Wisconsin Statutes & Annotations
Chapter 779 - Liens.
779.43 - Liens of keepers of hotels, livery stables, garages, marinas and pastures.

779.43 Liens of keepers of hotels, livery stables, garages, marinas and pastures.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Boarding house" includes a house or other building where regular meals are generally furnished or served to 3 or more persons at a stipulated amount for definite periods of one month or less.
(b) “Lodging house" includes any house or other building where rooms or lodgings are generally rented to 3 or more persons received or lodged for hire, or any part of a house or other building that is let for sleep at stipulated rentals for definite periods of one month or less, whether any or all of the rooms or lodgings are let or used for light housekeeping or not, except that duplex flats or apartment houses actually divided into residential units shall not be considered lodging houses.
(c) “Marina" includes any property used for the storage, repair or mooring of boats, whether on land or in water.
(2)
(a) Except as provided in par. (b), every keeper of an inn, hotel, boarding house or lodging house shall have a lien upon and may retain possession of all baggage and other effects brought into the place by any guest, boarder or lodger, whether the baggage and effects are the property of or under the control of the guest, boarder or lodger, or are the property of any other person liable for the board and lodging for the proper charges owing the keeper for board, lodging and other accommodation furnished to or for a guest, boarder or lodger, and for all moneys loaned, not exceeding $50, and for extras furnished at the written request signed by the guest, boarder or lodger, until the charges are paid. Any execution or attachment levied upon the baggage or effects shall be subject to the lien given by this section and the costs of satisfying it.
(b) The lien given by this section does not cover charges for alcohol beverages nor the papers of any soldier, sailor or marine that are derived from and evidence of military or naval service or adjusted compensation, compensation, pension, citation medal or badge.
(3) Subject to sub. (4), every keeper of a garage, marina, livery or boarding stable, and every person pasturing or keeping any carriages, automobiles, boats, harness or animals, shall have a lien thereon and may retain the possession thereof for the amount due for the keep, support, storage or repair and care thereof until paid. But no garage or marina keeper shall exercise the lien upon any automobile or boat unless the keeper gives notice of the charges for storing automobiles or boats on a signed service order or by posting in some conspicuous place in the garage or marina a card that is easily readable at a distance of 15 feet.
(4)
(a) The lien of a marina keeper under this section is subject to the lien of any security interest in the boat that is perfected as provided by law prior to the commencement of the services for which the lien is claimed unless the services were done with the express consent of the holder of the security interest, but only for charges in excess of $1,200.
(b) Within 30 days after the charges for the services of a marina keeper become past due, the marina keeper shall send written notice to the owner of the boat and the holder of the senior lien on the boat informing them that they must take steps to obtain the release of the boat. To reclaim the boat, the owner or the senior lienholder must pay all charges that have a priority over other security interests under par. (a) and all reasonable storage charges on the boat that have accrued after 60 days from the date that the charges for the services became past due. A reasonable effort to notify the owner and the holder of the senior lien satisfies the notice requirement under this paragraph. Failure to make a reasonable effort to notify the owner and the senior lienholder renders void any lien to which the marina keeper may be entitled under this section.
(c) A lien of a marina keeper under this section is in addition to any remedy available under ch. 780.
History: 1979 c. 32 s. 57; 1979 c. 176; Stats. 1979 s. 779.43; 1981 c. 79 s. 17; 1995 a. 331; 1997 a. 254; 2019 a. 103.
No garage keeper's lien is imposed under sub. (3) when storage occurs without an owner's consent. Bob Ryan Leasing v. Sampair, 125 Wis. 2d 266, 371 N.W.2d 405 (Ct. App. 1985).
A lien under sub. (3) is contingent on possession and is a possessory lien under s. 409.333 (1) with priority over a security interest. Premier Community Bank v. Schuh, 2010 WI App 111, 329 Wis. 2d 146, 789 N.W.2d 388, 09-1722.
Following transfer of ownership of a vehicle in possession of a garage keeper, for the garage keeper to have a lien on the vehicle under sub. (3) enforceable against the new owner, two criteria must have been met: 1) the garage keeper must have satisfied the notice requirements of sub. (3); and 2) the bailment of the vehicle must have been with the new owner's consent. The consent required by Bob Ryan, 125 Wis. 2d 266 (1985), is necessarily limited. While a party might consent expressly, for example by signing a work order, a party might also consent impliedly. Toyota Motor Credit Corp. v. North Shore Collision, LLC, 2011 WI App 38, 332 Wis. 2d 201, 796 N.W.2d 832, 10-0761.

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