Pre-lien Notice / Notice to Owner - New Jersey
NOTICE OF UNPAID BALANCE AND RIGHT TO FILE LIEN
To the Clerk of [COUNTY] County, New Jersey:
In accordance with the Construction Lien Law, P.L.1993, c.318, notice is given as follows.
1. Claimant and Property
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Claimant legal name | [NAME] |
| Claimant type | ☐ Individual ☐ Partnership ☐ Corporation ☐ LLC ☐ Other: [TYPE] |
| Claimant business address | [ADDRESS] |
| Owner of property subject to potential lien | [OWNER NAME] |
| Property municipality | [MUNICIPALITY] |
| County | [COUNTY] |
| Tax map block | [BLOCK] |
| Tax map lot | [LOT] |
| Street address | [ADDRESS] |
| Interest against which lien may be claimed | ☐ Owner ☐ Unit owner ☐ Community association ☐ Other: [DESCRIBE] |
The Claimant has a potential construction lien in the amount calculated below for the value of work, services, material, or equipment provided.
2. Written Contract
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Contract date | [__/__/____] |
| Claimant contracted with | [NAME] |
| Contracting party role | ☐ Owner ☐ Unit owner ☐ Community association ☐ Contractor ☐ Subcontractor |
| Contracting party address | [ADDRESS] |
| Initial contract amount | $[AMOUNT] |
| Executed amendments / change orders | $[AMOUNT] |
For a supplier, attach the qualifying signed delivery or order documentation and identify the project to which it relates.
3. Work, Services, Material, or Equipment
- [DESCRIPTION]
- [DESCRIPTION]
- [DESCRIPTION]
Last date provided for which payment is claimed: [__/__/____]
4. Lien Claim Calculation
| Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|
| A. Initial contract price | $[AMOUNT] |
| B. Executed amendments / change orders | $[AMOUNT] |
| C. Total contract price: A + B | $[AMOUNT] |
| D. If incomplete, contract value of completed work or items provided | $[AMOUNT] |
| E. Applicable total from C or D | $[AMOUNT] |
| F. Agreed credits | $[AMOUNT] |
| G. Amount paid to date | $[AMOUNT] |
| Total lien claim amount: E - (F + G) | $[AMOUNT] |
5. Residential Status
The written contract ☐ is ☐ is not a residential construction contract as defined by N.J.S.A. § 2A:44A-2.
If it is residential:
- Lodge this Notice for record within 60 days after the last date identified above.
- Serve it under N.J.S.A. § 2A:44A-7.
- Unless the parties agreed in writing to another dispute-resolution mechanism, serve the arbitration demand and institute the expedited proceeding within 10 days after lodging this Notice.
- Do not lodge the residential lien claim until the statutory arbitration process is completed; the lien claim must be lodged no later than 10 days after receipt of the arbitrator's determination and within 120 days after the last furnishing date.
For a nonresidential contract, this Notice is not a substitute for the lien claim required by N.J.S.A. § 2A:44A-6. A lien claim generally must be lodged within 90 days after the last furnishing date.
6. Certification
The undersigned represents that the information in this Notice is true to the best of the undersigned's knowledge and that the amount claimed is calculated from the written contract and qualifying amendments, less applicable credits and payments.
Claimant: [CLAIMANT NAME]
By: ____________________________________
Name: [NAME]
Title / capacity: [TITLE]
Date: [__/__/____]
7. Filing and Service Record
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Date lodged for record | [__/__/____] |
| County clerk reference | [BOOK / PAGE / INSTRUMENT NUMBER] |
| Owner served | [DATE AND METHOD] |
| Contractor / subcontractor served | [DATE AND METHOD] |
| Community association served, if applicable | [DATE AND METHOD] |
| Arbitration demand served, if residential | [DATE AND METHOD] |
Deadline Note
The Notice of Unpaid Balance is effective for 90 days, or for a residential claim 120 days, from the last furnishing date stated in the Notice. Under N.J.S.A. § 2A:44A-14, an action to enforce a filed lien claim must be commenced within one year of the last furnishing date, or within 30 days after receipt of a qualifying written demand to commence the action.
Sources and References
- New Jersey Construction Lien Law, current unannotated statutes: https://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/nxt/gateway.dll/statutes/1/112/1469
- N.J.S.A. § 2A:44A-3: https://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/nxt/gateway.dll/statutes/1/112/1460
About this template
- Last updated
- July 14, 2026
- Citations checked
- July 14, 2026
- Jurisdiction
- New Jersey
- Category
- Real Estate
Legal authority
- N.J.S.A. § 2A:44A-20 (Notice of Unpaid Balance and Right to File Lien)
- N.J.S.A. § 2A:44A-21 (additional residential-construction requirements)
- N.J.S.A. §§ 2A:44A-6 to -7 (lien filing and service)
- N.J.S.A. § 2A:44A-14 (deadline to enforce lien claim)
Real estate documents transfer ownership, define who can use a property, and record agreements between buyers, sellers, landlords, and tenants. Deeds, purchase agreements, leases, and easements have to be drafted to meet state recording requirements, and mistakes show up at closing or years later in title disputes. Good real estate paperwork moves transactions forward quickly and avoids the kind of problems that only surface when it is time to sell or refinance.
Not legal advice
This template is provided for informational purposes. We recommend having an attorney review any legal document before signing, especially for high-value or complex matters.
Checked against the law it cites
A reviewer verified this template's legal citations against the official source on July 14, 2026.
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