Former NFL Player Accuses Contractor of Filing Bogus Liens

Allegations of Bogus Liens

• 🏈 Former NFL player Terrence Shaw alleges that contractor Lewis Wagner filed a massive lien on his home for work that was never completed.
• 🏠 Shaw hired Wagner for repairs after flood and fire damage in March 2023, but claims no significant repairs were made over five months.
• 💰 The insurance company paid Wagner $7,700 for his work, but Wagner subsequently filed a lien for $354,000 and later a second lien for over $1 million.
• ⚠️ Shaw describes Wagner's actions as a "blindside move," highlighting how liens can be used to exert pressure on property owners.

Legal Ramifications of Liens

• ⚖️ A lien is a legal claim on a property, essentially a demand for money, that can prevent a property owner from having full control or selling their property unless the debt is settled.
• 📄 The Shaws filed a lawsuit to have the liens declared invalid, questioning the contractor's lack of receipts for claimed expenses.
• ⚔️ Despite agreeing to lift the initial liens, Wagner filed a countersuit for $354,000, claiming the Shaws were unjustly enriched by his work.

Similar Accusations Against the Contractor

• 💧 Genevieve Eversley also hired Wagner for flood damage repairs in 2022 and claims he caused more damage than he fixed.
• 💸 Eversley discovered Wagner had filed a $33,000 lien against her property without her knowledge, leading to a small claims court judgment against Wagner's company.
• 🚫 A judge ordered Wagner's lien against Eversley's property to be removed, and she has not yet received the awarded payment.

Calls for Reform

• 📜 Both Eversley and the Shaws believe the rules surrounding the filing and removal of liens need to be changed to better protect homeowners.
• 🗣️ They emphasize the importance of homeowners conducting thorough due diligence when hiring contractors.