Simkins Lumber Company filed right-to-claim liens against four separate Lewis and Clark County property owners on July 29, a single-day sweep that signals the Helena-area lumber supplier may be pursuing unpaid materials bills across multiple active job sites.
The four liens — recorded the same day against Ronald C. Askin, Downtown Properties LLC, Shawn B. Toney, and Linda Melaney — bring Simkins Lumber's recent lien activity to five filings tied to five distinct properties, all drawn from the county recorder's lien index. A right-to-claim lien is a preliminary step under Montana's construction lien law, notifying a property owner that a supplier or contractor intends to place a lien on the property if payment is not made. It does not by itself establish a debt has gone to judgment.
The most substantial filing by property description is the lien against Downtown Properties LLC, which covers multiple lots in the Helena Townsite subdivision — specifically Lots 3, 4, 5, and 13 of Block 50, Section 30. That cluster of lots sits within the historic Helena Townsite plat, suggesting a commercial or multi-unit project. The lien against Linda Melaney lists a parcel in the French Minor Subdivision Amended, Lot A-1.
Simkins Lumber Company has operated in the Helena market as a building materials supplier. The concentration of filings on a single date suggests a coordinated collection effort rather than isolated disputes. Property owners named in a right-to-claim lien typically have a window to respond or settle before a full lien is perfected against the title. All four liens are available for review at the Lewis and Clark County Recorder's Office.