mechanic's lien

American  

noun

1. a lien secured on property, as an automobile, building, or the like, by the contractor who has repaired or built it, in order to ensure payment for labor and materials.

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Example Sentences

With a mechanic’s lien, you hired the workers, which was the act that gave the workers the right to make a claim against your property.

From Encyclopedia.com

If you do not pay the workers for their services or materials, then they can levy a mechanic’s lien against your land.

From Encyclopedia.com

Should a contractor not pay a sub, the waiver protects you from having a mechanic’s lien slapped on your house to make you pay what they are owed.

From Washington Post

The company has been hit with more than $50 million in mechanic’s lien claims by contractors who say they are owed money by Oceanwide.

From Los Angeles Times

Menjivar found the Workers Defense Project, which helped him win back his wages by filing a mechanic’s lien against all the companies associated with the project — essentially tying up the property’s sale until the workers were paid.

From Salon