Sec. 1. (a) The owner or keeper of any hotel, inn, boardinghouse, eating facility, lodging house, or restaurant has a lien upon any trunk, valise or baggage, or other article of value brought into the hotel, inn, boardinghouse, eating facility, lodging house, or restaurant by a person for any and all proper charges due from the person for food, lodging, entertainment, or other accommodation.

(b) The owner or keeper referred to in subsection (a) may detain the trunk, valise or baggage, or other articles of value until the amount of the charge is fully paid. If the charges are not paid within sixty (60) days after the charges accrued, the owner or keeper may sell the trunk, valise or baggage, or other article of value at public auction after giving ten (10) days notice of the time and place of the sale by publication of notice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the hotel, inn, boardinghouse, eating facility, lodging house, or restaurant is situated. In addition, the owner or keeper must at least ten (10) days before the sale mail a copy of the notice addressed to the person at:

(1) the person's post office address if known to the owner or keeper; or

(2) the address registered by the person with the owner or keeper if the owner or keeper is required to keep a register under IC 16-41-29.

(c) After satisfying the lien out of the proceeds of a sale under this section together with any costs that may have been incurred in enforcing the lien, the residue of the proceeds of the sale, if any, must be paid on demand by the owner or keeper to the person not more than six (6) months after the sale. If the residue is not demanded within six (6) months after the date of the sale, the residue or remainder shall be deposited by the owner or keeper with the county treasurer of the county in which the hotel, inn, boardinghouse, eating facility, lodging house, or restaurant is situated, together with a statement of:

(1) the owner's or keeper's claim;

(2) the amount of costs incurred in enforcing the lien;

(3) a copy of the published notice; and

(4) the amount received from the sale of the trunk, valise or baggage, or other article of value sold at the sale.

(d) The residue deposited under subsection (c) shall be accredited to the general revenue funds of the county by the county treasurer subject to the right of the person or the person's representatives to reclaim the residue at any time within three (3) years after the date of the deposit with the county treasurer.

(e) A sale under this section is a bar to any action against the owner or keeper for the recovery of the trunk, valise or baggage, or other article of value or of the value of the trunk, valise or baggage, or other article of value, or for any damage growing out of the failure of the person to receive the trunk, valise or baggage, or other article of value.

(f) However, if the proceeds of a sale after deducting any costs that may have been incurred in enforcing the lien are not sufficient to discharge the owner's or keeper's charges, the balance remains due and owing, and the owner or keeper may commence an action at law against the person for any balance due.

[Pre-2002 Recodification Citation: 32-8-27-2.]

As added by P.L.2-2002, SEC.18.