Congratulations on getting paid.  LandAmerica is now a part of the largest underwriter in the country - it amazes me that they can't manage to pay their abstractors in a timely manner.  I went through a similar experience with another Fidelity company not too long ago.  If I wanted to pull teeth I would have went to dental school.

But... under what authority could you have filed those liens?  I certainly do not know the law in every state, but I did some research at one point on this issue and I can only recall one state that allowed abstractors to file liens for work they had performed (I believe it was New Mexico).  Filing a lien without a legal right to do so could get an abstractor in trouble.  Perhaps this is something that Florida allows (I don't really know), but it is something that everyone should be careful trying.  Not all states would permit such liens and you could get sued by the property owner.

Best,
Robert A. Franco
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