Minnesota · Minn. Stat. ch. 514Minnesota mechanic's lien deadlines: the 120-day statement, the one-year suit and the pre-lien notices

In Minnesota, a mechanic's lien ceases 120 days after the claimant last did work or furnished material unless, within that time, a verified lien statement is recorded with the county recorder (or registrar of titles for registered land) and a copy is served personally or by certified mail on the owner or the person who contracted with the contractor (Minn. Stat. §514.08). A contractor who uses subcontractors or suppliers must give the owner a statutory notice in the contract, or within ten days if there's no written contract, saying unpaid suppliers can file a lien and the owner may withhold payment until 120 days after completion unless it gets lien waivers; a subcontractor or supplier must give the owner its own notice within 45 days of first furnishing (§514.011). No lien can be enforced unless the claimant files a complaint or answer within one year after the last item in the lien statement; for a bona fide purchaser, mortgagee or encumbrancer without notice, the absence of a recorded notice of lis pendens after that year is conclusive evidence that the lien can no longer be enforced (§514.12, subd. 3).