Title 46, ShippingRelease 119-102

§31305 Waiver of Lien Rights

Title 46 › Subtitle III — Maritime Liability › CHAPTER 313 — COMMERCIAL INSTRUMENTS AND MARITIME LIENS › SUBCHAPTER I — GENERAL › § 31305

Last updated Aug 21, 2026|Official source

Summary

Mortgagees or lien holders can give up or lower their lien rights, the order in which liens are paid, or a mortgage’s preferred status at any time.

Full Legal Text

Title 46, §31305

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This chapter does not prevent a mortgagee or other lien holder from waiving or subordinating at any time by agreement or otherwise the lien holder’s right to a lien, the priority or, if a preferred mortgage lien, the preferred status of the lien.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised sectionSource section (U.S. Code) 3130546:974 section 31305 provides for the waiver of lien rights by the mortgagee or a person performing or supplying necessaries. This section makes no substantive change to law and is included only because of a like provision in current law. Without this provision the Committee believes these waivers would be permissible as a matter of law as they do not violate any public policy and on their face reflect an arms length transaction between the parties. The inclusion of this provision should not raise the implication that a similar provision is required for other matters that may be waivable as a matter of law. house floor statement section 31305 has been changed to clarify that the chapter does not prevent a mortgagee or other lien holder from waiving by contract the right to a lien, or the priority of that lien.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1989, with certain exceptions and qualifications, see section 107 of Pub. L. 100–710, set out as a note under section 31301 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

46 U.S.C. § 31305

Title 46, Shipping

Last Updated

Aug 21, 2026

Release point: 119-102