Services For The Trades

MERRITT  CREDIT  BUREAU, Inc. assists contractors and suppliers in several aspects of accounts receivable control.

We help you identify problem jobs before you become involved, as well as a complete Mechanics Lien and Notice Preparation Service to help you collect, if necessary.

How can you protect yourself and stay informed?

Get on-line with The Merritt History
Our Merritt History is a search of our selectively compiled database of Northeast Illinois commercial public records. You can search for lawsuits, judgments, bankruptcies, federal and state tax liens and releases and mechanics liens and releases. Our State of Illinois UCC database is also available.

All of our on-line services are available with multiple search options and print capabilities. You can search from anywhere at any time. It's easy and convenient. Before you take on any new job or customer, arm yourself with the best available information.

Get on-line with The Merritt Intelligence Report
Paying attention to current public records can keep you one step ahead of problems before they occur, especially in our current hazardous credit climate.

Our Construction Trades Bulletins, which are components of our Merritt Intelligence Reports, offer a unique way to monitor the construction industry in the Northeast Illinois area. There are two versions of the Construction Trades Bulletin: one issue covers Cook County records exclusively. A second issue covers DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will.

Both are available on-line. Both are published weekly and report current State of Illinois UCC-1 filings, suits and judgments, Federal and State tax liens and releases, mechanics liens and releases, bankruptcies, mechanics lien foreclosure suits, and new Illinois Corporations all relating specifically to the trades.

Call us for Mechanics Lien and Notice Service
We provide a full range of Mechanics Lien preparation for contractors and suppliers. The Mechanics Lien and Notice service includes researching recorded documents to find owners, legal description, mortgages and tax parcel numbers for any privately owned property in Illinois on which a mechanics lien must be placed. We then prepare and send the proper notices and record the lien if needed. For liens that must be placed on public jobs, we find bonding and all related information needed to send the proper notices.

Mechanics Lien and Notice Services

Subcontractor's Preliminary Notice of Lien:
This Notice is sent to the occupant of an existing owner-occupied single-family residence advising the occupant that you are providing materials or labor for construction being performed. This Notice is sent as a step in preserving your Lien rights.

Subcontractor's Ninety Day Notice of Lien:
Statutory Notice is sent to all necessary parties in order to preserve your Lien rights. Merritt obtains the legal description, finds ownership and mortgagees, and prepares and sends the Notice to all necessary parties.

Subcontractor's Lien:
Merritt obtains the legal description, find ownership and mortgagees and prepares and sends the Notice to all necessary parties.

Original Contractor's Lien:
Merritt obtains the legal description, finds ownership and mortgagees and prepares and records the Lien, sending the Notice to all necessary parties.

Lien on Public Funds / Bonds:
Merritt will prepare and file your Lien against funds for work or materials provided for publicly owned property. Notice is sent to all necessary parties to preserve your Lien and Bond claims.

Lien Pursuant to Miller Act / Bonds:
We will prepare and file your Lien against funds for work or materials provided for federally owned property. Notice is sent to all necessary parties to preserve your Lien and Bond claims.

Preparation of Release of Lien:
We will prepare and file your Release of Lien after payment of the delinquent account.

Recording costs are not included.

All notices and liens are reviewed by our Construction Attorney.

On-site and Extended Service:
We perform name and property searches, corporate / LLC status checks, bankruptcy checks, court case look-up, document retrieval, personal service of mechanic's liens and visual inspection of job sites and delivery points. Additional services are available.

for an excerpt from the Illinois Mechanics Lien Act concerning notice requirements go here

for an excerpt from the Illinois Mechanics Lien Act concerning liens against public funds go here

to see the Illinois Public Construction Bond Act go here

Contact Merritt Credit Bureau, Inc. at 312.781.9303 / fax 312.781-1999 or merrittsearch@gmail.com