Alabama § 7-9A-333 - Priority of Certain Liens Arising by Operation of Law.

§ 7-9A-333. Priority of Certain Liens Arising by Operation of Law.

(a) “Possessory lien.” In this section, “possessory lien” means an interest, other than a security interest or an agricultural lien:

(1) which secures payment or performance of an obligation for services or materials furnished with respect to goods by a person in the ordinary course of the person’s business;

(2) which is created by statute or rule of law in favor of the person; and

(3) whose effectiveness depends on the person’s possession of the goods.

(b) Priority of possessory lien. A possessory lien on goods has priority over a security interest in the goods unless the lien is created by a statute that expressly provides otherwise.

(c) Priority of landlord’s lien. Priority conflicts between a landlord’s lien for rent arising by operation of law, other than an agricultural lien, and a security interest in goods brought on leased premises shall be determined as follows:

(1) If the security interest attaches after the goods are brought on the premises, the landlord’s lien has priority over the security interest;

(2) If the security interest attaches before the goods are brought on the premises, the security interest has priority over the landlord’s lien from the time the security interest is perfected or the landlord has notice of the security interest, whichever first occurs; except that if the secured party files with respect to a purchase-money security interest before or within 20 days after the debtor receives possession of the goods, the security interest takes priority over the landlord’s lien.