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March 19, 2024 Clouds | 36°F
The 193rd General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Section 33: Dissolution of liens on personalty; procedure

Section 33. A person who owns or has an interest in any personal property upon which such a lien has been claimed may, at any time after a civil action is brought for its enforcement and before the property is lawfully sold to satisfy said lien, dissolve the lien upon his interest in the whole or any part of said property by giving bond to the person claiming the lien, with sufficient sureties, who shall be approved in writing by the claimant or by his attorney, or by a justice of a district court or master in chancery, conditioned to pay to such person within thirty days after the final judgment or order of sale of said property or the interest therein or part thereof for which said bond may be given, an amount fixed as the value of said interest or such part thereof as may be necessary to satisfy the amount for which said interest or part thereof may be subject to said lien. The property upon which the lien is to be dissolved shall be described in the bond. If the parties do not agree as to the value of the property or of the part to be released from said lien, the value may be determined in accordance with the provisions of sections one hundred and twenty-five and one hundred and twenty-six of chapter two hundred and twenty-three. If the said property, or the part to be released from said lien, consists of books, papers, documents or other similar property and the parties do not agree upon the amount for which said bond shall be given, it may be fixed in like manner at such amount as may be reasonable, giving due consideration to the amount for which said lien is claimed, and upon the delivery of the bond in accordance with the provisions hereof the lien upon the property described therein shall be dissolved. The person claiming a lien upon said personal property shall, upon demand therefor, furnish the person owning or having an interest in said property with a statement of the amount and reasons, or other considerations, for which the lien is claimed.