Thoughts on construction law from Christopher G. Hill, Virginia construction lawyer, LEED AP, mediator, and member of the Virginia Legal Elite in Construction Law

Category Archives: Mechanic’s Liens

A Reminder to Get Your Contractor’s License in Virginia

A question I get often, particularly from construction contractors outside of Virginia is whether they need to get a Virginia contractor’s license.  The answer is almost invariably “yes.”  The next question is why?  The answer is almost always “Because state law says so.”  With some minor exceptions for material suppliers and the like, Virginia law

One More Mechanic’s Lien Number- the Number 30

I’ve spoken here often about the numbers 90 and 150 as they relate to Virginia mechanic’s liens.  These numbers are important for all mechanic’s liens in Virginia, whether commercial or residential (meaning liens for 1 and 2-family homes).  There is another number, 30, that is important for those construction contractors that perform work on single

A Quick Virginia Mechanic’s Lien Timing Refresher

As those who read Construction Law Musings on a regular basis know, mechanic’s liens are a big part of my construction law practice.  These tricky and strictly enforced statutory collection tools are very powerful when correctly recorded and utterly useless if they aren’t recorded in a timely fashion and with the correct information contained within

Motions to Dismiss, Limitations of Liability, and More

Remember BAE Sys. Ordnance Sys. V. Fluor Fed. Sols?  I examined that case on two occasions previously here at Construction Law Musings.  Previously the discussions were about the mix (or lack thereof) between fraud and contract and about how careful contract drafting is key. In the most recent opinion in this ongoing litigation from March

A Twist on Mechanic’s Liens and Bankruptcy

Originally posted 2010-11-08 11:28:52. We have discussed mechanic’s liens and their advantages relating to bankruptcy on several occasions here at Musings.  As I warmed up from a cold weekend of camping with my son’s Boy Scout troop, I remembered a recent case out of the Fairfax County, Virginia Circuit Court that provides an explanation of