{"id":904937,"date":"2025-10-23T14:19:11","date_gmt":"2025-10-23T20:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/?p=904937"},"modified":"2025-10-23T14:19:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T20:19:14","slug":"mechanics-lien-out-of-state-owners-certified-mail-delivery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.myconstructionexpert.com\/blog\/mechanics-lien-out-of-state-owners-certified-mail-delivery\/","title":{"rendered":"Serving Mechanics\u2019 Liens on Out-of-State Owners: Certified Mail Over Hand Delivery is a Risky Bet Not Worth Taking"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Daniel Michelmore | Tucker Arensberg<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pennsylvania Mechanics\u2019 Lien Law is a highly technical statute with draconian consequences for noncompliance. Nowhere is this more apparent than in its provisions governing service of process. \u201cService requirements under Pennsylvania\u2019s Mechanics\u2019 Lien Law are strictly construed such that a complaint will be stricken if the statutory service requirements are not met.\u201d Regency Invs., Inc. v. Inlander Ltd.<\/em>, 2004 Pa. Super 274, P6, 855 A.2d. 75, 77 (Pa. Super. 2004). In other words, if there is a defect in service, it cannot be cured like it can in most civil actions. Instead, defective service renders the lien claim invalid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem, of course, is that the Lien Law\u2019s<\/a> service requirements are not always clear, and this is particularly true when it comes to serving out-of-state defendant property owners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lien Law\u2019s service provision is outlined in Section 502, which provides that \u201c[s]ervice of the notice of filing of claim shall be made by an adult in the same manner as a writ of summons in assumpsit.]\u201d 49 P.S. \u00a7 1502(c). This provision thus requires satisfaction of two (2) separate elements: First, service must be made \u201cby an adult,\u201d and second, that adult must serve notice \u201cin the same manner as a writ of summons in assumpsit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As to the first element, courts have construed the words \u201cby an adult\u201d to require personal service\u2013i.e. hand delivery\u2013and have rejected the contention that it extends to certified mail. John A. O\u2019Connor Co., Inc. v. Hansen<\/em>, 48 Pa. D & C.2d 398 (C.C.P. Bucks Co. 1969) (rejecting as \u201cspurious\u201d the argument that the postman delivering notice by certified mail constitutes service \u201cby an adult\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as for the second, courts have ruled that since claims in assumpsit are civil actions, Pa.R.C.P. 1001, service of lien claims is therefore governed by the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure governing service of civil actions. Clemleddy Construction Inc. v. Yorston<\/em>, 2002 Pa. Super. 342, 810 A.2d 693, 696-97 (Pa. Super. 2002). For in-state defendant property owners, this means that personal service will be provided by the sheriff. Id<\/em>. at 697; Pa.R.C.P. 400(a) (\u201c[O]riginal process shall be served within the Commonwealth only by the sheriff.\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what about out-of-state defendant property owners? They cannot be personally served by a Pennsylvania sheriff, whose jurisdiction is geographically limited to the county in which the sheriff serves. So we must again look to the Rules of Civil Procedure. Under the Rules of Civil Procedure, civil actions against foreign defendants can be served in their home state via hand delivery from a private process server, Pa.R.C.P. 404(1), or by certified mail, id<\/em>. at 403.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rule 404 thus presents a conflict, because it allows service on foreign defendants by certified mail, whereas the Lien Law exclusively requires personal service. And although some courts have found lien claims may be served on foreign defendants by certified mail, they have done so in only conclusory fashion, without grappling with this conflict and the Lien Law\u2019s mandatory service \u201cby an adult\u201d statutory language. See Cassell Building Corporation v. Rice<\/em>, 46 Pa. D. & C.3d 98 (C.C.P. Pike Co. 1986); Frangos v. Hersh<\/em>, 2010 Pa. Dist. & Cnty. Dec. LEXIS 146, *13 (C.C.P. Allegheny Co. Mar. 11, 2010). Their holdings are therefore of questionable precedential value. The Lien Law must be strictly complied with, and it requires personal service by an adult, which certified mail most assuredly is not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given this conflict, the most prudent course is to treat service of process of mechanics\u2019 lien claims exactly the same for both in- and out-of-state defendants. Namely, both should be personally served, by the Sheriff in Pennsylvania and by a process server outside of Pennsylvania. Doing otherwise unnecessarily puts the lien claim at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

When one of your cases is in need of a construction expert, estimates, insurance appraisal or umpire services in defect or insurance disputes – please call Advise & Consult, Inc. at 888.684.8305, or email experts@adviseandconsult.net<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Daniel Michelmore | Tucker Arensberg The Pennsylvania Mechanics\u2019 Lien Law is a highly technical statute with draconian consequences for noncompliance. Nowhere is this more apparent than in its provisions governing service of process. \u201cService requirements under Pennsylvania\u2019s Mechanics\u2019 Lien Law are strictly construed such that a complaint will be stricken if the statutory service requirements are not met.\u201d Regency Invs., Inc. v.… Continue reading Serving Mechanics\u2019 Liens on Out-of-State Owners: Certified Mail Over Hand Delivery is a Risky Bet Not Worth Taking<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[10772],"tags":[9895,184],"class_list":["post-904937","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mechanics-lien-law","tag-advise-consult","tag-mechanics-lien-law","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\nServing Mechanics\u2019 Liens on Out-of-State Owners: Certified Mail Over Hand Delivery is a Risky Bet Not Worth Taking - 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