Archives > 1976 South Carolina Code of Laws - Previous Versions > 2003 Session > Title 29

This statutory database is current through the 2003 Regular Session of the South Carolina General Assembly. Changes to the statutes enacted by the 2004 General Assembly, which will convene in January 2004, will be incorporated as soon as possible. Some changes enacted by the 2004 General Assembly may take immediate effect. The State of South Carolina and the South Carolina Legislative Council make no warranty as to the accuracy of the data, and users rely on the data entirely at their own risk.




SECTION 29-15-10. Lien for repairs or storage.

It is lawful for any proprietor, owner, or operator of any storage place, garage, or repair shop of whatever kind or repairman who makes repairs upon any article under contract or furnishes any material for the repairs to sell the property as provided in this section. When property has been left at his shop for repairs or storage, and after the completion of these repairs or the expiration of the storage contract, and the article has been continuously retained in his possession, the property may be sold at public auction to the highest bidder upon the expiration of thirty days after written notice has been given to the owner of the property and to any lienholder with a perfected security interest in the property that the repairs have been completed or storage charges are due. The property must be sold by a magistrate of the county in which the work was done or the vehicle or thing was stored. Storage costs may be charged that have accrued before the notification of the owner and lienholder, by certified or registered mail, of the location of the vehicle, but may not exceed charges for five days from the date the towing or storage operator receives the owner and lienholder's name and address. However, all storage costs that accrue from the date the notice is mailed may be recovered at the time of the sale. The magistrate, before selling the property, shall ensure that any lienholder of record has been notified of the pending sale, and the magistrate shall advertise the property for at least fifteen days by posting a notice in three public places in his township. He shall, after deducting all proper costs and commissions, pay to the claimant the money due to him, taking his receipt for it, after which he shall deposit the receipt, as well as the items of costs and commissions with the remainder of the money or proceeds of the sale in the office of the clerk of court subject to the order of the owner of the article and any lienholders having perfected security interest in the article or any legal representative of the owner or the lienholder. The magistrate who sells the property is entitled to receive the same commissions as allowed by law for the sale of personal property by constables. When the value of the property repaired or stored does not exceed ten dollars, the storage owner, operator, or repairman may sell the property at public auction to the highest bidder upon the expiration of thirty days after written notice has been given to the owner of the property that the repairs have been completed or storage charges are due and if a description of the article to be offered for sale and the cost of it has been from the time of the written notice advertised, together with the time and place of the proposed sale, in a prominent place in the shop or garage, on the county bulletin board at the courthouse, and in some other public place. The sale must be made for cash to the highest bidder at the shop or garage at which the repairs were made or storage incurred at ten a.m. on the first Monday of the first month after the thirty days' notice has been given and the true result of the sale must be immediately made known to the original owner of the article sold by notice addressed to the last known address of the owner.

SECTION 29-15-20. Lien on motor vehicle for damages.

When a motor vehicle is operated in violation of the provisions of law or negligently, carelessly, recklessly, wilfully or wantonly and any person receives personal injury or property is damaged thereby or a cause of action for wrongful death arises therefrom, damages recoverable therefor shall be and constitute a lien next in priority to the lien for State and county taxes upon such motor vehicle, recoverable in any court of competent jurisdiction, and the person sustaining such damages or the personal representative of the deceased or any one or more of the beneficiaries for whom such cause of action shall be brought under Sections 15-51-10 and 15-51-20 for the benefit of all such beneficiaries may attach such motor vehicle in the manner provided by law for attachments in this State. But this lien shall not exist if the motor vehicle was stolen by the breaking of a building under a secure lock or when the vehicle is securely locked.

SECTION 29-15-30. Liens on railroads for labor performed or materials furnished.

Any person to whom a debt is due for labor performed or furnished or for materials furnished and actually used in the construction, alteration or repair of any railroad by virtue of an agreement with or by consent of (a) the owner or person controlling and operating it, (b) any person having authority from or rightfully acting for such owner or person in procuring or furnishing such labor or materials or (c) any person rendering services for such railroad company shall have a lien upon such railroad and upon all the interests of such owner or person as aforesaid in such railroad to secure the payment of the debt so due him and the costs which may arise in enforcing such lien under the provisions of Chapter 5 of this Title. Such lien shall be subject to all the provisions and be enforced in the same manner as provided for in said Chapter 5 of this Title.

SECTION 29-15-40. Lien on watercraft for damages.

When a watercraft is operated or maintained in violation of the provisions of law or negligently and carelessly and any person receives personal injury or property is damaged thereby, the damages done to such person or property shall be and constitute a lien next in priority to the lien for State and county taxes upon such watercraft, including any outboard motor that may be attached to it, recoverable in any court of competent jurisdiction and the person sustaining such damage may attach such watercraft, including any outboard motor that may be attached to it, in the manner provided by law for attachments in this State. But this lien shall not exist if the watercraft or any outboard motor attached to it shall have been stolen by the breaking of a building under a secure lock or when the watercraft or any outboard motor attached to it is securely locked, nor when the damage is sustained upon waters within the jurisdiction of Federal admiralty courts.

SECTION 29-15-50. Lien of owners of certain animals on issue.

The owner of any stock horse, jack, bull, boar or ram, kept by him for the purpose of raising from, having a claim by contract against the owner of any mare or cow or other stock for service shall have a prior lien on the issue of such mare, cow or other stock for the amount of such claim, provided an action shall be instituted to enforce such claim by suit before a magistrate or other officer having jurisdiction within twelve months from the time such claim shall have accrued.

SECTION 29-15-60. Animal boarding facilities; liens upon animals for boarding expenses.

The owner of an animal boarding facility, at the end of an agreed upon term of boarding, shall have a lien upon any animal which is left with him for upkeep, rest, and training until the cost of the upkeep, rest, and training has been paid by the owner of the animal. The owner of the animal shall also be responsible for payment of the cost of upkeep, rest, and training of the animal after notice of the lien. If the owner of the animal has not paid the cost of upkeep, rest, and training of the animal after actual notice of the lien within ten days of such notice, the animal boarding facility owner may sell the animal after having advertised the time and place of the sale in a newspaper having general circulation in the county wherein the animal boarding facility is located at least seven days before the sale is to be held. After the sale of the animal, the owner of the animal boarding facility may deduct the cost of the upkeep, rest, and training of the animal before and after date of the notice of the lien, plus all expenses incurred from the advertising and sale provided in this section, and shall submit the balance of the proceeds of the sale to the previous owner of the animal. If the animal is not purchased at the advertised sale, the owner of the animal boarding facility shall become the owner of the animal with all the rights, privileges, and obligations of ownership. A transfer of ownership pursuant to this section entitles the new owner of the animal to obtain the breed registration certificate for the animal from the organization or association which issued the certificate.

SECTION 29-15-70. Lien on textiles for labor performed or materials furnished.

A lien on account of work, labor and materials furnished in manufacturing, finishing, bleaching, mercerizing, dyeing and printing or otherwise processing natural or man-made fibers or goods of which natural or man-made fibers form a component part, as against goods in the lienor's possession, shall extend to any unpaid balance of account for work, labor and materials furnished in the course of any such process in respect of any other such goods of the same owner whereof the lienor's possession has terminated. The word "owner," as used in this section and Section 29-15-80, shall include a factor, consignee or other agent intrusted with the possession of the goods held under such lien or of a bill of lading consigning them to him with authority to sell them and delivered by such factor, agent or consignee to the lienor for the purposes aforesaid.

SECTION 29-15-80. Enforcement of lien on textiles.

If any part of the amount for which goods are held under such lien remains unpaid for a period of sixty days after the earliest item of such amount became due and payable, the lienor may sell such goods at public auction, first (a) publishing a notice of the time and place of such sale once in each of two successive weeks in a newspaper published in the city or town, if any there be, and otherwise in the county, in which the goods are situated, the last publication to be not less than five days prior to the sale, (b) giving five days' notice of such sale by posting in five or more public places in such county, one whereof shall be in the town or city ward in which such goods are situated and (c) if the residence or business address of the owner of the goods is known or can be ascertained, sending by registered mail a copy of such notice to such owner at such address at least five days before the day of sale. But if such goods are readily divisible no more thereof shall be so sold than is necessary to discharge the underlying indebtedness and cover the expenses of the sale. The proceeds of sale shall be applied to the payment of such indebtedness and expenses and the balance, if any, shall be paid to the owner or person entitled thereto. The remedy herein provided to enforce such lien shall be in addition to any other provided by law.

SECTION 29-15-90. Lien of laundries, dyers, and the like.

(A) Except as otherwise provided in this section, when personal property has been left at a laundry, dyer, dry cleaning establishment, retail store, or any other establishment for the purpose of cleaning, dry cleaning, dyeing, washing, alteration, or repairs and is not called for within six months and the charges paid in full, the establishment may dispose of the property by whatever means it chooses. An establishment, at the time of receiving the property, shall give to the person delivering it conspicuous notice in writing of disposal after six months. If notice is not given upon delivery, the property must not be disposed of until after twelve months.

(B) Except as otherwise provided in this section, when personal property has been left at a laundry, dry cleaning establishment, retail store, or any other establishment for the purpose of storage and is not called for within six months and thirty days and the charges paid in full, the establishment may dispose of the property by whatever means it chooses. Notice first must have been sent by certified mail to the last-known address of the person, his agent, or employee, who left the goods at the establishment thirty days before disposal. An establishment, at the time of receiving the property, shall give to the person delivering it conspicuous notice in writing of disposal after six months and thirty days. If notice is not given upon delivery, the property must not be disposed of until after twelve months and thirty days and until after notice by certified mail pursuant to this subsection.

(C) If the property is insured through the establishment, the time periods provided for in this section do not begin to run until the insurance expires.

SECTION 29-15-100. Lien on aircraft for labor performed, materials furnished, or contracts of indemnity provided.

(a) Every person engaged in servicing or furnishing supplies or accessories for aircraft or providing contracts of indemnity for aircraft shall have a lien on such aircraft for his reasonable charges therefor, including reasonable charges for labor, for the use of tools, machinery and equipment, and for all accessories, materials, fuel, oils, lubricants, earned premiums, and other supplies furnished in connection with the servicing or furnishing of supplies or accessories, or providing contracts of indemnity for such aircraft. Such lien shall be dissolved unless the person claiming it shall file, within ninety days after such service, supplies, accessories or contracts of indemnity are furnished, in the office of the register of deeds or clerk of court of the county within which the aircraft was located at the time such service, supplies, accessories or contracts of indemnity were furnished, a statement, subscribed and sworn to by himself or by some person in his behalf, giving a just and true account of the demands claimed to be due to him, with all just credits, and also the name of the person to whom the service, supplies, accessories or contracts of indemnity were furnished, the name of the owner of the aircraft, if known, and a description of the aircraft sufficient for identification. Such statement shall be recorded by the register of deeds or clerk in a book kept by him for that purpose, for which he shall receive the same fees as for recording other papers of equal length.

(b) The lien on aircraft authorized by the provisions of subsection (a) may be enforced as provided in Sections 29-9-50 through 29-9-80 of the 1976 Code.