Payment Insurance: An Alternative To Mechanic Lien Litigation

Sometimes, you get paid without filing a lien.   Sometimes, you get paid immediately after filing a lien.   We all know and fear those other times, however.   Those times when you don’t get paid and you must file a lawsuit to enforce the mechanics lien.

In the past, we’ve written about a remarkable new insurance product from Construction Indemnity Group:  Payment insurance.

How does it work?   Well, in words, you buy a policy for about $1000, and that gives you $25,000.00 of coverage annually.   If you’re not paid on a project, you file your lien and make a claim.   Construction Indemnity Group will pay the amount you’re owed, and they will go through the mechanics of enforcing the mechanics lien.   You just go about your business.

How does it work in video?!    Construction Indemnity Group just published a short video explaining the service, and I recommend watching it.   Here it is:

Construction Management in the Clouds with the LienPilot

ConstructTech published an article last week titled “Construction in the Clouds.” It’s not the first time the magazine has spoken about web-based applications used by contractors, nor is the first time the topic has come up with others. And it won’t be the last.

The ConstructTech article closes with this summary, which identifies some real positives to choosing a cloud-computing platform over traditional desktop software:

Overall, cloud computing helps construction companies focus on what they do best–construction–while lessening the burden of deploying and managing IT. In times where cost control is paramount to success, contractors should at least be investigating whether or not such an option would be an ideal fit for their organization.

Most of the web-applications discussed in this article are of the project management sorts. And these are important to help manage construction projects.

When it comes to getting paid, though, how does your company manage its preliminary notices and notices to owner? How does your company manage and organize the lien requirements that vary by state? And how does your staff know when its time to file a mechanic’s lien?

Likely, you’ve been flying by the seat of your pants. Or, maybe worse, you’ve been working with clunky out-of-date software that is unreliable, and stuck on that ex-employee’s computer for years.

As ConstructTech states in its article, cloud-computing is changing the way construction companies are managed…and for the better.

The LienPilot is a cloud-based application that can help your company manage its receivables, delivery preliminary and notices to owner, and simply Lien Smarter. Learn how here.

The LienPilot Has A New Look!

We’ve gutted our LienPilot and completely re-designed it with a new look!    The remodeling makes the service easier to use, and easier for you to find the features you need.   We call it LienPilot3.

No-Nonsense Navigation

We’re building a web application that your business can use to calculate and manage the Mechanic Lien and Preliminary Notice requirements across the United States.   The first order of business should be a navigation system that is productive and intuitive.    Check out #1 in the above-image, and our new Main Navigation Bar.   From any screen you can easily switch from one project to another by selecting it from the drop down, or access system-wide settings and information.   Want to go back to the home screen?  Just click on the LienPilot logo.

Get Help

Every page has these two icons:   The Help Chat and the Help Video.    Click on the video link to see a video tutorial on how to use the features of that particular page.  Click the chat icon to chat with someone from the Zlien team anytime during business hours.  If it’s after business hours, leave a message and someone will get right back to you.

Project Nicknames

Perhaps this was the most requested feature from users.   Sorry it took so long, but we finally delivered.   You can nickname any project by clicking on the “Set a Nickname For This Project” link.   Wherever the project is displayed in the Pilot, this nickname will appear.

Deadline Notification Improvements

Our deadline notifier is already an industry leader, notifying you of upcoming deadlines via email, by allowing you to download the deadlines into your calendar, or by letting you subscribe via RSS Feed.   The new deadline calculator screen makes it easier than ever to read the deadlines, it allows you to dismiss deadlines…and, for the biggest improvement, allows you to order any notice or lien document due with just one-click.

Click on the “Order This Document Now” link, and you’ll be sent straight to the Lien Wizard’s check out after confirming the order information.

In-Project Navigation

Previously, everything about your project was crammed on one page.   We’ve created in-page navigation with tabs, so you can get a clear and clean picture of what’s going on with your project.   Only look at the information you want to see.  Our next blog post will highlight our new Legal Center tab – one of the more robust improvements we’ve launched.

More Improvements Planned…

We’re excited to hear your feedback about the new look. We consider this to be the start of many improvements. We’re currently designing an easier way for you to get help when you need it and we’re also working on a number of performance improvements to make the LienPilot even faster.

Let us know what you think!

Not already using the LienPilot to manage the LienLaws across the country and manage your company’s deadlines and notice requirements? Sign Up Now — It’s Free.

Join the Zlien Fantasy Football Team

What can we say, being from New Orleans with the Saints as the reigning champions has us all excited about the 2010 NFL Football Season. That’s why we’ve gotten together with our friends at Wolfe Law Group and set up an NFL Fantasy Football League through Yahoo!

And we’re inviting participation from our clients, colleagues, readers and friends. To sign up, just click on this link and set up your team. You will need to know the password, and the password is “construction.”

I must warn you….the Zlien staff not only knows mechanics liens, we know football. So be prepared to lose.

Express Lien Changes Name To Zlien

Express Lien, a leader in mechanics lien management and filing, today announced its new company name, Zlien.

Zlien prepares and files construction notices, mechanics liens and bond claims for those in the construction industry across the nation. Zlien is also a leader in mechanic lien management, offering clients a web-based application that manages mechanic lien and preliminary notice deadlines and requirements.

The new name reflects the company’s unique collection of services, and its position as a leader in filing and managing mechanic liens.

Scott Wolfe Jr., Chief Executive Officer for Zlien explains:

Today’s unveiling of Zlien marks a significant milestone for our company.  The Zlien name embodies our ability and our commitment to continue helping those in the construction industry Lien Smarter.

In conjunction with the name change, the company also announced two new websites beta launching in the next two weeks:

— LienPilot.com is an independent home for our web-based mechanics lien deadline calculator and management software, previously housed within the expresslien.com website.

— MechanicLien.com is an independent home for our huge (and growing) database of mechanic lien laws, forms and digests. Not only does this site provide users a wealth of mechanic lien law information free, but it’s also extremely easy to navigate and use.

Wolfe Jr. further explains:

The Express Lien name worked great when we started this company in 2006 – because we exclusively filed mechanics liens.  Today, we file mechanics liens, preliminary notices, bond claims and all types of documents for contractors and suppliers across the nation, and we also lead the industry in providing lien law information, and provide a premiere web-based lien management software that calculates mechanic lien deadlines and requirements. Our new name reflects these product advancements, and gives us room to grow more.

Effective immediately, all future business activity will be conducted under the new name. Beginning today, our website may be accessed at the new (http://www.zlienit.com) and the old domain (http://www.expresslien.com) during the transition period. There has been no change in the company’s management or ownership.

About Zlien (formerly Express Lien)

Zlien services help the construction industry Lien Smarter…and Get Paid. Zlien prepares and files mechanics liens, notices to owner, bond claims and other documents on construction projects across the nation. Zlien also offers a web-based mechanic lien deadline calculator and management application, the Lien Pilot.

Video Demo: Calculate Mechanic Lien Deadlines

The Lien Pilot’s Deadline Calculator is an industry leading mechanic lien and preliminary notice management tool.

Your company gives our system the “trigger dates,” and our system will calculate your preliminary notice and lien deadlines for your project’s state.  You’re notified of pending deadlines through your web login, by exporting the deadlines to your Outlook or iCal desktop calendar, via RSS or through email.

When it’s time to file or deliver your document, you can do it yourself or pay a low flat fee to zlien to take care of it for your company.

Use us or not…the Lien Pilot’s lien and notice deadline calculator is always free to use. Let us help your company Lien Smarter…and Get Paid.   Here is a video to demonstrate how it works.

What Is A Lien Law Punchlist? Free Lien Summary and Forms in Your State

It’s 2010, and we have the Internet.    And everyone knows that everything is free on the Internet.   So why should you have to pay for basic information about the lien laws across the country?   And why should you have to search through hundreds of websites to find the information you need?

At Express Lien, we’ve worked very hard over the past few months to compile the web’s most comprehensive lien law resources.   No strings attached, and no signing up required.

The best place to start is on our Lien Law Punchlists and Forms page, within the Support section of the Express Lien website.   Here, you can download free forms (for liens, notices and more), as well as a brief one-page summary of each state’s lien laws.   Currently, our most popular states are represented, but we’re adding more resources everyday.

You can also download forms and resources on our profile page over at JDSupra.com.

Our Pricing Structure Leads the Industry in Simplicity

You only have so long to file your preliminary notice or mechanics lien.   You shouldn’t waste any of that time trying to figure out how much the filing is going to cost you.

Express Lien leads its industry in providing a simple and transparent pricing structure.

Here are two features that distinguish us from the competition:

(1)  Our fees are published for you to see, and each product has a single flat fee.   This flat fee includes it all – postage, service, delivery, storage of all deliverables online, etc.    You’ll never be charged any other amount because of fine print.

(2)  Each of our products has a flat fee, and it applies across the country.     A mechanic lien cost $295 whether its in Louisiana, Washington, Maine, Georgia, Texas or New York, or anywhere else for that matter.

The more you file, the cheaper we are.    You can view our pricing structure on the Pricing Page.    Or, check out our Pricing Table below:

All prices include:

• Filing Fees and Postage / Delivery Costs
• Property research to obtain legal property description
• Property research to obtain public record owner of property
• Free tracking of your orders on our Lien Pilot
• Free storage of all order documents and information on the Lien Pilot
• Calculate deadlines through the Lien Pilot associated with filing / delivery of your document

Did You Know…You Can Insure Against Non-Payment

Construction Indemnity offers a real revolutionary product for the construction industry:  payment insurance.    Yes, you’re reading this correctly.   You can now purchase an insurance policy to protect your organization against non-paying projects.

Here’s the pitch:   Getting paid is one of the biggest challenges to those in the construction industry.   Construction Indemnity Group insures that your company is paid the money you’ve earned.   When you’re not paid, you make a claim against your policy.   Construction Indemnity spreads the risk across multiple contractors, and you assign them your lien and collection rights and let them do the hard (and expensive) work of collecting amounts due.

Their website sums up the policy’s offering and cost with this:

For around $1000 annually (plus cost and fees) with only $150 down and guaranteed payment plans, CIG can provide you $25,000 worth of coverage annually against non-payment by your customer.

This is a real neat product.   And I think it fills a real serious need for those contractors and suppliers who perform work or provide materials on construction projects but only have a few thousand (or up to $25k) of outstanding debt on any single project.

As an attorney, I have potential clients approach me to help collect these types of debts all the time.   The trouble is that the cost of collection and risk of non-collection is too high.    These companies frequently walk away from the account and lose the money.    Over on the Construction Law Monitor blog operated by my firm, Wolfe Law Group, we have an entire section devoted to Collections laws and techniques, and we frequently discuss this practical burden to successfully collecting on a marginally small debt.

But just because the number is small when compared to the cost of collecting doesn’t mean its small to you or your company.   To the contrary, they mean everything.

Construction Indemnity has a neat calculator on its website titled “See How Much Bad Debt is Costing You.”   It’s eye-opening.   Put in the amount of bad debt you have per year and your typical profit margin, and the site calculates the sales you need to replace your bad debt.   Let’s take something small ($25k of bad debt), and a typical profit margin (5%), and get a dose of reality:  You need $500,000 in sales to replace this bad debt.

Construction Indemnity lets you insure it for approximately $1,000.00 a year.

This is not to mention that policyholders are eligible for savings on certain industry services.   Express Lien is proud to have a marketing relationship with Construction Indemnity Group, providing its policyholders a discount of at least 20% on all of our products and services.    Policyholders also get a discount to Lien Law Online, which is a real neat online service providing folks with legal information about construction lien laws nationwide.

Get more information about Construction Indemnity Group here, or click here to submit an application.

We’re Looking for A Software Developer / Programmer

Express Lien is hiring!   We’re looking for a great software developer / programmer to help us continue building an amazing product.  Check out the job specifications by clicking here.   Here are the details:

We’re Hiring

We are currently looking for a Software Development Engineer to help us continue building an amazing product.

Previously, we had built our product working with a number of contract developers. Oversight of the development was by the company’s CEO. Now, however, we are growing to require a software developer in-house to manage new features, user interface, and future product enhancements.

The main responsibilities for this position include architecting, building, releasing, and supporting features that enable our clients to better manage their construction liens and preliminary notices. While we serve the construction industry, we consider ourselves a tech company and this to be a tech job. Our office environment is young, and has a tech environment. Knowledge of the construction industry, preliminary notices and mechanics liens is of course helpful, but certainly not required for this position.

This position is currently offered as a part-time position. Hours will be very flexible, and while working at the office will be fun, there is flexibility on that and work can be done out of the office.

The position is currently part-time because we are transitioning from software development on a contract basis, to software development through an in-house programmer. However, we hope that this position will become full-time in the near future. The position promises quarterly reviews over a one-year period to analyze job-performance, rate of pay, hours of work required and the future of the position.

There is the possibility that this position could become full-time, with the potential to gain an equity interest in the fast-growing company.

Qualifications:

-Professional SDE experience developing commercial web applications a plus
-Proficient in object oriented design. Experience with MVC is a plus.
-Strong problem solving skills, excellent coding/debugging skills and the eagerness to learn new technologies
-Experience using web related technologies such as HTML/CSS, Rails, JavaScript, PHP, Web Services, AJAX, etc.
-Experience with Ruby / Rails is preferred, but not required
-Experience in SQL programming is preferred
-Excellent organization and interpersonal skills
-B.S. degree in Computer Science or related field is a plus

How To Apply

Please, no phone calls.   Please send resume to scott@expresslien.com