Report on the Uniform Liens Act

Abstract

The law of liens provides a right to retain the property of another to secure payment of a debt or performance of an obligation. The law governing the commercial liens of repairers, storers, and common carriers no longer provides appropriate security as it is out of date, inflexible, and efficient.

This report embodies the recommendations of the British Columbia Law Institute to revise the law governing repairers’, storers’, and common carriers’ liens. The principal recommendation is that the Uniform Liens Act prepared by the Uniform Law Conference of Canada be adopted to govern these liens. This Act provides a modern, comprehensive approach to commercial liens and effectively harmonizes this area of the law with Personal Property Security Act principles.

Keywords: liens, legislation, Uniform Liens Act, Repairers Lien Act, Warehouse Lien Act, storage, storers, common carriers liens, Personal Property Security Act, business, transportation, debt, consumer, Uniform Law Conference of Canada