Cuevas Machine Company v. Calgon Carbon: Mississippi Lien Validity Certification

This episode details a Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals case regarding the validity of construction liens under Mississippi law. The dispute centers on whether Cuevas Machine Company properly established its liens against Calgon Carbon Corporation by attaching invoices rather than explicitly stating the final date of service within the lien filing. Because state statutes require the "last date" of work to be specified for a lien to be enforceable, the court found the existing legal precedents to be conflicting and unclear. Consequently, the federal court has certified the question to the Mississippi Supreme Court to determine if such invoices satisfy the strict statutory requirements. The final resolution will define whether these multi-million dollar claims are legally binding or void due to technical non-compliance.