§ 11-4-305 - Enforcement of laborer's lien.
11-4-305. Enforcement of laborer's lien.
(a) In all cases where the claimant is entitled to a laborer's lien or a lien on a thing or property worked on, the lien may be enforced as otherwise provided for by law, except that where a sheriff or constable is authorized to take charge of property subject to a lien claim and hold it subject to the decision of the court, as in cases of attachment, the sheriff or constable, upon the claimant's otherwise complying with the law regarding attachments and upon the claimant's filing an affidavit with the clerk of the court that he or she is unable to make an attachment bond, shall take the defendant's receipt for the property described in the plaintiff's statement as required by 18-43-106, and the property shall be left in the possession of the defendant.
(b) The defendant shall exercise full dominion over the property as if it had not been attached except that he or she may not give it away. The defendant may sell, pledge, mortgage, or otherwise alienate or encumber the property if the proceeds therefrom bear a reasonable relation to the value of the lien, so that the person purchasing or taking an encumbrance upon the property shall possess superior rights to the lien claimant.
(c) (1) The defendant, however, selling or encumbering the property shall be held accountable to the court for the proceeds of the sale or encumbrance and shall file with the clerk of the court at the time of making the sale, or charging the property with an encumbrance, a statement giving the name of the purchaser or encumbrancer, his or her address, and the amount realized from the sale or encumbrance.
(2) The defendant shall also notify the plaintiff of the filing of the statement.
(d) If, upon the successful termination of the litigation in favor of the lien claimant, the defendant fails within five (5) days to pay into the registry of the court where the action was originally instituted the proceeds from the sale or encumbrance, the defendant shall be held to be in contempt of court and punished as for contempt.