A lien is a record maintained by the MVA of the debt owed by a vehicle owner to a secured party (lender). A secured party lends the money to the owner and has the power to repossess the vehicle if the owner does not repay the loan.
Lenders may request the placement of a lien by applying in-person at any of the MVA's full service branch offices, in-person to the Title File Unit in the Glen Burnie office, or by mail to the Title File Unit. In order to place a lien on a vehicle, the lender must submit a Security Interest Filing Statement and the appropriate proof of the vehicle's ownership. The proof of ownership can be established by presenting a certificate of origin (if the vehicle is new) or a Maryland Certificate of Title (if the vehicle is used). Additional forms may be required in certain circumstances. A lien release is required if the ownership of the vehicle is being changed and the existing title indicates that a lien had been placed on the vehicle at an earlier date. The lien release may be a letter from the lien holder or the customer may submit the termination statement sent to the customer by the lien holder. A lien release would also be needed if a new lien holder is paying off a previous lien. Note: Information regarding lien placement can also be recorded on the form "Application for Maryland Title" and on the reverse side of the Maryland Title in the section entitled "Application for Certificate of Title."
If the secured party is not a recognized financial institution, then a security agreement between the secured party and debtor must be presented. The contract must be signed by both the lender and the vehicle owner and include a description of the vehicle (year, make and vehicle identification number), the amount of the lien, the method of payment, the date of the creation of the lien and a statement (optional) indicating that the secured party can repossess the vehicle in the case of non-payment. The repossession clause needs to state the terms of the repossession and the vehicle owner needs to acknowledge the clause by signing within the clause.
- There is a fee for the placement of each lien (Security Interest Filing).
MVA
Title File Unit
6601 Ritchie Highway, NE
Glen Burnie, MD 21062
For telephone questions: | MVA Customer Service Center: | 1-800-950-1MVA(1682) | | TTY/Hearing Impaired: | 1-800-492-4575 | | Out-of-State: | 1-301-729-4550 |
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