Mechanics liens; requiring original contractor to pay property owner's attorney fees and costs when subcontractor obtains lien on property if property owner paid original contractor and original contractor failed to pay subcontractor; effective date.

HB 4347 changes Oklahoma's mechanics lien law to require the original contractor, not the property owner, to pay the owner's attorney fees and costs if a subcontractor places a lien on the property. This directly affects property owners who have paid the original contractor in full but face lien claims due to the contractor's failure to pay subcontractors. The bill amends Section 143 of the Oklahoma Statutes to mandate that the original contractor covers these fees when the owner paid the contractor as agreed but the contractor didn't pay the subcontractor. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.