The 20 Day Preliminary Notice is the written notice, printed on the form as the California Preliminary Notice, that a claimant gives before recording a mechanic's lien, filing a stop notice or asserting a claim against a payment bond. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk publishes it among its property document recording forms, and the form is for use on private or public works. On FillingPDF you can fill out the 20 Day Preliminary Notice online and download or print the completed PDF; the form itself and the agency's page are published at lavote.gov.
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What is 20 Day Preliminary Notice – Los Angeles County, CA?
The 20 Day Preliminary Notice is a written notice from a claimant, given before recording a mechanic's lien, filing a stop notice or asserting a claim against a payment bond for public or private work.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk lists it under its property document recording forms. The PDF is titled California Preliminary Notice and carries the legend "For use on Private or Public Works, This is not a lien." It cites California Civil Code sections 8100 et seq., 8200 et seq. and 9300 et seq.
The form has two parts. The first is a Notice to Property Owner. It warns that, even if you have paid your contractor in full, a lien may be placed on the property if the person or firm giving the notice is not paid for labor, service, equipment or material. Foreclosure of the lien may lead to loss of all or part of the property. The notice suggests two protections: requiring the contractor to provide a signed release from the claimant before payment, or any other appropriate method.
The second part is filled in by the claimant. It identifies the claimant, the labor, service, equipment or material furnished or to be furnished, the site, the person for whom the work is provided, the owner, direct contractor and construction lender served, and the estimated price.
The form says it is a statement of the owner's legal rights and is not intended to reflect on the financial condition of the contractor.
Who needs to file 20 Day Preliminary Notice – Los Angeles County, CA?
The main group is the claimant: a person or firm that has furnished or will furnish labor, service, equipment or material to a work of improvement and wants to give the notice before recording a mechanic's lien, filing a stop notice or asserting a claim against a payment bond. The form asks the claimant to state a relationship to the parties, with Direct Contractor, Subcontractor and Supplier given as examples.
The form is for private or public works.
The notice is served on the people named on it:
- the owner or reputed owner;
- the direct contractor or reputed direct contractor;
- the construction lender or reputed construction lender.
Property owners are the readers of the Notice to Property Owner. If an owner records a notice of cessation or completion, the form says the owner must, within 10 days after recording, send a copy of the notice of completion to the contractor and to the person or firm that gave the preliminary notice, by registered or certified mail. A residential homeowner of a dwelling containing four or fewer units is not required to send it.
The form is not a lien. It is not for recording a lien itself.
When to file 20 Day Preliminary Notice – Los Angeles County, CA
The triggering event is the claimant's plan to take one of three steps: recording a mechanic's lien, filing a stop notice, or asserting a claim against a payment bond for public or private work. The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk describes the notice as given before any of them.
The form covers labor, service, equipment or material that the claimant "has furnished or will furnish", so it is written for work already begun and for work still to come. It prints no calendar deadline of its own. The timing rules sit in the California Civil Code sections it cites (8100 et seq., 8200 et seq., 9300 et seq.), so check them for your project.
Owners have a separate timing rule printed on the form. If an owner records a notice of cessation or completion, a copy of the notice of completion must go to the contractor and to the person or firm that gave the preliminary notice within 10 days after recording. Failure to send it extends the deadline to record a claim of lien.
How to fill out 20 Day Preliminary Notice – Los Angeles County, CA
Read the Notice to Property Owner
The top of the form is a fixed notice to the owner about possible liens. Leave it as printed; it does not need any entries.
Enter the claimant's name and address
Under "Please take notice that Claimant", write the claimant's name and address in the (name) and (address) lines.
State your relationship to the parties
In the relationship line, write how you relate to the parties, for example Direct Contractor, Subcontractor or Supplier.
Describe the labor, service, equipment or material
In the lines after "has furnished or will furnish", describe what you have supplied or will supply to the project.
Describe the work site
Under "the work of improvement located at", give a description sufficient for identification, including the street address of the site, if any.
Name who the work is provided for
Under "The person or business to or for whom the work is provided is", enter that person's or business's name and address.
Complete the owner service block
Under Owner or Reputed Owner, enter the name and address of the person you are serving.
Complete the direct contractor block
Under Direct Contractor or Reputed Direct Contractor, enter the name and address of the person you are serving.
Complete the construction lender block
Under Construction Lender or Reputed Construction Lender, enter the name and address of the lender you are serving.
Enter the estimated price
On the last line, enter the estimated price of the labor, services, equipment or materials to be provided, after the dollar sign.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check names, addresses and the site description on every line. Then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and serve it on the persons named, as described under How to submit.
How to submit 20 Day Preliminary Notice – Los Angeles County, CA
The form does not name a filing office, portal or mailing address. It is served on the persons and businesses listed on it, at the addresses the claimant writes in.
- Owner or Reputed Owner: name and address written in the first service block.
- Direct Contractor or Reputed Direct Contractor: name and address written in the second block.
- Construction Lender or Reputed Construction Lender: name and address written in the third block.
The form states that the notice is "required by law to be served by the undersigned". The printed text gives no delivery method for the claimant, so check the Civil Code sections cited at the top of the form (8100 et seq., 8200 et seq., 9300 et seq.) for how service must be made. The only delivery method the form prints is for owners: a copy of a notice of completion goes by registered or certified mail.
The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk publishes the form and a sample on its 20 Day Preliminary Notice page. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating the notice as a lien; the form states "This is not a lien" and is given before a mechanic's lien is recorded.
- Leaving out the claimant's relationship to the parties, such as Direct Contractor, Subcontractor or Supplier.
- Describing the work site without enough detail to identify it; the form asks for a description sufficient for identification, including the street address if any.
- Omitting the estimated price of the labor, services, equipment or materials to be provided.
- Skipping the service blocks for the owner or reputed owner, direct contractor or reputed direct contractor, and construction lender or reputed construction lender.
- Writing a vague description of the labor, service, equipment or material furnished or to be furnished.
- Owners sending a copy of a notice of completion by ordinary mail; the form says registered or certified mail, within 10 days after recording.
Frequently asked questions
What is the 20 Day Preliminary Notice?
It is a written notice from a claimant, given before recording a mechanic's lien, filing a stop notice or asserting a claim against a payment bond for public or private work. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk publishes it as the California Preliminary Notice.
Is the 20 Day Preliminary Notice a lien?
No. The form is headed "This is not a lien." It is a notice given before a mechanic's lien is recorded, and it warns the owner that a lien may be placed if the claimant is not paid for labor, service, equipment or material.
Is the 20 Day Preliminary Notice a Los Angeles County property tax form?
No. It is a construction notice, not a tax form. The Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk lists it among its property document recording forms, and it relates to liens, stop notices and payment bond claims. For tax questions, use the county's tax offices.
Who has to receive the preliminary notice?
The form has service blocks for the owner or reputed owner, the direct contractor or reputed direct contractor, and the construction lender or reputed construction lender. The claimant writes the name and address of each person served.
Can I use this form for public works?
Yes. The form is labeled for use on private or public works, and the county page describes a notice given before a lien, stop notice or bond claim for public or private work. It cites Civil Code sections 8100 et seq., 8200 et seq. and 9300 et seq.
Can I fill out the 20 Day Preliminary Notice online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not serve or file the notice; you deliver it to the persons named on the form yourself.
Does the notice mean the contractor has money problems?
No. The form says it is a statement of the owner's legal rights and is not intended to reflect on the financial condition of the contractor or the person employed by the owner on the project.
What must an owner do after recording a notice of completion?
Within 10 days after recording, send a copy of the notice of completion to the contractor and to the person or firm that gave the preliminary notice, by registered or certified mail. A residential homeowner of a dwelling with four or fewer units need not send it.
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