I am beginning to think I have a bad business model!

[astjp2]

I tried to call again for the benefit of the doubt, it instantly went to voicemail...like I was on the ignore list....

[Guest]

I only did it once and my attorney friend said I did it wrong at the local county level.

To do it at the FAA you also have to do it locally.

Cost a few dollars at each place, very cheap.

My friend was probably correct but I think it makes no difference.

Once a person gets a notice from the FAA that a lien is on the airplane things start to happen because that will block the next sale.

You will get a call from the owner.

Dave

[astjp2]

I will probably file it in the next week, that way he cant register it. Then I file a claim in court to go repossess the airplane if need be and have it auctioned.

[Guest]

I recall getting forms notarized and sending them in by mail or fax.

Then it takes many weeks for them to process that instrument.

Don't go too slow and have them file registration before you file.

Dave R

[astjp2]

Dave, do you recommend the local thing then or not? I was confused by your previous post...Tim

[Guest]

My recollection is that the FAA form says something about in order to file with the FAA you have to have filed one in your state (here that means in the county you live in).

So I filed in my county and it was recorded. However my attorney friend said that if I tried to enforce it locally the sheriff would not follow thru because of the way I answered something on the form.

I simultaneously filed at the FAA.

The thing is that even if my friend was correct it made no difference because the airplane was out of state and I was never going to go thru the work of locating it or paying to have it confiscated.

The point of filing locally was only so that I could truthfully say that I filed in my state and met the requirements of the FAA lien.

IMHO the real power is in the FAA lien not in the local or state enforcement.

When that owner gets the letter from the FAA he/she will be trying to get you on the phone.
Don't expect pleasantries on the call but you might get a check.

Does that make sense?

p.s. as I said I only did that one time in 18 years, it's not a habit, but was appropriate for the situation.

[astjp2]

I have tried to be fair with every business dealing I have had. I probably have between 50-100 valves out there and never been stiffed and I think everyone was glad just to get one, but doing annuals is like horrible, owners complain that you charge too much on a $500 annual, parts cost too much, and they are going broke. But a week before they were coming back from a tour of the west coast in their $140K motor home and $15k side by side....broke my ass! if they were so broke, they would have actually changed their lifestyle...

[PA1195]

Tim call them and ask what needs to be done: https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certifi...aircraft_lien/

Utah's mechanics Lien law: https://le.utah.gov/interim/2005/pdf/00000710.pdf

More: https://www.zlien.com/mechanics-lien...lien-law-faqs/

Gary

[Guest]

Good finds Gary!!

Tim, why should they change their lifestyle when they can change yours! :-)

Dave

[Guest]

Here is info on a repairman's lien that sounds like what you want since it is not real estate property

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...rI0NBtqqd5_TtN

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...qvVghrcpO88Xsk


My county clerk of the court was very helpful, give them a call too like Gary suggested.

[PA1195]

Scammers are everywhere and run from the airplane Repo Man. There's the cable TV series https://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/airplane-repo/

Some of that may be enhanced for entertainment but the concept is true.

Gary

[M Towsley]

Gary, I met those guys at OSH a few years back and though it is 'enhanced' they do repo planes. One of the guys, Kevin Lacey, is a T-Craft owner and at one time was here on the forum.

[n6346m]

Like all those fake reality programs on TV about Alaska, the airplane repo thing is fake as well. Just think about all the illegal things they supposedly did to get those airplanes. Did those guys really have type ratings for all the planes they supposedly repossessed, I once saw them take an airplane out of a maintenance shop without being released to fly by the mechanic, breaking and entering into hangars etc, etc. At one time they even approached an acquaintance who owned a Citation and asked him if he wanted to be on TV, allegedly repossessing his own airplane. He declined.

[PA1195]

Hah! I still believe in Santa Claus so does that make me.....? Not sure how the Repo Man and Woman go about their trade. Sometimes they have type rated pilots along for the ride just in case.

I've owned two planes that had Logs recreated due to alleged "fires and theft" in the 1960's. Both had notarized signatures in the new airframe logs to attest to that evil. Now we can get records of registration and airworthiness from the FAA but other logbook records sometimes disappear. Best to file a Lien and throw a rock in the gears.

Gary

[astjp2]

Well my ordeal is going to get ugly, FAA is going to get involved and I am to the point I wish I would have never worked on an airplane that was being sold. Note to self: if the owner sells it, don't be stupid enough to do the annual! New owners are never happy, even with a brand new 60 year old airplane...so god help the mechanic that works on one that actually flies around some!