National Glass, a Maryland subcontractor, was owed $56,579 for glass installation work on a J.C. Penney store. The subcontract with the general contractor included a clause waiving mechanic's lien rights and stated Pennsylvania law would govern. Maryland's highest court ruled that Maryland law protects mechanic's lien rights as a fundamental public policy that cannot be waived, even if the contract says another state's law applies. This means subcontractors in Maryland cannot lose their lien rights through contract language, regardless of what the contract says.
Never accept a lien waiver clause in Maryland contracts—it's void and unenforceable no matter what the contract language says
Maryland's mechanic's lien protection applies to all work performed in Maryland, even if the contract specifies another state's law