(a) A lien claimant shall be entitled to an order or award for reimbursement from the employer of a lien filing fee or lien activation fee, together with interest at the rate allowed on civil judgments, only if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) Not less than 30 days before filing the lien for which the filing fee was paid or filing the declaration of readiness for which the lien activation fee was paid, the lien claimant has made written demand for settlement of the lien claim for a clearly stated sum which shall be inclusive of all claims of debt, interest, penalty, or other claims potentially recoverable on the lien.
(2) The defendant fails to accept the settlement demand in writing within 20 days of receipt of the demand for settlement, or within any additional time as may be provide by the written demand.
(3) After submission of the lien dispute to the appeals board or an arbitrator, a final award is made in favor of the lien claimant of a specified sum that is equal to or greater than the amount of the settlement demand. The amount of the interest and filing fee or lien activation fee shall not be considered in determining whether the award is equal to or greater than the demand.
(b) This section shall not preclude an order or award of reimbursement of the filing fee or activation fee pursuant to the express terms of an agreed disposition of a lien dispute.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 217, Sec. 4. (AB 2732) Effective January 1, 2015.)