Mechanic's Lien Will Expire on its Own

  Question: Last year, we built our vacation home near Payson. We refused to pay the plumber because of poor workmanship, and the plumber recorded a mechanic’s lien against our vacation home. We finally settled with the plumber, and the plumber said that nothing needed to be done about the mechanic’s lien because it would “expire on its own.”

  We recently checked the Gila County Recorder’s Office, however, and the mechanic’s lien of the plumber is still recorded against our vacation home. What do we need to do to remove this mechanic’s lien now so that we don’t have a problem when we want to sell our vacation home?

  Answer: A mechanic’s lien is automatically extinguished unless a lawsuit is filed to foreclose the mechanic’s lien within six months after the recording of the mechanic’s lien. Therefore, the plumber was correct when he said that the mechanic’s lien would “expire on its own.” Although the mechanic’s lien is still of record, at the time of any sale of your vacation home, the title company should remove the lien as a title exception.