TITLE 4: ECONOMIC RESOURCES
DIVISION 5: BUSINESS REGULATION
§ 51556. Extent of Lien; Notice of Lien; Amendment of Notice. (a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), a hospital has a lien upon the real property of a person for charges incurred and unpaid for the care of the owner of the property or a person for whose support the owner is legally responsible. (b) The notice of the lien must be served upon the owner by certified or registered mail and filed in the Commonwealth Recorder’s Office where the real property is located not sooner than 90 days nor later than: (1) Three years after the patient’s discharge; or (2) One year after the patient defaults on payments made pursuant to a written contract, whichever is later, except that the notice may be served and filed within 6 months after any default pursuant to a written contract. (c) The notice of the lien must contain: (1) The amount due; (2) The name of the owner of record of the property; and (3) A description of the property sufficient for identification. (d) If the amount due as stated in the notice of lien is reduced by payments and any person listed in 4 CMC § 51557(b) gives written notice of that reduction to the hospital which recorded the lien, the hospital shall amend the notice of lien stating the amount then due, within 10 days after it receives the written notice. Source: PL 15-117, § 2(51456), modified. Commission Comment: The Commission modified this section pursuant to 1 CMC § 3806(c) by changing references to agree with the renumbered sections.