SUBCHAPTER III—MARITIME LIENS
§31341. Persons presumed to have authority to procure necessaries
(a) The following persons are presumed to have authority to procure necessaries for a vessel:
(1) the owner;
(2) the master;
(3) a person entrusted with the management of the vessel at the port of supply; or
(4) an officer or agent appointed by—
(A) the owner;
(B) a charterer;
(C) an owner pro hac vice; or
(D) an agreed buyer in possession of the vessel.
(b) A person tortiously or unlawfully in possession or charge of a vessel has no authority to procure necessaries for the vessel.
(
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
|---|---|
| 31341(a) | 46:972 (1st sentence), 973 |
| 31341(b) | 46:972 (2d sentence) |
Section 31341(a) lists those persons who are presumed to have authority to procure necessaries for a vessel. These include the owner, master, or a manager at the port of supply; and an officer or agent appointed by the owner, charterer, owner pro hac vice, or buyer in possession of the vessel. This subsection makes no substantive change to law.
Section 31341(b) provides that any person that is tortiously or unlawfully in possession of or in charge of a vessel has no authority to procure necessaries. This subsection makes no substantive change to law.
Amendments
1989—Subsec. (a)(3).
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in
§31342. Establishing maritime liens
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a person providing necessaries to a vessel on the order of the owner or a person authorized by the owner—
(1) has a maritime lien on the vessel;
(2) may bring a civil action in rem to enforce the lien; and
(3) is not required to allege or prove in the action that credit was given to the vessel.
(b) This section does not apply to a public vessel.
(
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
|---|---|
| 31342 | 46:971 |
Section 31342 provides that any authorized person providing necessaries for a vessel has a maritime lien on the vessel, may bring a civil action in rem in admiralty to enforce the lien, and is not required to allege or prove that credit was given to the vessel. "Providing" has been substituted for "furnishing" for consistency with other laws. This section makes no substantive change to law. This section does not supersede the prohibition under the Public Vessels Act, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, or the Suits in Admiralty Act, on bringing an in rem action against a public vessel.
Amendments
1989—
§31343. Recording and discharging liens on preferred mortgage vessels
(a) Except as provided under subsection (d) of this section, a person claiming a lien on a vessel covered by a preferred mortgage filed or recorded under this chapter may record with the Secretary of Transportation a notice of that person's lien claim on the vessel. To be recordable, the notice must—
(1) state the nature of the lien;
(2) state the date the lien was established;
(3) state the amount of the lien;
(4) state the name and address of the person; and
(5) be signed and acknowledged.
(b) The Secretary shall record a notice complying with subsection (a) of this section.
(c) On full and final discharge of the indebtedness that is the basis for a claim recorded under subsection (b) of this section, on request of the Secretary or owner, the person having the claim shall provide the Secretary with an acknowledged certificate of discharge of the indebtedness. The Secretary shall record the certificate.
(d) A person claiming a lien on a vessel covered by a preferred mortgage under
(
| Revised section | Source section (U.S. Code) |
|---|---|
| 31343 | 46:925 |
Section 31343 provides that any person claiming a lien on a vessel covered by a preferred mortgage may record a notice of lien. This notice must state the nature of the lien, date it was established; the amount; and the name and address of the person claiming a lien, and it must be acknowledged. The Secretary must record a notice of lien if it complies with these requirements. When any part of the indebtedness is discharged, the claimant shall provide the Secretary with a written, acknowledged certificate of discharge of the indebtedness, and the Secretary shall record the certificate. This section makes no substantive change to law.
Section 31343(c) provides that, on the full and final discharge of an indebtedness that is the basis for a claim, the person having the claim shall provide the Secretary with an acknowledged certificate of discharge on the request of the Secretary or owner of the vessel. This subsection makes a substantive change to law by not requiring partial discharges to be filed, as well as making the filing of discharge certificates only at the request of the Secretary or owner of the vessel.
house floor statement
Subsection (d) of this section requires a person claiming a lien on a vessel covered by a preferred mortgage under section 31322(d) to record and discharge the lien as provided by the law of the State in which the vessel is titled.
Section Referred to in Other Sections
This section is referred to in