Under California law, most licensed contractors or suppliers that provide labor, services, equipment, or materials on projects involving the common area of a community association are entitled to record a mechanic’s lien or issue a stop payment notice if they are not paid for their work or materials. Associations involved in such projects often receive 20-day “preliminary notices” from vendors and wonder what they are and what, if anything, they are supposed to do with them.   Read the entire article……………………………….