45-522 RELEASE OF LIEN ON REAL PROPERTY BY POSTING SURETY BOND -- ACTION AGAINST DEBTOR AND SURETY -- PREFERENTIAL SETTINGS.
LIENS, MORTGAGES AND PLEDGES
CHAPTER 5
LIENS OF MECHANICS AND MATERIALMEN
45-522. Release of lien on real property by posting surety bond -- Action against debtor and surety -- Preferential settings. (1) The lien claimant is entitled to bring an action against the lien claimant’s debtor and to join therein the surety on the bond. The rights of the lien claimant include and the court may award to him in that action:
(a) The amount found due to the lien claimant by the court;
(b) The cost of preparing and filing the lien claim, including attorney’s fees, if any;
(c) The costs of the proceedings;
(d) Attorney’s fees for representation of the lien claimant in the proceedings; and
(e) Interest at the rate of seven percent (7%) per annum on the amount found due to the lien claimant and from the date found by the court that the sum was due and payable.
(2) Proceedings under subsection (1) of this section are entitled to priority of hearing second only to criminal hearings. The plaintiff in the action may serve upon the adverse party a "demand for thirty (30) day setting" in the proper form, and file the demand with the clerk of the court. Upon filing, the clerk of the court shall, before Friday next, vacate a case or cases as necessary and set the lien claimant’s case for hearing, on a day or days certain, to be heard within thirty (30) days of the filing of the "demand for thirty (30) day setting." Only one (1) such preferential setting need be given by the court, unless the hearing date is vacated without stipulation of counsel for the plaintiff in writing. If the hearing date is vacated without that stipulation, upon service and filing of a "demand for thirty (30) day setting," a new preferential setting must be given.