Most second-tier Miller Act subs and suppliers understand that in order to recover under a prime contractor’s Miller Act payment bond, written notice of the claim must be made to the contractor “within 90 days from the date on which the person did or performed the last of the labor or furnished or supplied the last of the material for which the claim is made.” 40 U.S.C.A. § 3133(b)(2). With that 90-day rule in mind, consider the following hypothetical:
You’re a second-tier supplier who last furnished materials to a first-tier subcontractor on a Fort Bragg project on December 13, 2013. Today is the 89th day since your last furnishing, and you still haven’t been paid. Realizing your claim notice deadline is fast approaching, you send your claim to the prime contractor by certified mail, return receipt requested this morning. The prime will receive the notice and sign the green card on March 14, the 91st day after your last furnishing. Was your notice of claim timely?
N.C. Construction Law, Policy & News 