Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 12A:7-403

  • Bailee: means a person that by a warehouse receipt, bill of lading, or other document of title acknowledges possession of goods and contracts to deliver them. See New Jersey Statutes 12A:7-102
  • Goods: means all things that are treated as movable for the purposes of a contract for storage or transportation. See New Jersey Statutes 12A:7-102
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
  • Warehouse: means a person engaged in the business of storing goods for hire. See New Jersey Statutes 12A:7-102
12A:7-403. Obligation of Bailee To Deliver; Excuse.

a. A bailee shall deliver the goods to a person entitled under a document of title if the person complies with subsections b. and c. of this section, unless and to the extent that the bailee establishes any of the following:

(1) delivery of the goods to a person whose receipt was rightful as against the claimant;

(2) damage to or delay, loss, or destruction of the goods for which the bailee is not liable;

(3) previous sale or other disposition of the goods in lawful enforcement of a lien or on a warehouse‘s lawful termination of storage;

(4) the exercise by a seller of its right to stop delivery pursuant to 12A:2-705 or by a lessor of its right to stop delivery pursuant to 12A:2A-526;

(5) a diversion, reconsignment, or other disposition pursuant to 12A:7-303;

(6) release, satisfaction, or any other personal defense against the claimant; or

(7) any other lawful excuse.

b. A person claiming goods covered by a document of title shall satisfy the bailee’s lien if the bailee so requests or if the bailee is prohibited by law from delivering the goods until the charges are paid.

c. Unless a person claiming the goods is a person against which the document of title does not confer a right under subsection a. of 12A:7-503:

(1) the person claiming under a document shall surrender possession or control of any outstanding negotiable document covering the goods for cancellation or indication of partial deliveries; and

(2) the bailee shall cancel the document or conspicuously indicate in the document the partial delivery or the bailee is liable to any person to which the document is duly negotiated.

L.2013, c.65, s.2.