In 2013, Maryland enacted a law that authorizes an employee who is owed wages to file a lien against his or her employer’s property. Maryland Labor & Employment Code section 3-1101 et seq. An employee asserts a lien for wages owed by preparing a Notice of Lien and serving it on the employer. An employer then has 30-days to file a lawsuit in Circuit Court to dispute the lien. If the employer does not dispute the lien, then the lien for unpaid wages is established.
If the wage lien is disputed, the court will hold a hearing to establish the amount of the lien; and the court can also award attorney’s fees to the employee.
The employee may then record the established wage lien against the employer’s real and personal property. The wage lien can be enforced by having the Sheriff sell the employer’s real and personal property.
