Massachusetts § 25 - Garage keepers; effects of liens on motor vehicles obtained by fraud; etc.; lien for charges reimbursed by insurance company

§ 25. Garage keepers; effects of liens on motor vehicles obtained by fraud; etc.; lien for charges reimbursed by insurance company

Section 25. Persons maintaining public garages for the storage and care of motor vehicles brought to their premises or placed in their care by or with the consent of the owners thereof and persons engaged in performing work upon or in connection with the inspection, reconditioning and repairing of motor vehicles shall have a lien upon such motor vehicles for proper charges due them for the storage, work and care of the same.

If the owner of such motor vehicle obtains possession of the same by fraud, trick or by check, draft or order upon any depository or bank which is not honored, the lien on said motor vehicle shall not be deemed to have been discharged and the lien holder may thereafter continue to enforce said lien until the proper charges due him have been paid.

In any instance where a lien arises under this section for charges due that are to be paid or reimbursed by an insurance company licensed in the commonwealth, upon written notice by the holder of such lien to the insurance company, the check or draft issued by such insurance company for such charges shall name the holder of the lien, together with the holder of a security interest as defined by ARTICLE 9 of chapter one hundred and six, as a loss payee, unless otherwise provided by law. The holder of a security interest that does not have priority over the lien established under this section shall be required to endorse any check or draft issued for payment of such charges by such insurance company over to the holder of such lien, whether or not such lien has then been released by the holder; provided, however, that the holder of a security interest other than the lien provided by this section, may, within two business days of notice of a request to endorse any such check require the owner of the vehicle to make said vehicle available for inspection at a time and place convenient to the owner and lienholder, to reinspect the repaired vehicle, and, as a prerequisite for such endorsement, the holder of such security interest may require the holder of the lien established under this section to provide it with an itemized list of repairs and other services which it certifies, in writing, have been completed or provided, and a copy of any repair certification form required by law to be provided to the insurance company.

Nothing in this section shall affect or modify the provisions of any direct payment plans implemented by an insurer pursuant to section thirty-four O of chapter ninety.