A statutory lien imposed on property to secure payment for a person who furnishes labor or material to build or repair the property.
A typical situation involves a landowner who has a house built and pays the contractor, but the contractor neglects to pay subcontractors, laborers or suppliers. All these people can perfect a lien on the landowner’s property to secure payment of the money due them.
The landowner can protect himself/herself through procedures designed to find the potential lienholders and pay them directly or assure their payment.