Iowa · Iowa Code ch. 572Iowa mechanic's lien registry: notice of commencement, the 90-day line and the two-year suit

Iowa runs mechanic's liens through the online mechanics' notice and lien registry. A general contractor, or an owner-builder using subcontractors, posts a notice of commencement of work there within ten days after work starts; a subcontractor can post it if the contractor doesn't, and preliminary notices are posted only after it (Iowa Code §572.13A). A lien is posted within two years and 90 days after the last labor or material (§572.9), but one posted more than 90 days after the last furnishing – with written notice to the owner – can be enforced against the property only to the extent of the balance the owner still owes the general contractor when the notice is served (§§572.10, 572.11). A suit to enforce must be brought within two years after the end of those 90 days (§572.27), and the owner can serve a written demand that shortens that to 30 days, after which the lien is forfeited and the demand can be posted to the registry as notice of the cancellation (§572.28).