VICTORIA — The Government of B.C. has announced new rules that aim to make it easier for businesses to collect debts for services they provide to repair, store or transport goods.
Coming into effect on June 30, the new Commercial Liens Act creates one set of lien rules and replaces a patchwork of outdated laws, which created different rules for different services.
“Once in force, the act gives service providers flexibility by allowing them to keep possession of goods or to register the lien in B.C.’s Personal Property Registry,” the release reads. “This allows owners to keep using their vehicle or equipment to make money and pay off the debt. It means that liens can be registered on big items that cannot be easily moved or stored.”
The Personal Property Registry is an online system that tracks legal claims on personal property. It will be updated on June 30 to so that commercial liens can be registered.
The changes will also make it easier to enforce liens without going to court, the release reads.
The act replaces the Repairers Lien Act, Warehouse Lien Act and Livestock Lien Act. Any existing liens under those acts will continue as commercial liens.
The changes respond to the B.C. Law Institute’s recommendation to follow Saskatchewan’s lead in adopting the Uniform Liens Act.
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