Construction defects and lien disputes
Defect evidence and payment rights run on different clocks.
Florida construction disputes can combine defective work, incomplete performance, payment claims, statutory notices, lien rights, insurance, contracts, and project economics.
Preserve the project record
Collect contracts, scopes, plans, change orders, schedules, invoices, payments, permits, inspections, photographs, communications, warranties, and expert observations. Preserve conditions before destructive testing or repair when feasible and lawful.
- Contract and scope
- Payment ledger
- Notice and lien documents
- Photographic and expert evidence
- Repair and mitigation record
Separate defect, scope, and payment issues
A quality dispute may concern design, materials, workmanship, code, maintenance, misuse, or incomplete work. A payment or lien claim may turn on a different statutory and contractual sequence. The claims should not be collapsed into one narrative.
Track statutory timing carefully
Florida construction-lien and notice rights can be deadline-sensitive. The required step depends on role, contract tier, work, property, notices already served, and recorded documents. Current statutes and project-specific facts require prompt review.
Palm Beach and Broward context
Real-property disputes in Palm Beach County generally proceed within Florida’s Fifteenth Judicial Circuit; Broward County matters generally proceed within the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. The correct courthouse, division, venue, filing route, and requested relief depend on the parties, property, amount in controversy, existing case posture, and governing documents.
County official records can help establish the recorded chronology, but an index entry or recorded instrument is not a complete title opinion. Current clerk instructions, local administrative requirements, judicial procedures, and the complete transaction record should be checked before a filing or deadline decision.
- Palm Beach County property and court records
- Broward County property and court records
- Current circuit and clerk procedures
- Transaction-specific deadlines and remedies
Frequently asked questions
Questions clients often ask
Should defects be repaired immediately?
Reasonable mitigation may be important, but evidence should be documented and preserved before repair when feasible. Safety and emergency conditions come first.
Is every unpaid contractor entitled to a lien?
No. Role, licensing, work, notices, timing, contract chain, and statutory compliance may affect lien rights.
Do lien and defect claims cancel each other out?
Not automatically. Payment, performance, defect, offset, and lien issues may overlap but require separate proof and analysis.
Next step
Schedule a case review
Begin with a brief, non-confidential conflicts and availability review. Do not send documents or confidential facts until the firm provides a secure, conflicts-cleared channel.