House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014 Regular Session

Posted:	August 27, 2013 09:32 AM
From:	Representative Dan Truitt
To:	All House members
Subject:	Mechanic Lien for Design Professionals

Although design professionals such as architects and engineers play a pivotal role in the construction industry, they have virtually no legal recourse in Pennsylvania if for some reason they are not paid by the general contractor who hired them. This is not the case in most parts of the country since just about 40 states have some protection for design professionals under the state’s mechanic lien laws. In the near future, I plan to introduce a piece of legislation that would expand Pennsylvania’s Mechanic Lien Laws to include design professionals as a group that would be able to place a lien on a piece of property should they not be paid what was agreed upon. Subcontractors can currently file such a lien if a dispute with a general contractor leads to the subcontractors not receiving payment. I believe design professionals should have that right as well. The language for the bill is attached. I hope you will join me as a cosponsor.
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Introduced as HB1697