(1) No lien provided by this part shall continue for a longer period than 1 year after the claim of lien has been recorded or 1 year after the recording of an amended claim of lien that shows a later date of final furnishing of labor, services, or materials, unless within that time an action to enforce the lien is commenced in a court of competent jurisdiction. The continuation of the lien effected by the commencement of the action shall not be good against creditors or subsequent purchasers for a valuable consideration and without notice, unless a notice of lis pendens is recorded.

(2) An owner or the owner’s agent or attorney may elect to shorten the time prescribed in subsection (1) within which to commence an action to enforce any claim of lien or claim against a bond or other security under s. 713.23 or s. 713.24 by recording in the clerk’s office a notice in substantially the following form:

NOTICE OF CONTEST OF LIEN

To:   (Name and address of lienor)  

You are notified that the undersigned contests the claim of lien filed by you on ____,   (year)  , and recorded in ____ Book ____, Page ____, of the public records of ____ County, Florida, and that the time within which you may file suit to enforce your lien is limited to 60 days from the date of service of this notice. This ____ day of ____,   (year)  .

Signed:   (Owner or Attorney)  

The lien of any lienor upon whom such notice is served and who fails to institute a suit to enforce his or her lien within 60 days after service of such notice shall be extinguished automatically. The clerk shall mail a copy of the notice of contest to the lien claimant at the address shown in the claim of lien or most recent amendment thereto and shall certify to such service on the face of such notice and record the notice. Service shall be deemed complete upon mailing.

History.—s. 1, ch. 63-135; s. 13, ch. 65-456; s. 35, ch. 67-254; s. 9, ch. 77-353; s. 811, ch. 97-102; s. 31, ch. 99-6; s. 12, ch. 2007-221.

Note.—Former s. 84.221.