In the majority of cases courts have declared that, in the absence of a valid claim under a state's mechanic lien statute, the contractor is not precluded from pursuing whatever common-law actions are available. See Lockhart v. O'Neal, 253 Ala. 254, 255-56, 44 So.2d 17, 17-18 (1950); Madison Highlands Dev. Co. v. Dean Son Plumbing Co., 415 So.2d 1129, 1131 (Ala.Civ.App. 1982); Great W. Sav. Bank v. George W. Easley Co., 778 P.2d 569, 578 (Alaska 1989); Phoenix Title Trust Co. v. Garrett, 73 Ariz. 55, 56-57, 237 P.2d 470, 471 (1951); Nibbi Bros., Inc. v. Brannan St. Investors, 205 Cal.App.3d 1415, 1421-23, 253 Cal.Rptr. 289, 293 (1988); Robinson v. Peardon, 112 Cal.App.2d 794, 795, 247 P.2d 83, 83 (1952); Hayutin v. Gibbons, 139 Colo. 262, 265-67, 338 P.2d 1032, 1035 (1959); J. Batten Corp. v. Oakridge Inv. 85, Ltd., 546 So.2d 68, 69 (Fla.App. 1989); Cato v. David Excavating Co., 435 N.E.2d 597, 606 (Ind. App. 1982); Rafaelsen v. Olson, 174 Kan. 86, 86-87, 254 P.2d 268, 269 (1953); Poulos v. Stewart, 313 Ky. 812, 815, 233 S.W.2d 994, 996 (1950); Friedman v. Stein, 4 N.J. 34, 44-46, 71 A.2d 346, 351-52 (1950); Brook-Hattan Utils., Inc. v. 893 Constr. Corp., 180 A.D.2d 660, 579 N.Y.S.2d 705, 706 (N.Y.App. Div. 1992) (mem.); Wiggins v. Southwood Park Corp., 221 Or. 61, 65-67, 350 P.2d 436, 438 (1960); Neiderhauser Builders Dev. Corp. v. Campbell, 824 P.2d 1193, 1196 (Utah App. 1992); West Virginia Sanitary Eng'g Corp. v. Kurish, 137

The existence of a contract, in turn, requires “an offer including all essential terms, an unequivocal acceptance of those terms by the offeree, consideration, and an intent to be bound by the contract....” See Great W. Sav. Bank v. George W. Easley Co., 778 P.2d 569, 577–78 (Alaska 1989) (finding that a complaint was sufficient where it alleged that the parties had a contractual obligation, that the other party breached the contract, and that the plaintiff suffered damages); Winn v. Mannhalter, 708 P.2d 444, 450 (Alaska 1985) (“Causation is a required element in an action for breach of contract”); cf., e.g., Ledcor Indus. (USA) Inc. v. Virginia Surety Co., No. C09–1807RSM, 2011 WL 6140957, at *7 (W.D.Wash. Dec. 9, 2011) (stating that under Washington law, “The elements of a cause of action for breach of contract are: (1) the existence of a legal duty under the contract; (2) breach of that duty; and (3) damages proximately caused by the breach.” (citation omitted)); Gray v. Carolina Energy Solutions, LLC, No. CV–10–0698–PHX–NVW, 2010 WL 2691563, at *5 (D.Ariz. July 6, 2010) (“To establish a claim for breach of contract in Arizona, a plaintiff must prove the existence of an enforceable contract, a breach of that contract, and damages caused by the breach.”

Under Alaska law, “[i]n order to assert a claim for breach of contract, a plaintiff must generally allege: (1) the existence of a contract; (2) breach; (3) causation; and (4) damages.” Nicdao v. Chase Home Fin., 839 F.Supp.2d 1051, 1068 (D.Alaska 2012) (citing Great W. Sav. Bank v. George W. Easley Co., 778 P.2d 569, 577–78 (Alaska 1989) ; Winn v. Mannhalter, 708 P.2d 444, 450 (Alaska 1985) ). Under New York law, the elements of a cause of action for breach of contract are “(1) the existence of a contract between [the plaintiff] and [the] defendant; (2) performance of the plaintiff's obligations under the contract; (3) breach of the contract by [the] defendant; and (4) damages to the plaintiff caused by [the] defendant's breach.