(a) The owner of a self-service storage facility and the owner’s heirs, executors, administrators, successors, and assigns have a lien upon all personal property located at a self-service storage facility for rent, labor, or other charges, present or future, in relation to the personal property and for expenses necessary for its preservation or expenses reasonably incurred in its sale or other disposition pursuant to this chapter. The lien provided for in this section is superior to any other lien or security interest, except those which are perfected and recorded in the state in the name of the occupant during the term of the rental agreement and except any tax lien as otherwise provided by law. The lien attaches when personal property is placed in the leased space.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 66-31-104

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Last known address: means for notification purposes the street address, post office box, or electronic mail address provided by the occupant in the latest rental agreement or in a subsequent written notice of a change of address provided by the occupant. See Tennessee Code 66-31-102
  • Leased space: means the storage space or spaces at the self-service storage facility that are leased or rented to an occupant pursuant to a rental agreement. See Tennessee Code 66-31-102
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Month: means a calendar month. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Occupant: means a person, or a sublessee, successor, or assign of such person, entitled to the use of leased space at a self-service storage facility under a rental agreement, to the exclusion of others. See Tennessee Code 66-31-102
  • Owner: means the owner, operator, lessor, or sublessor of a self-service storage facility, the agent of such person, or any person authorized by such person to manage the facility or to receive rent from an occupant under a rental agreement. See Tennessee Code 66-31-102
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Personal property: means movable property not affixed to land and includes, but is not limited to, goods, wares, merchandise, household items, and vehicles. See Tennessee Code 66-31-102
  • Property: includes both personal and real property. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Rental agreement: means any agreement or lease, written or oral, that establishes or modifies the terms, conditions, rules, or any other provisions concerning the use and occupancy of leased space at a self-service storage facility. See Tennessee Code 66-31-102
  • Self-service storage facility: means any real property designed and used for the purpose of renting or leasing storage space to occupants who are to have access to such space for the purpose of storing and removing personal property. See Tennessee Code 66-31-102
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) The rental agreement shall contain a statement in bold type notifying the occupant of the existence of the lien and the method of its enforcement. The rental agreement shall also include the late fee, if any, and when it may be imposed. If the rental agreement contains a limit on the value of property stored in the occupant’s storage space, the limit shall be deemed to be the maximum value of the property stored in that space.
(c) The owner may also impose a reasonable late fee on the occupant for each month the occupant does not pay rent when due. For purposes of this section, a reasonable late fee is not more than the greater of twenty dollars ($20.00) a month or twenty percent (20%) of monthly rent. Any late fee imposed by the owner pursuant to this section is in addition to any other remedy provided by law or contract.
(d) The owner shall provide adequate notice to the occupant before a late fee is imposed. Adequate notice is provided if the rental agreement complies with subsection (b) or if a notice is sent to the occupant at the last known address and notifies the occupant that a late fee may be charged for any month in which the occupant does not pay rent when due.
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