Sec. 42a-7-210. Enforcement of warehouse's lien.
Sec. 42a-7-210. Enforcement of warehouse's lien. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section, a warehouse's lien may be enforced by public
or private sale of the goods, in bulk or in packages, at any time or place and on any
terms that are commercially reasonable, after notifying all persons known to claim an
interest in the goods. The notification must include a statement of the amount due, the
nature of the proposed sale and the time and place of any public sale. The fact that a
better price could have been obtained by a sale at a different time or in a different method
from that selected by the warehouse is not of itself sufficient to establish that the sale was
not made in a commercially reasonable manner. The warehouse sells in a commercially
reasonable manner if the warehouse sells the goods in the usual manner in any recognized
market therefor, sells at the price current in that market at the time of the sale, or otherwise
sells in conformity with commercially reasonable practices among dealers in the type
of goods sold. A sale of more goods than apparently necessary to be offered to ensure
satisfaction of the obligation is not commercially reasonable, except in cases covered
by the preceding sentence.
(b) A warehouse may enforce its lien on goods, other than goods stored by a merchant in the course of its business, only if the following requirements are satisfied:
(1) All persons known to claim an interest in the goods must be notified.
(2) The notification must include an itemized statement of the claim, a description
of the goods subject to the lien, a demand for payment within a specified time not less
than ten days after receipt of the notification, and a conspicuous statement that unless
the claim is paid within that time the goods will be advertised for sale and sold by auction
at a specified time and place.
(3) The sale must conform to the terms of the notification.
(4) The sale must be held at the nearest suitable place to where the goods are held
or stored.
(5) After the expiration of the time given in the notification, an advertisement of
the sale must be published once a week for two weeks consecutively in a newspaper
of general circulation where the sale is to be held. The advertisement must include a
description of the goods, the name of the person on whose account the goods are being
held, and the time and place of the sale. The sale must take place at least fifteen days
after the first publication. If there is no newspaper of general circulation where the sale
is to be held, the advertisement must be posted at least ten days before the sale in not
fewer than six conspicuous places in the neighborhood of the proposed sale.
(c) Before any sale pursuant to this section, any person claiming a right in the goods
may pay the amount necessary to satisfy the lien and the reasonable expenses incurred
in complying with this section. In that event, the goods may not be sold but must be
retained by the warehouse subject to the terms of the receipt and this article.
(d) A warehouse may buy at any public sale held pursuant to this section.
(e) A purchaser in good faith of goods sold to enforce a warehouse's lien takes
the goods free of any rights of persons against which the lien was valid, despite the
warehouse's noncompliance with this section.
(f) A warehouse may satisfy its lien from the proceeds of any sale pursuant to this
section but shall hold the balance, if any, for delivery on demand to any person to which
the warehouse would have been bound to deliver the goods.
(g) The rights provided by this section are in addition to all other rights allowed by
law to a creditor against a debtor.
(h) If a lien is on goods stored by a merchant in the course of its business, the lien
may be enforced in accordance with subsection (a) or (b) of this section.
(i) A warehouse is liable for damages caused by failure to comply with the requirements for sale under this section and, in case of wilful violation, is liable for conversion.
(1959, P.A. 133, S. 7-210; 1961, P.A. 116, S. 7; P.A. 04-64, S. 16.)
History: 1961 act added receipting requirement of subs. (2) (b); P.A. 04-64 amended section to adopt the 2003 Revision
of Uniform Commercial Code Article 7-Documents of Title.
See Sec. 40-55 re delivery of goods without obtaining negotiable receipt.