An airplane claim of lien is the process by which a service provider can ensure proper payment. When someone is providing storage, maintenance, repair, or other services to an aircraft, they have the ability to assert a lien on that airplane, retaining possession until they are paid for the services in question. Now, 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.
Filing a Proper Airplane Claim of Lien
Now, in order to submit a good and effective aircraft claim of lien, you will need to make sure 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 stemming from it. Your claim needs to always include the following:
- 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.
What to Do Next?
Have you made sure your claim of lien includes all this information? Well, then it will be ready to submit. Once the lien has been perfected, the airplane claim of lien encumbers the aircraft and usually prevents 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 might happen if it wasn’t filed within the proper 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 Aircraft Documentation Forms
Submitting forms to government agencies always ends up being more complicated than it should be. Between all the requirements and the complicated forms, it’s surprising anyone ever gets any form processed promptly at all. Because of this, it’s important to find easy and convenient ways to fill out and submit forms that don’t involve dealing directly with the government. That is why we at the National Aviation Center make it easier for you to find and submit all your forms, including the one to perfect a claim of lien. Should you need any help, you can use our website chat, fill out our contact form, or give us a call at 1-800-357-0893 and we’ll answer your questions in no time.