CHAPTER 847
LIENS

      Sec. 49-55a. Notice of vessel lien. Substitution of bond. Sale of vessel and satisfaction of lien. (a) Upon the possession of the vessel by a lienor, he shall cause a notice of a vessel lien, in duplicate, to be filed on a form provided by the Secretary of the State with the office of the Secretary on which he shall also indicate the date and place of the sale of the vessel, which date of sale shall be at least thirty days next succeeding the filing of the notice. The lienor shall, within seven days of the filing, send by certified mail a copy of such notice to the person indicated as the owner of the vessel, and to anyone who has filed with the Secretary of the State claiming a legal or equitable interest in the vessel. The fees for such notice and procedure shall be set by the Secretary of the State.

      (b) The owner of the vessel, or anyone having a legal or equitable interest therein, may apply to any judge of the Superior Court, within whose jurisdiction the vessel is held or where the lienor resides, to dissolve the lien upon the substitution of a bond with sufficient surety.

      (c) If no application that the lien be dissolved upon substitution of a sufficient bond, as provided herein, is made within thirty days next succeeding the filing of the notice with the Secretary of the State, the lienor may sell the vessel at public auction at the lienor's place of business or wherever the lienor may designate, provided, at least seven days prior to the sale, the lienor shall publish three times in a newspaper having general circulation in the municipality where the vessel is located a notice containing substantially the same information as filed in the notice of a vessel lien, as provided by section 49-55b, and shall notify, in writing, any holders of any prior or subsequent security interests, who have filed notice of the interest with the Secretary of the State. The proceeds of the sale, after satisfaction of any prior security interests filed with the Secretary of the State, and satisfaction of the vessel lien and satisfaction of any subsequent security interests filed with the Secretary of the State, shall be paid to the owner of record. If the amount due the owner is not claimed within one year from the date of the sale, it shall escheat to the state.

      (1969, P.A. 818, S. 2; 1971, P.A. 160; P.A. 74-183, S. 272, 291; P.A. 76-436, S. 235, 681; P.A. 79-602, S. 116; P.A. 04-240, S. 23; 04-257, S. 77; P.A. 11-118, S. 1.)

      History: 1971 act required that lienor notify vessel's owner within seven days rather than within 72 hours after filing notice of lien; P.A. 74-183 deleted provision re applications to dissolve lien made to circuit court judges where amount claimed is $7,500 or less, effective December 31, 1974; P.A. 76-436 deleted reference allowing applications to court of common pleas for dissolving lien, effective July 1, 1978; P.A. 79-602 divided section into Subsecs. and substituted "the" for "such" where appearing; P.A. 04-240 amended Subsec. (a) by replacing provision re filing of notice in quadruplicate with provision re filing of notice in duplicate and making technical changes; P.A. 04-257 made technical changes in Subsec. (a), effective June 14, 2004; P.A. 11-118 amended Subsec. (a) to change sale date from 60 to 30 days after filing of notice and amended Subsec. (c) to change application date for dissolution of lien from 60 to 30 days after filing of notice and to make technical changes.

      Sec. 49-73b. Municipalities authorized to recover expenses. Liens on real estate and fire insurance proceeds. (a) Any municipality that has incurred expenses for the inspection, repair, demolition, maintenance, removal or other disposition of any real estate in order to secure such real estate, to remedy a blighted condition on such real estate or to make it safe and sanitary under any provision of the general statutes or any municipal building, health, housing or safety codes or regulations shall have the right to recover such expenses from the owner of the real estate for which such expenses were incurred.

      (b) The interest of each person in such real estate shall be subject to a lien for the payment of such expenses, which lien shall take precedence over any other encumbrance except municipal tax assessments on such real estate. No such lien shall be valid, unless the municipality, not later than the date thirty days after the date on which such work has ceased, files a certificate of such lien and gives notice to the owner of the real estate in the same manner as provided in section 49-34. Simultaneous with the filing, the municipality shall make reasonable efforts to mail a copy of the certificate by first class mail to the lienholder's current or last-known address.

      (c) The interest of each person in the proceeds of any policy providing insurance coverage issued by an insurance company for a loss to a covered residential or commercial structure, including any policy written pursuant to the provisions of section 38a-670, shall be subject to a lien on such proceeds for the expenses incurred by a municipality pursuant to the provisions of subsection (a) of this section, provided such municipality, within thirty days after such work has ceased, files a certificate of such lien and gives notice to such interested person in the same manner as provided in section 49-34.

      (d) Any municipal lien filed pursuant to the provisions of this section may be foreclosed in the same manner as a mortgage.

      (e) Any certificate of lien filed pursuant to this section shall exist from the fifteenth day succeeding the date of entry of such certificate in the land records.

      (f) Any municipal lien filed pursuant to this section may be discharged or dissolved in the manner provided in sections 49-35a to 49-37, inclusive.

      (g) Nothing in this section shall prevent an insured owner, mortgagee, assignee or other interested party from negotiating a dissolution of any such lien on the insurance proceeds, enabling the insurance company to disburse said proceeds.

      (h) The provisions of this section shall not apply to policies on single-family or two-family dwellings, unless such dwellings are residential properties owned by a registrant subject to section 7-148ii.

      (P.A. 79-342, S. 2; P.A. 80-207, S. 1, 7; P.A. 97-320, S. 6, 11; P.A. 98-188, S. 4, 5; P.A. 06-185, S. 5; P.A. 09-144, S. 9; P.A. 11-201, S. 15.)

      History: P.A. 80-207 deleted reference to demolition expenses in Subsec. (a), referring instead to expenses incurred "in order to secure such real estate or to make it safe", changed time limit for filing certificate of lien from 60 to 30 days in Subsecs. (b) and (c) and added Subsec. (h) excluding policies on single-family or two-family homes from provisions; P.A. 97-320 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting provision re damage by fire, effective July 1, 1997; P.A. 98-188 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting "fire" and adding "for a loss to a covered residential or commercial structure", and amended Subsec. (g) by deleting "fire", effective June 4, 1998, and applicable to liens filed on and after July 1, 1997; P.A. 06-185 amended Subsec. (a) to add provision re expenses to make real estate sanitary and amended Subsec. (b) to require mailing of a copy of certificate to the lienholder; P.A. 09-144 amended Subsec. (a) by making a technical change, adding "maintenance" and adding "to remedy a blighted condition on such real estate", amended Subsec. (b) by making technical changes and amended Subsec. (h) by adding exception for dwellings that are vacant residential properties owned by a registrant subject to Sec. 7-148ii; P.A. 11-201 amended Subsec. (h) to delete "vacant" re residential properties.