For those who provide services to aircraft, there’s a document that will be important to keep in mind. This is the aircraft claim of lien, and you’ll want to remember a few things when submitting an application for one.
Here’s how to File a Proper Aircraft Claim of Lien
When someone provides any sort of storage, maintenance, or repair services to an aircraft, they need a sense of security regarding payment. This means that there should be a way to enforce the tacit agreement that they are going to receive payment for the services provided. Because of this, they have the ability to assert a lien on that airplane, retaining possession until they are paid for the services in question. 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. However, in case you need to file one of these claims, we’ll go over the process here.
Necessary Information
A claim of lien needs to be a very descriptive document by its own definition. After all, it needs to inform and certify all the data related to the claim over the aircraft and the services that were provided to it, necessitating the claim itself. Here is what every application for a claim needs to include:
- 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, which must also show the signer’s title as appropriate.
- A recording fee of $5 USD for each aircraft affected by the claim by way of a check or money order made payable to the Federal Aviation Administration.
How to Submit the Claim
Once you have made sure that you have all the right information, you can submit the application to the Federal Aviation Administration to make the claim official. The process will then encumber the airplane, preventing the owner from selling it before getting a release from the claimant. A common defense against a claim of lien is that it was not perfected properly, which might happen if it either wasn’t filed within the proper time frame following completion of the work or if the claimant didn’t follow the procedure in order to perfect it. The defendant might also insist that the claimant is asking for a larger amount of money than they are entitled to, which could further invalidate the overall claim. Pay attention to these so that you don’t make any of these mistakes.
Submitting FAA Documentation
Submitting any form of official documentation will always call for good attention to detail and care, which is why we’ve made it easier for you to file documents with the Federal Aviation Administration. Here at the National Aviation Center, you will be able to find all the forms you need, including the one for a claim of lien, for you to fill out and submit to the FAA. If you need help at some point, you can always give us a call at 1-800-357-0893 or email us at info@nationalaviationcenter.us.