Of the many tools available to a woodworker, one that they really hate to use is the mechanic's lien.  I am currently learning the ropes on how it works.

When you start a project you truly hope that things will go smoothly.  The objective is to provide value to the client that they are willing to pay for.  In the contracting business there is what I call the dance of risks.  At the start of the typical job the customer assumes all the risk.  They may check out the contractor as best they can but then they hand over a deposit, sometimes a substantial one, and the contractor walks out the door.  What follows can be anything from the beginning of a beautiful friendship, to never seeing the contractor or my money again.

At the end of the project, the dancers swing their partners around.  Now the contractor has provided the materials and the labor, and has probably far exceeded the deposit.  Maybe he got a progress payment or payments along the way.  But at the end, it is the client holding the cards, or rather the check, and he may not choose to hand it over.  Has anyone been there before?