Whenever someone provides any kind of storage, maintenance, repair, or similar services to an aircraft, they legally can assert a lien on that airplane, which means that they are retaining possession until they are paid for the services in question. This process by which a service provider can ensure proper payment is called an airplane claim of lien. The lien claimant will usually implement this process when they haven’t received payment, so it’s hopefully not something you will have to do that often. But, in case you need to file one of these claims, we can go over the process here.
How to File Your Airplane Claim of Lien
If you are looking to file a good and effective aircraft claim of lien with the FAA, then you will have to ensure you include all the relevant information along with it. This way, the lien will be properly recorded and you won’t have to deal with any potential issues arising from the situation. Remember that your claim will always need to include the following data:
- The total amount of the claim.
- A description of the airplane, including its N number, the name of the manufacturer, its model designation, and the serial number.
- The specific dates on which the labor, the materials, or the services were last provided.
- The signature in ink of the claimant must also show the signer’s title as appropriate.
- A recording fee of USD 5 for each aircraft affected by the claim by way of a check or money order made payable to the Federal Aviation Administration. As stated in the Federal Aviation Administration site.
What Should You Do Next?
Have you checked that your claim of lien includes all this information? Well, then it will be ready to submit. Once you have properly perfected the lien, the airplane claim of lien will encumber the aircraft and usually prevent the owner from selling it before obtaining a release from the claimant. It’s important to note that often a common defense against a claim of lien is that it was not perfected properly. This could happen if it wasn’t filed within the right time frame following completion of the work, or if the lien claimant did not follow the proper procedure at the time of perfecting it. It’s also fairly common for the defendant to insist that the claimant is asking for a larger amount of money than they are entitled to, which could further invalidate the overall claim.
Submitting Your FAA Paperwork and Documentation
Here at the National Aviation Center, we know just how stressful paperwork can be, especially when you’re probably busy with more important stuff. All the forms you might need regarding your registration with the Federal Aviation Administration can be found here on our platform for you to fill out, submit, and process without issue. Whatever you need, you will find on our website, and should you need help at some point, you can always count on our team to help you out with whatever you need. Feel free to reach out to us with your doubts, questions, and concerns about the process. We are here to help you get that airplane up and running.