C14 - Sunday, April 15, 1984 - North Shore News The builders’ Lien Act IF YOU ARE adding to your home — building an extra room, a sundeck or installing a skylight, for example — and someone else 1s doing the work, you should be aware ot a long and complicated piece of legislation known as The Builders’ Lien Act The Act provides protec: von for contractors by allow- ing them to place a len on the property they are working on to cover the amount owed for the work A hen, which can be described as a charge, secur- ty or encumbrance on pro- perty, can be for no less than $20 and usually cannot ex- ceed the contract price. The exception is that the hen can be the equivalent of sia weeks’ wages, regardless of the contract price) No lien is effecuve until it is registered against the property in a land title of fice The Act is peculiar in that tf a husband signs a contract i a 3 CANADA Nu 1 Woodward's Butter ey “ad asult 3 lb. per custom... ee yg peoobae dt be BL eae etary Fiesta ice Crean, 87 Nabob Coffe towttart ene Add g Yr “aN | for work on property owned by his wife, the husband 15 deemed to be the agent for the wife and she is liable for the amount of the contract. Therefore, a contractor may place a hen on the property However, if the wife signs the contract tor work on proper- ty owned by the husband, the husband 1s not hable and his property cannot be subject to a lien. It someone other than the owner of the property signs the contract, the owner is not hable for the work. However, if the owner knows about the work and doesn’t intervene, then he is lable and a hen can be placed against the property. The Act also requires the owner to hold back payment of 15 per cent of the contract price for 40 days after com- pletion of the job to try to en- sure that workmen and sub- contractors have been paid. If these people have not been paid, the money withheld can be used to pay them after the owner checks with the land ti- tle office to be sure no lien has been registered against his property If the owner pays the con- tract infull,does not withhold 18 per cent and a lien 1s subsequently registered, the owner may be forced to pay an additional 15 per cent of the contract price The contractor, subcon- tractor or workman wishing to file a lien also has obliga- tions under the Act. The con- tractor must file a lien at the land ute office within 31 days of the completion of the work or he loses his right to the len. Lawyers are not usually needed in this pro- cess. Forms for the lien can be obtafned at most legal sta- uuonary stores and are fairly easy to fill out. The contrac- tor then files the forms in the nearest Court Registry and takes a certified copy of the ward's Great '’’ For everything from chocolate eggs and Easter lilies to hams and turkeys, smart Easter Bunnies shop at Woodward’s. WOOLWARL S Qa LIYE Y BON Wr NY Q AY ) W iy CY Cranberry Sauce ead TS eatet Chocolate Cremc By jo Egy BA apiles ft 150 4 «. A 3. ara 2 Chocoiute Rubvit: Assorted 60 gy ouch V9 : WOODWARD'S Large Eggs Grade A Aa Per Dozen a ee 5 CRUSHED. StLICEL) OR TIDBITS Woodward’s Pineapple 4a mm O5* Wihrcole Woodward’s Mushrooms er 69 Hot Cross Buns cot feat Peet bhag. 4°?