CVN Group sued the Delgados over a home construction dispute and won an arbitration award that included a valid mechanic's lien. The Delgados challenged the lien in court, arguing the arbitrator lacked authority to decide lien validity. Texas Supreme Court ruled that parties can arbitrate mechanic's lien disputes, and courts cannot overturn arbitration awards on lien validity unless they violate fundamental public policy. This means your arbitration clause can cover lien disputes, and you don't have to litigate lien validity separately.
Include arbitration clauses in your contracts—they can cover mechanic's lien disputes, not just payment disagreements
If you arbitrate a lien claim and win, courts will enforce the award unless it violates basic public policy; don't expect judges to second-guess the arbitrator's decision