Debtor & Creditor Rights

Dealing with Payment Disputes: Mechanic’s Liens and Other Remedies

November 15, 2024 | Christopher G. Addy

In the construction and property improvement industry, payment disputes frequently arise, creating significant financial stress for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. Understanding your rights and the available remedies is essential for navigating these disputes effectively. This blog will explore one of the most powerful tools available to those in the construction industry: mechanic’s liens, along with other remedies to resolve payment disputes.

What is a Mechanic’s Lien?

A mechanic’s lien is a legal claim against a property that has been improved or repaired. It gives contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers the right to seek payment for the work they have performed or materials they have provided. By filing a mechanic’s lien, the lienholder can secure their interest in the property, which can ultimately lead to payment through the sale of the property if necessary.

California Statute of Limitations – Debt

July 28, 2023 | Mark Figueiredo

Much of California’s civil justice system revolves around contractual obligations and the enforcement and collection of debts. Keep in mind that if someone owes you money–or you owe them money–the law only allows the creditor a certain amount of time to take action. This is known as the statute of limitations. If you need advice from a California debtor and creditor rights lawyer, contact the legal team at Structure Law Group, LLP.

When Does the Clock Start Running in California?

The exact length of California’s statute of limitations depends on whether the debt is based on a written contract or oral promise. In the case of a written contract, the statute of limitations is four years. But if it is an oral promise, the limitation period is just two years.

Debtor vs. Creditor Rights

April 21, 2023 | Mark Figueiredo

Money changes hands frequently in the United States, and debtors refer to people who owe money while creditors are the parties who are owed money. It can often be a contentious relationship between these two parties, and an Austin, TX creditor and debtor rights attorney can help both sides exercise their rights.

Each side of a debt issue will rely on unfair generalizations about other parties, such as creditors being overly aggressive and greedy while debtors are supposedly lazy and unreliable. The truth is usually much more complicated.

Debtor Rights in Texas

What is a Preference in Bankruptcy?

February 10, 2023 | Ryan Penhallegon

Preference related to creditor’s rights issues. If a company files for bankruptcy, the matter is turned over to a bankruptcy trustee who takes control of the debtor’s estate. In the case of the company, they have powers over the company. Preference specifically deals with voiding transactions within the last 90 days of a bankruptcy filing (sometimes longer) if it benefits one creditor to the detriment of another creditor. Such a transfer is referred to as a preference.

Let’s use a simple example commonly found in consumer bankruptcies. The debtor has maxed their credit cards with no hope of repayment, so they file for bankruptcy. Before doing so, however, they repay their grandmother the $100 they borrowed in 2015. The bankruptcy trustee can demand the $100 back from the grandmother as she has been given preferential treatment to the corporations that own the majority of the debtor’s debt.

This benefits both the creditor and the debtor. For the creditor, it prevents the debtor from moving assets out of their estate for the purpose of hiding them from the trustee. For the debtor, it prevents the creditor from using aggressive tactics that would drive them into bankruptcy since it isn’t just their debt that’s going to be repaid. In these cases, the trustee sends a demand letter to the debtor demanding the repayment of the transaction.

Debtor vs. Creditor Rights

April 26, 2019 | Ryan Penhallegon

It’s no secret that years of corporate research indicate that strategic debt can be beneficial for a business. Taking on corporate debt may confer certain tax benefits, and debt can be used to grow earnings and increase the value of the company. Companies may also be able to create higher returns on the borrowed money than the interest rate they are paying on the debt. However, too much debt or a poorly structured or executed financial strategy also negligently impact the marketability and value of a company, including Silicon Valley startups. In addition, both California startups and creditors alike must be mindful of the federal and state laws that apply to debtor/creditor relations.

Commercial Debt and The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”)

The primary federal legislation governing debtor and creditor rights is the FDCPA; however, this legislation typically does not apply to business debts. It may apply to certain late payments of commercial debts. California’s version of the FDCPA, the California Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“CFDCPA”), while broader than the FDCPA, also typically does not apply to business debts. As such, business debtors aren’t afforded the same protections as consumers but business and their creditors also have more latitude to negotiate and structure the financial arrangement they deem most appropriate. There are few, if any, state and federal laws that regulate business-to-business debt, but the FDCPA can provide some guidance for creditors. For example, creditors should generally not:

Collecting Payments from Debtors

December 14, 2018 | Ryan Penhallegon

Any business that deals with customers – meaning all businesses – has customers that are habitually slow to pay for the goods or services that they purchase. Unlike retail transactions such as those that occur at a grocery store, many business-to-business transactions are not immediately completed. Customers don’t necessarily have to pay before the goods or services leave the building. Payment terms might be 30 days net or 60 days net, but the customer has time to pay for what they have purchased. But what can you do when those 30 or 60 days pass by without a payment? And what can you do if that time continues to drag on and months go by without a payment from your customer?

Don’t Delay with Delinquent Customers

There are many reasons – and excuses – for delayed payments or nonpayment by customers. If you invoice by mail, it is possible that the invoice was not delivered, or that it was lost internally at the customer’s business. Depending upon the size of the business, it is possible that no one at the customer’s business knows that a bill has not been paid. Reasons and excuses aside, your business cannot afford to operate without being paid.

What is a Writ of Attachment?

January 12, 2018 | Jaclyn Ford

Many Los Angeles business owners find themselves forced into litigation in order to enforce their legal rights as creditors. There are many legal tools available to enforce these rights: liens, levies, garnishments, and charging orders are just a few of many examples. These and other tools can be used to allow a creditor access to a debtor’s assets in order to satisfy debts that have been recognized by a court. An experienced Los Angeles corporate attorney can help you determine which tools will best enforce your company’s legal rights against its debtors.

A writ of attachment is a particular tool which is used to protect specific assets from being disposed of before a judgment is reached. The writ of attachment is a legal order issued by a court to a law enforcement agent. A writ of attachment is typically requested soon after a case is filed (in order to freeze the defendant’s assets while the case is pending). A writ of execution is issued at the end of a case after the judgment is reached, in order to enforce a judgment debt that has been awarded to the creditor. The California Code of Civil Procedure establishes the procedures for obtaining a writ of attachment. Section 487.010 specifies the property which is subject to a writ of attachment, including interests in real property, accounts receivable, equipment, farm products, inventory, final money judgments, money on the premises of the debtor’s business, negotiable documents of title, instruments; securities, and natural resources (such as minerals, oils, or gases) on the debtor’s property.

How a Writ of Attachment Can Help Your Business

What is a Charging Order?

December 15, 2017 | Ryan Penhallegon

California creditors have a variety of tools available to enforce their legal rights. The appropriate tool will depend on the circumstances. For example, in some instances, a lien may be placed on real and/or personal property in order to protect or enforce a creditor’s rights. In the case of a debtor’s interest in an LLC, a charging order may be obtained creating a lien against the debtor’s membership interest in the LLC. Learn more about what a charging order is, how it works, and when it is the best tool for a creditor. An experienced San Jose corporate attorney can help your business find the best tools for enforcing creditors’ rights against any debtor.

What is a Charging Order and When is it Appropriate?

When a creditor has obtained a judgment against a debtor, the creditor may obtain a variety of different orders or liens to enforce the judgment against the debtor’s assets. These can include a garnishment of the debtor’s wages, a levy of the debtor’s bank accounts, or the creation of a lien against the debtor’s real estate and personal property. When the debtor possesses an interest in a limited liability company (LLC), a court may issue to the creditor and against the debtor a charging order in order to allow the creditor to try to enforce the judgment against the debtor’s membership interest in the LLC.

Liens: What are They and Why are They Important?

December 8, 2017 | Gokalp Gurer

Businesses are subject to many types of liens, such as civil judgments, tax liens, and mechanic’s liens. These liens, and many others, can impair your company’s ability to turn a profit. Protect your business assets by being proactive and contacting a San Jose corporate attorney.

What is a Lien?

A lien is a type of security interest on real or personal property, granted to a third party, that secures a debt payment or performance of an obligation. Until the debt represented by that interest is paid, or performance completed, the third party that owns the lien can and will prevent the property owner from enjoying the full legal rights associated with the property in question. For example, if a business does not pay its taxes, the IRS or the California Franchise and Tax Board may place a tax lien on its assets. As mentioned earlier, the lien can affect both real and personal property, so the lien could conceivably be placed on a company’s buildings and even its bank accounts.

Bankruptcy Code – What is the “Strong Arm” Clause?

July 7, 2017 | Ryan Penhallegon

Section 544 of the Bankruptcy Code, commonly referred to as the “strong arm” clause, gives the bankruptcy trustee the rights of a secured creditor. This allows the trustee to avoid for the benefit of the debtor’s creditors transfers or obligations that could have been avoided by an unsecured creditor under nonbankruptcy law, provided such creditor exists. Generally, this allows the trustee to avoid unperfected liens and fraudulent transfers.

Section 544 of the Bankruptcy Code sets out the strong arm clause in full. Section 544 provides in relevant part that “[t]he trustee shall have, as of the commencement of the case, and without regard to any knowledge of the trustee or of any creditor, the rights and powers of, or may avoid any transfer of property of the debtor or any obligation incurred by the debtor” that could have been avoided by certain judicial lien holders or bona fide purchasers. The Bankruptcy Code can be confusing and intimidating to some. An experienced San Jose bankruptcy lawyer can help creditors understand their rights, options and risks not only with the “strong arm” clause, but the entire Bankruptcy Code.

What Claims Can Be Avoided?