Vessel Arrest and Maritime Liens
Members of the maritime community often find that a vessel owner or charterer refuses to pay for services or supplies provided to a vessel or has defaulted on a promissory note. The failure on the part of the vessel owner or charterer to pay for dockage, supplies, repairs, labor, materials, gas, oil, food, etc., results in the marina operator, marine supplier, vessel repairer, seaman, salvor, preferred ship mortgage holder, or other supplier having a maritime lien against a vessel. A maritime lien is an established maritime law principle, which is enforced by procedures unique to maritime law. The existence of the maritime lien permits the lien holder to have the vessel arrested or seized by the U.S. Marshal to enforce its lien. Due to the unique and complicated nature of enforcing maritime liens, maritime lien holders need the experience of Maritime Legal Resources when they have an unpaid maritime debt and need to assert their rights to collect upon it.