Section 503.

(a) A lienholder shall apply to the department for the issuance of an authorization to conduct a lien sale pursuant to the provisions of this section for any vessel with a value determined to be over one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500). A fee shall be charged by the department and may be recovered by the lienholder if a lien sale is conducted or if the vessel is redeemed. The application shall be executed under penalty of perjury and shall include all of the following information:

(1) A description of the vessel, including make, hull identification number, and state of registration, to the extent available.

(2) The names and addresses of the registered and legal owners of the vessel, if ascertainable from the registration certificate within the vessel, and the name and address of any person whom the lienholder knows or reasonably should know claims a proprietary interest in the vessel.

(3) A statement of the amount of the lien and the facts which give rise to the lien. The statement shall include, as a separate item, an estimate of any additional storage costs accruing pending the lien sale.

(b) Upon receipt of an application made pursuant to subdivision (a), the department shall within 15 days thereafter do the following:

(1) Notify the vessel registry agency of a foreign state of the pending lien sale, if the vessel bears indicia of registration in that state.

(2) By mail, send a notice, a copy of the application, and a return envelope preaddressed to the department to the registered and legal owners at their addresses of record with the department, and to any other person whose name and address is listed in the application.

(3) A vessel registration stop order or title transfer stop order shall be applied by the department at the time the lien claimant requests authorization to conduct the sale.

(4) Notify the applicant of any outstanding property tax lien on the vessel of which the department has been notified pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 3205 of the Revenue and Taxation Code. The notice required by this paragraph shall identify the county in which any outstanding lien is held.

(c) The notice required pursuant to subdivision (b) shall include all of the following statements:

(1) An application has been made with the department for authorization to conduct a lien sale and the department has placed a vessel registration stop order or title transfer stop order on the vessel.

(2) Each person to whom notice is sent pursuant to subdivision (b) is entitled to a hearing in court if that person so desires.

(3) If a hearing in court is desired, a declaration of opposition, signed under penalty of perjury, is required to be signed and returned to the department within 15 days of the date that the notice required pursuant to subdivision (b) was mailed.

(4) If the declaration of opposition is signed and returned to the department, the lienholder will be allowed to sell the vessel only if he or she obtains a court judgment or a subsequent release from the declarant.

(5) If a court action is filed, the declarant will be served by mail with legal process in the court proceedings at the address shown on the declaration of opposition and may appear to contest the claim.

(6) The person may be liable for court costs if a judgment is entered in favor of the lienholder.

(d) If the department receives the declaration of opposition in the time provided, the department shall notify the lienholder within 16 days of the receipt of the declaration of opposition that a lien sale shall not be conducted unless the lienholder files an action in court within 60 days of the notice. A lien sale of the vessel shall not be conducted unless judgment is subsequently entered in favor of the lienholder or the declarant subsequently releases his or her interest in the vessel.

(e) Service of legal process on the declarant, with return receipt requested signed by the declarant or an authorized agent of the declarant at the address shown on the declaration of opposition, shall be effective. Return of a declaration of opposition shall constitute consent by the declarant to service of legal process for the desired court hearing upon him or her in the foregoing manner. Notwithstanding subdivision (d) of Section 415.3 of the Code of Civil Procedure, if the lienholder has attempted service upon declarant by that method at the address shown on the declaration of opposition and the mail has been returned unclaimed, the department shall promptly authorize the sale.

(f) Upon receipt of authorization to conduct the lien sale, the lienholder shall do all of the following:

(1) At least 10 days, but not more than 30 days, prior to the lien sale, not counting the day of the sale, give notice of the sale by advertising once in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county in which the vessel is located. If there is no newspaper published in the county, notice shall be given by posting a notice of sale form in three of the most public places in the area in which the vessel is located and at the place where the vessel is to be sold for 10 consecutive days prior to and including the day of the sale.

(2) Send a notice of pending lien sale 20 days prior to the sale, but not counting the day of sale, by mail with return receipt requested, to each of the following:

(A) The registered and legal owners of the vessel, if registered in this state.

(B) All persons known to have an interest in the vessel.

(C) The department.

(g) Upon receipt of the notice, the department shall mark its records and thereafter notify any person having a proprietary interest in the vessel that there is a pending lien sale and that title will not be transferred until the lien is satisfied or released.

(h) All notices required by this section, including the notice forms prescribed by the department, shall specify the make, hull identification number, and state of registration, if available, and the specific date, exact time, and place of sale.

(Amended by Stats. 1994, Ch. 940, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 1995. Operative July 1, 1995, by Sec. 6 of Ch. 940.)