A subcontractor (Structural Wood) finished its work in March 1998 but filed a lien affidavit 31 days later, after the owner had terminated the general contractor and hired others to finish the project. Texas's highest court ruled that the 30-day deadline to file a lien affidavit starts when YOUR contract ends, not when the overall project is completed. Because Structural Wood filed one day late, it lost its lien rights and recovered nothing.
File your lien affidavit within 30 days of YOUR contract termination, not when the project finishes. Missing this deadline costs you your lien rights entirely.
When a general contractor is fired or the project changes hands, your clock starts ticking immediately. Do not wait to see if other contractors finish the work.
Track your contract end date carefully and set a calendar reminder for day 25. One day late means you lose everything—courts will not make exceptions.