MD mechanic's lien discharge bonds.
Clear the title. Keep moving.

A mechanic's lien freezes everything it touches — closings, refinances, draws. A discharge bond swaps the surety's guarantee for the property, so the lien comes off the title. Flat 3%, 48-hour underwriter response.

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Discharges the lien without paying the claim — you keep every defense you have

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Courts typically set the bond at the lien amount plus a margin for costs and fees

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Same rate for everyone — 3% flat, posted, no leverage games when you're in a hurry

48 hrsunderwriter responseA-ratedA.M. Best carriers$50Maggregate capacity

Trusted by industry leaders

How it works

From frozen title to discharged lien.

Every day the lien sits on the title costs you leverage, interest, or a closing date. Here's the entire process:

TODAY · 5 MINUTES

Apply + send the lien documents

The application plus a copy of the lien claim and any court documents — that's the file. Send documents to underwriting right after you submit; everything is reviewed together.

WITHIN 48 HOURS

A human underwrites it

A licensed underwriter reviews the lien, the dispute, and your file. Larger or heavily contested liens can require financials — you'll get one checklist, once.

ON APPROVAL

File & discharge

The executed bond is filed with the circuit court (or deposited as the court orders), the property is released from the lien, and your closing, refinance, or draw schedule starts moving again.

The whole pricing page.

Bond amount × 3% = your premium, one-time, $275 minimum. A $100,000 lien with the court-set margin typically means roughly a $110,000 bond — about $3,300.

$50,000 lien → ~$55K bond

$1,650

$100,000 lien → ~$110K bond

$3,300

$500,000 lien → ~$550K bond

$16,500

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What a discharge bond actually does

When a contractor, sub, or supplier establishes a mechanic's lien, the property itself becomes their security. Until it's resolved, title companies won't close, lenders won't fund, and draws stop. Maryland's lien statute lets the owner swap the property out and a surety bond in — in an amount the court determines.

The property is then released from the lien. The dispute itself continues — bonding off a lien is not paying it and not admitting it's valid. If the lienor ultimately proves the claim, the bond pays; if they don't, it expires with the dispute.

That makes this the rare bond bought for leverage: you stop negotiating with your closing date held hostage and start negotiating on the merits of the claim.

MD Real Property §9-106Maryland's mechanics' lien law (Real Property Article §9-106) lets a property owner obtain release of a lien by filing a bond with the circuit court — in an amount the court sets, sufficient to cover the claim plus damages and reasonable attorney's fees, with surety approved under the Maryland Rules. In lieu of a bond, a party may deposit cash in the same amount. Your attorney handles the filing; we handle the bond.

You need this bond if you're

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A property owner with a lien blocking a sale, refinance, or construction loan draw

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A general contractor whose sub's lien is jamming the owner relationship — many GC contracts require you to bond liens off

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A developer who needs clean title on a schedule the dispute won't respect

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Disputing the lien itself — bonding it off preserves every defense while freeing the property

Five minutes, plus your lien documents.

Submit the application, then send the lien claim and any court documents to underwriting — a licensed underwriter reviews the full file and responds within 48 hours.

Start the application →

FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

Does bonding off the lien pay the contractor? +

No. The bond substitutes for the property as security — nothing is paid to the lienor when the bond is filed. The underlying dispute continues exactly as before, except your title is clean. If the lienor eventually proves the claim in court, the bond responds; if not, it doesn't.

How is the bond amount set? +

The circuit court sets it under Real Property §9-106 — generally the lien amount plus a margin the court believes sufficient for damages and reasonable attorney's fees. Your attorney or the court order will state the exact figure; use that number in the application.

How much does it cost? +

A flat 3% of the bond amount, one time, $275 minimum. A $110,000 bond runs $3,300. The rate is posted and identical for everyone — no surge pricing because you have a closing on Friday.

How fast can this happen? +

Submit the application and the lien/court documents today, and a licensed underwriter responds within 48 hours. Straightforward liens move fastest; large or heavily contested liens can take longer if financials are needed. The filing itself is then your attorney's same-day errand.

Will I need collateral or financials? +

It depends on the size of the lien and the shape of the dispute. Smaller, clearly documented liens are often approved from the application alone; larger or messier ones can require financial statements. Either way you'll get one checklist, once — and a soft credit check that never affects your score.

Does bonding off the lien mean admitting it's valid? +

No. Filing a discharge bond is expressly not an admission — you keep every defense, offset, and counterclaim you had. Most owners and GCs bond liens off precisely so they can fight them properly.

Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

Get the lien off the title this week.

Five-minute application, flat 3%, underwriter response within 48 hours. Your attorney files; the project moves.

Start application Talk to a specialist

Your premium @ 3%$3,300

Apply now →