104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026
HB2501

 

Introduced 2/4/2025, by Rep. Travis Weaver

 

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
 
770 ILCS 60/1  from Ch. 82, par. 1

    Amends the Mechanics Lien Act. Provides that an agreement to waive any right to enforce or claim any lien under this Act, whether upon conditional or unconditional terms, or an agreement to subordinate the lien, where the agreement is in anticipation of and in consideration for the awarding of a contract, subcontract, or payment, either express or implied, to perform work or supply materials for an improvement upon real property is against public policy and unenforceable.


LRB104 09510 JRC 19573 b

 

 

A BILL FOR

 

HB2501LRB104 09510 JRC 19573 b

1    AN ACT concerning civil law.
 
2    Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3represented in the General Assembly:
 
4    Section 5. The Mechanics Lien Act is amended by changing
5Section 1 as follows:
 
6    (770 ILCS 60/1)  (from Ch. 82, par. 1)
7    Sec. 1. Contractor defined; amount of lien; waiver of
8lien; attachment of lien; agreement to waive; when not
9enforceable.
10    (a) Any person who shall by any contract or contracts,
11express or implied, or partly expressed or implied, with the
12owner of a lot or tract of land, or with one whom the owner has
13authorized or knowingly permitted to contract, to improve the
14lot or tract of land or for the purpose of improving the tract
15of land, or to manage a structure under construction thereon,
16is known under this Act as a contractor and has a lien upon the
17whole of such lot or tract of land and upon adjoining or
18adjacent lots or tracts of land of such owner constituting the
19same premises and occupied or used in connection with such lot
20or tract of land as a place of residence or business; and in
21case the contract relates to 2 or more buildings, on 2 or more
22lots or tracts of land, upon all such lots and tracts of land
23and improvements thereon for the amount due to him or her for

 

 

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1the material, fixtures, apparatus, machinery, services or
2labor, and interest at the rate of 10% per annum from the date
3the same is due. This lien extends to an estate in fee, for
4life, for years, or any other estate or any right of redemption
5or other interest that the owner may have in the lot or tract
6of land at the time of making such contract or may subsequently
7acquire and this lien attaches as of the date of the contract.
8    (b) As used in subsection (a) of this Section, "improve"
9means to furnish labor, services, material, fixtures,
10apparatus or machinery, forms or form work in the process of
11construction where cement, concrete or like material is used
12for the purpose of or in the building, altering, repairing or
13ornamenting any house or other building, walk or sidewalk,
14whether the walk or sidewalk is on the land or bordering
15thereon, driveway, fence or improvement or appurtenances to
16the lot or tract of land or connected therewith, and upon, over
17or under a sidewalk, street or alley adjoining; or fill, sod or
18excavate such lot or tract of land, or do landscape work
19thereon or therefor; or raise or lower any house thereon or
20remove any house thereto, or remove any house or other
21structure therefrom, or perform any services or incur any
22expense as an architect, structural engineer, professional
23engineer, land surveyor, registered interior designer, or
24property manager in, for, or on a lot or tract of land for any
25such purpose; or drill any water well thereon; or furnish or
26perform labor or services as superintendent, time keeper,

 

 

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1mechanic, laborer or otherwise, in the building, altering,
2repairing or ornamenting of the same; or furnish material,
3fixtures, apparatus, machinery, labor or services, forms or
4form work used in the process of construction where concrete,
5cement or like material is used, or drill any water well on the
6order of his agent, architect, structural engineer, registered
7interior designer, or superintendent having charge of the
8improvements, building, altering, repairing, or ornamenting
9the same.
10    (c) The taking of additional security by the contractor or
11sub-contractor is not a waiver of any right of lien which he
12may have by virtue of this Act, unless made a waiver by express
13agreement of the parties and the waiver is not prohibited by
14this Act.
15    (d) An agreement to waive any right to enforce or claim any
16lien under this Act whether upon conditional or unconditional
17terms, or an agreement to subordinate the lien, where the
18agreement is in anticipation of and in consideration for the
19awarding of a contract, or subcontract, or payment, either
20express or implied, to perform work or supply materials for an
21improvement upon real property is against public policy and
22unenforceable. This Section does not prohibit release of lien
23under subsection (b) of Section 35 of this Act, nor does it
24prohibit an agreement to subordinate a mechanics lien to a
25mortgage lien that secures a construction loan if that
26agreement is made after more than 50% of the loan has been

 

 

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1disbursed to fund improvements to the property.
2(Source: P.A. 100-920, eff. 8-17-18.)