Millions Of Dollars Recovered For Our Clients.
Dedicated & Tenacious Litigation Lawyers in Indianapolis
When a contractor, subcontractor, or supplier isn’t paid for work performed or materials furnished on a construction project, a mechanic’s lien offers a powerful tool to secure payment. A mechanic’s lien attaches to the property itself, giving the unpaid party a legal claim that can affect the owner’s ability to sell or refinance until the debt is resolved. It’s one of the few remedies in construction law that puts real pressure on a non-paying owner or contractor.
Indiana law sets specific, and fairly strict, deadlines for using this remedy. In most cases, a party seeking to lien a property generally must record their notice of intention to hold a lien within a set window after the last date they furnished labor or materials, with a shorter deadline for owner-occupied residential property and a longer one for other types of projects. Once a lien is recorded, Indiana law also requires filing suit to foreclose on it within a limited time, generally within a year, or the lien can become unenforceable. Missing either deadline can mean losing the right to use this remedy at all, regardless of how legitimate the underlying debt is.
At RileyCate, we help contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers file and enforce mechanic’s liens to secure payment they’re owed, and we help property owners and general contractors respond to liens they believe are improper or overstated. Because the deadlines involved are unforgiving, timing is often the single most important factor in whether this remedy is available to you.
Mechanic’s lien disputes move on a strict timeline, and having attorneys who understand Indiana’s lien statute in detail can be the difference between securing payment and losing the right to try. Our team brings extensive trial experience in business and construction disputes to lien claims, led by Russell Cate, who is recognized as a Super Lawyer, and his and Will Riley’s appellate work before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court gives our clients real depth in this area. Will Riley’s Super Lawyers, Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and AV Preeminent recognition reflects that same trial-tested approach.
Will and Russell personally oversee every case we take on, drawing on our skilled and resourceful team of attorneys, associates, and staff in whatever mix the size and complexity of your matter calls for, so your lien claim gets prompt, careful attention when deadlines are tight. We also offer alternatives to the standard billable hour for qualifying matters.
Nobody plans to need a lawyer. When something goes wrong, what you need first is someone who will listen, tell you honestly where you stand, and take the next steps off your plate. That is how every case at RileyCate, LLC begins.
We represent individuals, families, and small businesses across Fishers, Indianapolis, and surrounding counties in personal injury and complex litigation, business and real estate disputes, criminal defense, and appeals.
Will Riley and Russell Cate personally oversee every matter, staffing each case to its size and complexity. Both are recognized as Super Lawyers and have argued before the Indiana Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. Will also holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and a Top 100 Trial Lawyer designation.
We are trial-tested, not just settlement-focused. We have tried hundreds of cases, because insurance companies, opposing businesses, and prosecutors negotiate differently with a firm willing to go the distance.
If you haven’t been paid for work or materials on a construction project, don’t wait to act, since Indiana’s lien deadlines run from the date you last performed work. We offer a consultation to review your situation and the timeline involved. Reach out to RileyCate today to speak with a mechanic’s lien attorney about your project.
