About the Thing You Signed on the Night
What Did I Actually Sign?
Most likely a work authorisation, possibly with a direction to pay. Find the copy. Those are different documents from an assignment of benefits and they do different things.
Did I Sign Away My Insurance Claim?
Only an assignment of benefits does that, and no new assignment is available on a policy issued or renewed on or after 1 January 2023. On an older policy it is a real possibility worth checking.
Can I Undo It?
Depends entirely on the document and on the statute in force when it was signed. A Florida construction lawyer answers this; we should not.
They Said They Would Bill My Insurance Directly.
Without a valid assignment that is a description of their intention rather than a transfer of anything. The insurer owes what the policy covers and any shortfall remains yours.
About the Envelope You Did Not Open
What Is a Notice to Owner?
Notice that a party furnishing labour, services or materials has positioned itself to record a lien. It is not itself a lien.
Why Did I Get One From a Company I Never Hired?
Because subcontractors and suppliers working under your contractor serve them directly on you. That is how the statute works.
What Should I Do With It?
Keep it and treat it as a list. Every one names a party from whom you should obtain a written release before paying your contractor again.
Does Ignoring It Make It Go Away?
The opposite. The parties who serve these are precisely the ones able to record against your property later.
About What Is Recorded Against Your Title
How Do I Find out If There Is a Lien?
Search the county clerk's official records for your address, in the correct county. It is public, free and it takes minutes.
Can They Lien Me If I Paid in Full?
Yes, and the statutory warning says so in capitals. Payment to your contractor does not protect you if he fails to pay those below him.
Does a Lien Stop Me Selling?
Not from agreeing a sale. It stops that sale closing until it is paid, released, bonded or resolved.
Which County Holds My Records?
The one your parcel is in, which the property appraiser names. A Jacksonville mailing address does not settle it.
About the Contract a Buyer Puts in Front of You
Who Keeps the Insurance Proceeds?
A term to be stated on the face of the contract and negotiated in the open, not handled by a separate payment instruction.
Which Entity Is Actually Buying?
Should be named in the contract and searchable in the same county records. A principal buyer gives you a name; an assigner gives you a placeholder.
Should a Buyer Ask Me to Authorise Work?
No. That would make you the owner or operator on a job undertaken for their benefit before they own anything.
Is There a Fee?
Not from us, at any stage, including if you decline.
About the Building, Which Is the Simplest Part
Did the Framing Survive?
On pre-war dimensional lumber, more often than owners expect. An engineer settles it and the answer decides which market you are in.
Should I Clear the Site?
No advantage to you. Demolition is a cost buyers price in, and clearing puts you in the middle of a job with its own lien exposure.
Do I Need to Board It Up?
Securing against weather and entry protects a repairable frame and is worth doing. Anything beyond that is work you do not need to fund.
If your question is specific to your property — and the good ones usually are — send the address. The answer often turns on what has been signed and what is recorded, and our service area index sets out what changes across the region.