusetts. The amount or estimated amount of said contract is $. (No amount need be stated for contracts for the rental of equipment, appliances or tools).
The amount stated in any such notice of identification shall not limit the amount of the lien. Any inaccuracy in the naming of the contractor or other information in such notice shall not affect its validity provided there shall be actual notice.

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