I haven't got anything to match your curiosities, although...there is Eli the cat, who immediately throws himself into the litter box as soon as it's cleaned and gives himself a litter bath (Yuck). The most startling of your points for me was that business about the right of first lien. Obviously a legality designed to ensnare unknowing landowners. Horrible!
Eli is hilarious! LOL
Yes, that first lien crap is really messed up. The guy at the title company explained it to me when we were closing. More like warned me really. Though I intend to self-finance, I don't want to close off my options just by having someone talk about possibly building with me while standing on the land.