Unpaid on a job in Minneapolis or anywhere else in Hennepin County? LevelSet Collections prepares, records and serves Hennepin County mechanics liens for contractors, subcontractors and suppliers on jobs from downtown Minneapolis and Bloomington to Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, Maple Grove and the Lake Minnetonka cities. We have filed more than 1,100 liens since 2020, and one all-inclusive price covers the whole Hennepin filing.
Quick answer: A Hennepin County mechanics lien is recorded with the Hennepin County Recorder – Registrar of Titles in the Government Center in Minneapolis, on the abstract records or on the certificate of title if the land is Torrens. It has to be recorded and served on the owner within 120 days of your last work. See the full Minnesota deadlines and statutes.
Where Hennepin County liens are recorded
Hennepin County liens are recorded by the Recorder – Registrar of Titles in the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 South 6th Street, A-tower, in Minneapolis. Walk-in recording is by appointment, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the 7th floor, and mailed documents go to the County Recorder/Registrar of Titles at Mail Code 074.
Hennepin accepts e-recording through five approved vendors: CSC/Ingeo, eRecording Partners Network, Hopdox, Indecomm Global Services and Simplifile. The county says e-recorded documents are recorded within 1 to 3 days, while mailed originals take 1 to 2 weeks to come back. With a 120-day deadline, that difference matters, so we e-record.
Torrens or abstract: the Hennepin County question
One office handles both systems, but they are separate records. Abstract land is recorded in the recorder’s records. Torrens, or registered, land has a certificate of title, and once land is registered, documents are supposed to be recorded on that certificate, not in the abstract records. Putting a lien in the wrong set of records is the Hennepin-specific mistake to avoid.
The county’s property information search shows whether a parcel is Torrens or abstract. It searches by property address, property ID number or addition name, shows the tax parcel description and sales information, and lists recently recorded documents for the property. We check Torrens status and the owner of record there before drafting, then pull the legal description from the deed or certificate of title.
Cities we file in across Hennepin County
Hennepin County has 45 cities. The largest include Minneapolis, Bloomington, Brooklyn Park, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Edina and St. Louis Park, and the list runs down to small lake cities like Excelsior, Tonka Bay and Spring Park.
A few sit on county lines. St. Anthony is partly in Ramsey County, and most of Chanhassen is in Carver County. A lien on the Ramsey or Carver side has to be recorded in that county, not in Minneapolis.
Hennepin work runs from apartments and mixed-use buildings in Minneapolis to office and medical interiors in the southwest suburbs and new subdivisions in the northwest. On the public side, the METRO Blue Line Extension light rail is planned from Target Field Station through North Minneapolis, Robbinsdale and Crystal to Brooklyn Park, with a 2020 to 2030 project window and design still underway. Public transit work runs on payment bonds, not liens.
What sinks liens in Hennepin County
- Recording a Torrens lien as abstract. On registered land, the lien belongs on the certificate of title. Check the property search before anything is filed.
- Mailing it in late. Mailed originals take 1 to 2 weeks. On day 110, that can push a lien past 120 days.
- Recording but not serving. The owner has to be served personally or by certified mail within the same 120 days.
- The wrong side of a county line. St. Anthony straddles Hennepin and Ramsey, and most of Chanhassen is in Carver County.
- A missing pre-lien notice. On homes and smaller commercial jobs, subs and suppliers needed to give the owner notice within 45 days of first furnishing. See the Minnesota deadline table.
How LevelSet handles a Hennepin County lien
- Intake. You send the job address, who hired you, your invoices, your first and last days on the job and a copy of any pre-lien notice.
- Statutory form. We check Torrens or abstract status in the Hennepin property search and prepare the sworn Minnesota lien statement with the legal description, dates and pre-lien notice statement.
- Notarization. Matt Rush signs and swears to the statement as agent for the claimant before a notary.
- Recording. We e-record it with the Hennepin County Recorder or Registrar of Titles, whichever the land requires.
- Service. Within the same 120 days we serve the owner by certified mail and send a copy to the general contractor.
Example: a Hennepin County deadline walk-through
Example: An electrical subcontractor starts work on a Minneapolis duplex remodel on March 9 and finishes July 31. The pre-lien notice to the owner is due by April 23 (45 days after first furnishing). The lien statement has to be recorded with the Hennepin County Recorder or Registrar of Titles, and served on the owner, by November 28 (120 days after July 31).
Hennepin County lien deadline passed?
The lien may be gone, but the money is still owed. We go after the contractor or customer on your Twin Cities job through construction collections on contingency, 10% to 33%, and you pay nothing if we don’t collect.
Other Minnesota counties we file in
Ramsey County · Dakota County · Anoka County
Minnesota’s notice, recording and service deadlines, with statute citations, are on our Minnesota mechanics lien page. We file in all 87 Minnesota counties.
Pricing
Liens $199 to $500, including recording fees, notarizing and serving. Pre-lien notices $100. Typical turnaround 2 business days. No minimum. Call (469) 694-8003, Monday through Friday, 8am to 7pm.
Frequently asked questions
Where do you file a Hennepin County mechanics lien?
With the Hennepin County Recorder – Registrar of Titles, Government Center A-tower, 300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis. Abstract liens go in the recorder’s records; liens on Torrens land go on the certificate of title.
How do I know if my Hennepin County job is Torrens?
The county’s property information search shows whether a parcel is Torrens or abstract. We check it on every Hennepin job before the lien is drafted.
How fast does Hennepin County record an e-recorded lien?
The county says e-recorded documents are recorded within 1 to 3 days of submission. Mailed documents take 1 to 2 weeks.
Is a St. Anthony job a Hennepin County lien?
Only if the parcel is on the Hennepin side. St. Anthony is partly in Ramsey County, so we confirm the county before recording.
This page is general information, not legal advice. LevelSet Collections is not a law firm; we prepare and file liens and notices as agent for the claimant. Deadlines change and depend on the facts of your job. We'll check your dates against the statute before filing. Lien laws are constantly changing. Contact us for the most up-to-date information.
Owed money on a Minneapolis-area job?
Liens $199 to $500, recording, notarizing and serving included. E-recorded in Hennepin County, usually in 2 business days. Call (469) 694-8003.
