Effective: July 18, 1990
Latest Legislation: House Bill 444 - 118th General Assembly
(A) As used in this section and section 1333.41 of the Revised Code, "public or private construction project" means a construction project that is for public or private purposes and that is located, in whole or in part, in this state or another state.
(B) If a bailee for hire performs services or provides materials with respect to any personal property of the owner of, or principal contractor associated with, a public or private construction project, and if the bailee for hire obtains a lien with respect to that personal property pursuant to section 1333.41 of the Revised Code or the common law of this state in order to secure the reasonable value of the services that he performed or of the materials that he provided, then the owner or principal contractor may cause the lien to be discharged by depositing a bond as described in division (C) of this section with the clerk of the court of common pleas of the county in which the bailee for hire holds the personal property subject to the lien, and, if necessary, by complying with division (D) of this section.
(C) The bond necessary to cause the discharge of a lien as described in division (B) of this section shall satisfy all of the following:
(1) The bond shall be written by a surety that is authorized to execute bonds in this state;
(2) Except as otherwise provided in this division, the bond shall be in an amount that at least equals twice the reasonable value of the services that the bailee for hire performed, the materials that the bailee for hire provided, or both, as claimed by the bailee for hire. The amount of the bond may exceed, but is not required to exceed, twice the value of the personal property subject to the lien.
(3) The bond shall be conditioned that the owner of, or the principal contractor associated with, a public or private construction project who deposits the bond, will satisfy, in full, any judgment rendered against that owner or principal contractor in a civil action that the bailee for hire commences, within one year following the date of the deposit, to obtain the reasonable value of the services that he performed or of the materials that he provided.
(D) If a bailee for hire who obtains a lien as described in division (B) of this section and the owner of, or the principal contractor associated with, a public or private construction project whose personal property is subject to the lien do not agree as to the value of the personal property subject to the lien, then, prior to depositing a bond as described in division (C) of this section with the clerk of the court of common pleas of the county in which the bailee for hire holds the personal property subject to the lien, the owner or principal contractor shall file an application with that court in order to obtain a judicial determination of that value. If such an application is filed, then, after notice to the bailee for hire and the owner or principal contractor, the court shall hold a hearing on the application and then render a determination as to that value. The hearing shall be held within ten days following the date that the notice is so given.
(E) If a bond as described in division (C) of this section is deposited in accordance with this section, and if the bailee for hire who possesses the personal property subject to the lien described in division (A) of this section then fails to return the personal property to the owner of, or the principal contractor associated with, the public or private construction project who deposited the bond, then the owner or principal contractor may file an application with the court of common pleas of the county in which the bailee for hire holds the personal property to obtain an order requiring the bailee for hire to return the personal property to the owner or principal contractor. After notice to the bailee for hire and the owner or principal contractor, the court shall hold a hearing on the application, which hearing shall be held within ten days following the date that the notice is so given. If, following the hearing, the court determines that the bond complies with division (C) of this section and was deposited in accordance with this section, it shall issue the requested order.