6- The Stop Notice Foreclosure Action
In order to perfect your rights on the Stop Notice, you will need to file a lawsuit. The Stop Notice claim is typically part of a more involved and comprehensive lawsuit. It can be brought as a stand-alone litigation, but that is not typical. The Stop Notice foreclosure action is intended to determine your rights to the funds that are withheld. Unlike the Mechanic Lien foreclosure action, the Stop Notice lawsuit is not brought against the property but against the construction funds that are, or should be, available.
The parties to the Stop Notice foreclosure action are; 1- the lender or Owner, depending on whom you told to withhold the funds; 2- the party that you wanted the payment from in the first place, either the General or the Owner, whoever was not paying you; or 3, if there is a Stop Notice Release Bond or if there is a payment bond for the project, then the surety that issued the Bond is a required party. You do not need to name any other parties in the Stop Notice cause of action. The action is to determine your rights to the funds being withheld because of your Stop Notice.
