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Aircraft Liens: Protecting Yourself

A lien on an airplane means a third party has an ownership interest in it. Never buy an airplane without proof there are no outstanding liens.

Rick Durden
Verified

Edited By:

Larry Anglisano

You’re obligated to pay for repairs made to your airplane or the shop may be entitled to hold on to your airplane until you pay and/or place a lien on the airplane, making it difficult to sell because the lien becomes a “cloud” on the aircraft’s title.

The email arrived from the company that’s doing the title search on the perfect Cirrus SR22T that you are all the way ready to buy: “The aircraft has a mechanic’s lien on it in the amount of $17,823. It looks like a previous owner didn’t pay for an annual. Give us a call and we’ll discuss your options; nevertheless, this is going to delay closing on the sale.”

“Ah, dirty words.”

Rick Durden

Senior Editor Rick Durden has written for Aviation Consumer since 1994 and specializes in aviation law. Rick is an active CFII and holds an ATP with type ratings in the Douglas DC-3 and Cessna Citation. He is the author of The Thinking Pilot’s Flight Manual or, How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing It, Vols. 1 & 2.