N.Y. Lien Law § 42

§ 42. Enforcement of a lien under contract for a public improvement. A\nlien for labor done or materials furnished for a public improvement may\nbe enforced against the funds of the state or the public corporation for\nwhich such public improvement is constructed or demolished, to the\nextent prescribed in article two of this chapter, and against the\ncontractor or subcontractor liable for the debt, by a civil action, in\nthe same court and in the same manner as a mechanic's lien on real\nproperty.\n