It is often a combination of convenience and cost that prompts someone to store their airplane at a specific facility. Small airports may have independently-operated hangars that charge vastly different rates for airplane storage when compared with other nearby facilities.
Those who fly recreationally often choose to store their planes in places with lower storage fees. That may also fail to prioritize the costs associated with airplane storage and maintenance. Owners might fall behind on their storage fees or even fail to renew a contract when it expires while leaving their plane in the hangar.
The good news for those operating airplane storage facilities and hangars is that Texas allows businesses to seek liens against the stored aircraft if the owner fails to pay what they owe.
What the state of Texas permits
Aircraft liens help mechanics and other service providers recoup expenses incurred while providing services for aircraft owners. A lien can effectively prevent an owner from selling an aircraft or refinancing it without paying a party owed money first. In some cases, lien holders can even compel the sale of an asset.
For a storage facility or hangar to seek a lien, they will need to take action quickly. The state requires a filing no later than the 180th day after the end of the agreed-upon storage period. The party filing the lien will have to submit a request that indicates exactly how much the aircraft owner owes in unpaid services or storage fees.
The process can be challenging, and it is easy to make mistakes. Learning more about aviation liens can help businesses recoup expenses when individual owners do not fulfill their obligations.
