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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>75637</law_id><section_number>43-3</section_number><catch_line>Lien for work done and materials furnished; waiver of right to file or enforce lien</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>43-20</reference><reference>43-21</reference><reference>43-24</reference><reference>43-4</reference><reference>43-4.01</reference><reference>43-7</reference><reference>43-9</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="43">Mechanics' and Certain Other Liens</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="1">Mechanics' and Materialmen's Liens</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> All persons performing labor or furnishing <span class="dictionary">materials</span> of the value of $150 or more, including the reasonable rental or use value of equipment, for the construction, removal, repair or improvement of any building or structure permanently annexed to the freehold, and all persons performing any labor or furnishing <span class="dictionary">materials</span> of like value for the construction of any railroad, shall have a <span class="dictionary">lien</span>, if perfected as hereinafter provided, upon such building or structure, and so much land therewith as shall be necessary for the convenient use and enjoyment thereof, and upon such railroad and franchises for the work done and <span class="dictionary">materials</span> furnished, subject to the provisions of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Extent of lien where owner has less than fee in land" href="/43-20/">43-20</a>. But when the claim is for repairs or improvements to existing structures only, no <span class="dictionary">lien</span> shall attach to the property repaired or improved unless such repairs or improvements were ordered or authorized by the owner, or his agent.
			If the building or structure being constructed, removed or repaired is part of a condominium as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/55.1-1900/">55.1-1900</a> or under the Horizontal Property Act (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/55.1-2000/">55.1-2000</a> et seq.), any person providing labor or furnishing <span class="dictionary">material</span> to <span class="dictionary">one</span> or more units or limited common elements within the condominium pursuant to a single <span class="dictionary">contract</span> may perfect a single <span class="dictionary">lien</span> encumbering the <span class="dictionary">one</span> or more units which are the subject of the <span class="dictionary">contract</span> or to which those limited common elements pertain, and for which payment has not been made. All persons providing labor or furnishing <span class="dictionary">materials</span> for the common elements pertaining to all the units may perfect a single <span class="dictionary">lien</span> encumbering all such condominium units. Whenever a <span class="dictionary">lien</span> has been or may be perfected encumbering two or more units, the proportionate amount of the indebtedness attributable to each unit shall be the ratio that the percentage liability for common expenses appertaining to that unit computed pursuant to subsection D of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Liability for common expenses; late fees; additional assessment; authority to borrow" href="/55.1-1964/">55.1-1964</a> bears to the total percentage liabilities for all units which are encumbered by the <span class="dictionary">lien</span>. The <span class="dictionary">lien</span> claimant shall release from a perfected <span class="dictionary">lien</span> an encumbered unit upon request of the unit owner as provided in subsection B of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Release of liens" href="/55.1-1908/">55.1-1908</a> upon receipt of payment equal to that portion of the indebtedness evidenced by the <span class="dictionary">lien</span> attributable to such unit determined as herein provided. In the event the <span class="dictionary">lien</span> is not perfected, the <span class="dictionary">lien</span> claimant shall upon request of any interested <span class="dictionary">party</span> execute <span class="dictionary">lien</span> releases for <span class="dictionary">one</span> or more units upon receipt of payment equal to that portion of the indebtedness attributable to such unit or units determined as herein provided but no such release shall preclude the <span class="dictionary">lien</span> claimant from perfecting a single <span class="dictionary">lien</span> against the unreleased unit or units for the remaining portion of the indebtedness. <a id="paragraph-271653" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/43-3/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> Any person providing labor or <span class="dictionary">materials</span> for <span class="dictionary">site development improvements</span> or for streets, stormwater facilities, sanitary sewers or water lines for the purpose of providing access or service to the individual lots in a development or condominium units as defined in &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/55.1-1900/">55.1-1900</a> or under the Horizontal Property Act (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/55.1-2000/">55.1-2000</a> et seq.) shall have a <span class="dictionary">lien</span> on each individual lot in the development for the fractional part of the total value of the work contracted for by the claimant in the subdivision as is obtained by using &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">one</span>&#x201D; as the numerator and the number of lots being developed as the denominator and in the case of a condominium on each individual unit in an amount computed by reference to the liability of that unit for common expenses appertaining to that condominium pursuant to subsection D of &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Liability for common expenses; late fees; additional assessment; authority to borrow" href="/55.1-1964/">55.1-1964</a>, provided, however, that no such <span class="dictionary">lien</span> shall be valid as to any lot or condominium unit unless the person providing such work shall, prior to the sale of such lot or condominium unit, file with the clerk of the <span class="dictionary">circuit</span> <span class="dictionary">court</span> of the <span class="dictionary">jurisdiction</span> in which such land lies a document setting forth a full disclosure of the nature of the <span class="dictionary">lien</span> which may be claimed, the total value of the work contracted for by the claimant in the subdivision and the portion thereof allocated to each lot as required herein, and a description of the development or condominium, and shall, thereafter, comply with all other applicable provisions of this chapter. &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Site development improvements</span>&#x201D; means improvements which are provided for the development, such as project site grading, traffic signalization, and installation of electric, gas, cable, or other utilities, for the benefit of the development rather than for an individual lot. In determining the individual lots in the development for the purpose of allocating value of the work contracted for by the claimant, parcels of land within the development which are common area, or which are being developed for the benefit of the development as a whole and not for resale, shall not be included in the denominator of the <span class="dictionary">disclosure statement</span>.
			Nothing contained herein shall be construed to prevent the filing of a mechanics&#x2019; <span class="dictionary">lien</span> under the provisions of subsection A, or require the <span class="dictionary">lien</span> claimant to elect under which subsection the <span class="dictionary">lien</span> may be enforced. <a id="paragraph-271654" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/43-3/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> Any right to file or enforce any mechanics&#x2019; <span class="dictionary">lien</span> granted hereunder may be waived in whole or in part at any time by any person entitled to such <span class="dictionary">lien</span>, except that a general contractor, subcontractor, lower-tier subcontractor, or <span class="dictionary">material</span> supplier may not <span class="dictionary">waive</span> or diminish his <span class="dictionary">lien</span> rights in a <span class="dictionary">contract</span> in advance of furnishing any labor, services, or <span class="dictionary">materials</span>. A provision that <span class="dictionary">waives</span> or diminishes a general contractor&#x2019;s, subcontractor&#x2019;s, lower-tier subcontractor&#x2019;s, or <span class="dictionary">material</span> supplier&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">lien</span> rights in a <span class="dictionary">contract</span> executed prior to providing any labor, services, or <span class="dictionary">materials</span> is null and void. In the event that payments are made to the contractor without designating to which lot the payments are to be applied, the payments shall be deemed to apply to any lot previously sold by the developer such that the remaining lots continue to bear liability for an amount up to but not exceeding the amount set forth in any <span class="dictionary">disclosure statement</span> filed under the provisions of subsection B. <a id="paragraph-271655" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/43-3/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="D"><p><span class="prefix-number">D.</span> A person who performs labor without a valid license or certificate issued by the Board for Contractors pursuant to Chapter 11 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/54.1-1100/">54.1-1100</a> et seq.) of Title 54.1, or without the proper class of license for the value of the work to be performed, when such a license or certificate is required by <span class="dictionary">law</span> for the labor performed shall not be entitled to a <span class="dictionary">lien</span> pursuant to this section. <a id="paragraph-271656" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/43-3/#D"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1919, &#xA7; 6426; 1922, p. 867; 1932, p. 332; 1968, c. 568; 1979, cc. 360, 542; 1980, c. 449; 1992, cc. 72, 779, 787; 2002, c. 273; 2004, c. 240; 2010, c. 343; 2012, c. 523; 2013, c. 293; 2015, c. 748; 2018, cc. 79, 325.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
