Civil Litigation & Mechanic’s Liens

Maine’s mechanic lien statutory law, as well as related statutes pertaining to late construction payments and the Home Construction Contract Act, serve to alter the landscape between litigants. In order to be made whole on delinquent payments for construction services, Mechanic’s Liens are an effective tool for enforcing and protecting your rights.  However, there are certain formalities and strict timelines that apply.  If you miss one of the deadlines, you very likely miss out on taking an interest in the property you worked on as collateral.  As such, it is important you speak with someone with experience in these matters.  If you are a commercial or residential contractor seeking to protect your rights to be paid, or if your litigation dispute involves construction, call us today and let our attorneys make sure your hard work is rewarded.

The attorneys at Ainsworth, Thelin & Raftice, P.A. represent over five hundred businesses and work closely with business owners to identify potential problems and resolve them before they become costly drains on the business.  Unfortunately, many business owners have to go to court at one time or another to protect their interests.  Our substantial business knowledge – combined with extensive courtroom experience – provides our business clients with profound advantages when litigation becomes necessary.  Whether you have an issue with a former employee, another business, or a regulatory body, the attorneys at Ainsworth, Thelin & Raftice, P.A. are available to minimize the impact on your operation.

Once a person is deceased, they can no longer clarify what their intentions were regarding their assets.  Families and others sometimes disagree on what transpired prior to the death of their loved ones and sometimes the written record does not clear up that dispute.  When this happens, it is often necessary to get the court to intervene.

What can you do if a neighbor claims and/or treats your property as his/her own?  You have signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement and now the other party is trying to back; or in reverse, you signed a Purchase and Sale Agreement and now disagree with the terms; what are your options?  You may have a construction contract and feel that the contractor is not performing as per the agreement; what do you do?

Property issues often become deeply personal due to the natural attachment to one’s own property and the fact that real property is often a person’s most valuable asset or assets.  Disputes over Purchase and Sale Agreements, boundary issues, construction contracts and use of property can all become very intense.  Our attorneys’ extensive background in all aspects of real estate are ideal for helping you with your real estate litigation issues.

An action to quiet title is simply a lawsuit brought to determine the true ownership of real or personal property having a title.  Who holds title is incredibly important as that is the crux of ownership.  If you do not hold title to the property, you do not own it and likely have no real rights to it.

Contract law is a broad concept that is generally going to be more factually intense than other types of litigation.  Contract litigation can be for monetary damages, injunctive relief to prevent a party from taking some action, or for what is known as specific performance, which means to force the party in breach to do as they promised in the contract.

The attorneys at Ainsworth, Thelin & Raftice, P.A. are well-versed in contract law and litigation procedure.  Our attorneys will go through your case with a fine-toothed comb starting with the parties pre-contractual dealings in order to discern the parties’ intent, the actions between the parties the parties after the contract was executed, and the circumstances relating to the dispute as well as the actual language of the contract. 

Civil litigation is a process to resolve a dispute between two or more parties. It is the broad term for any legal dispute that is not attempting to impose criminal sanctions.  Rather, civil litigants are seeking specific actions or money damages. If you are involved in civil litigation, there are many procedural rules and deadlines that must be adhered to.  Without professional assistance, the litigation process is a long and daunting one.  Do not take chances with your case by going it alone; call us today to discuss your issue and how we can help you.  When it comes to advocating for clients in a court of law, there is no substitute for experience and success. The attorneys at Ainsworth, Thelin & Raftice, P.A. have extensive experience representing clients in the courtroom and know what is at stake and how to get you the best result possible.  Whether you are the plaintiff or the defendant, we are available to help you with any issue you may have.