§ 490 Vessel Debt Liens

• •Any debt $50 or more that helps a vessel creates a lien on that vessel.
• •You can sue the vessel’s owner by name, or if the owner isn’t known, you can sue “unknown owners.”
• •Other people who also have liens on the vessel can be sued too, as long as the lien amount is listed in the complaint.

A marine repair shop fixes a fishing boat and charges $300 for the work.

Because the debt is over $50 and was for the benefit of the boat, the shop gets a lien on the boat. The shop can file a lawsuit against the boat’s owner by name. If the owner can’t be identified, the shop can still sue by saying the owner is unknown, and it can also name any other people who have a claim on the boat, stating how much their claim is.