Personal property, piority, lodgers
“collateral” means personal property in which a security interest has been taken;(bien grevé)
“perfected” has the same meaning as in the Personal Property Security Act;(parfait)
“proceeds” means proceeds as defined in the Personal Property Security Act;(produit)
“purchase money security interest” means
(sûreté en garantie du prix d’achat)
(a)
a security interest taken in collateral to the extent that it secures payment of all or part of its purchase price and the credit charges for the purchase, and
(b)
a security interest taken in collateral by a person who gives value for the purpose of enabling the tenant to acquire rights in the collateral, to the extent that the value is applied to acquire the rights, and value includes interest, credit costs and other charges payable,
but does not include an interest of a lessor under a transaction of sale by and lease back to the seller;
“security interest” means an interest in personal property that secures payment or performance of an obligation.(sûreté)
34(1.1)A landlord shall not distrain for rent the personal property of a person except that of the tenant, but this restriction does not apply where the personal property is claimed by a person other than the tenant
(a)
by virtue of any purchase, gift, transfer or assignment from the tenant, whether absolute or in trust,
(b)
who is the spouse, daughter, son, daughter-in-law or son-in-law of the tenant, or by any other relative of the tenant, if the other relative lives on the premises in respect of which the rent distrained for is payable as a member of the tenant’s household,
(c)
where the personal property has been exchanged between the tenant and another person, or has been borrowed by the one from the other, for the purpose of defeating the claim of or the right of distress by the landlord, or
(d)
who is a subtenant subject to the provisions hereinafter set forth.
34(1.2)A landlord’s distress has priority over a security interest in the goods of the tenant other than a purchase money security interest in goods or proceeds of those goods that is perfected at the date of distress.
34(1.3)A landlord’s distress has priority over a judgment registered in the Personal Property Registry in accordance with the
Enforcement of Money Judgments Act if the landlord distrains before the sheriff seizes the tenant’s property.
34(2)If a superior landlord levies a distress on any furniture, goods, or chattels of a lodger for any rent due and in arrear to such superior landlord by his immediate tenant, such lodger may
(a)
serve such superior landlord, or the bailiff or other person employed by him to levy such distress, with a declaration in writing made by such lodger, setting forth that such immediate tenant has no right of property or beneficial interest in the furniture, goods or chattels so distrained or threatened to be distrained upon, and that such furniture, goods or chattels are the property of the lodger, and also setting forth what amount by way of rent, board or otherwise is due from the lodger to his immediate landlord, and to such declaration shall be annexed a correct inventory of the furniture, goods and chattels referred to therein;
(b)
pay to the superior landlord, or to the bailiff or other person employed by him, the amount, if any, so due by him, or so much thereof as is sufficient to discharge the claim of the superior landlord, and any such payment made by a lodger shall be deemed a valid payment on account of any rent or board due from him to his immediate landlord.
34(3)Where after being served with such declaration and inventory and after the lodger has paid or tendered the amount of any that such lodger is herein authorized to pay, the superior landlord, bailiff or other person proceeds with a distress on the furniture, goods or chattels of the lodger, he shall be deemed guilty of an illegal distress.
34(4)Either the superior landlord or the lodger may apply to a judge of The Court of King’s Bench of New Brunswick, for an order declaring the right to such furniture, goods and chattels, and the judge shall inquire into the truth of such declaration and inventory, and shall make such order for recovery of the furniture, goods and chattels, or otherwise, as to him seems just.
34(5)In any action for damages for illegal distress brought against a superior landlord by a lodger the truth of the declaration and inventory may be inquired into.
34(6)Repealed: 1990, c.61, s.70 R.S., c.126, s.34; 1954, c.51, s.1; 1979, c.41, s.72; 1980, c.32, s.16; 1990, c.61, s.70; 1993, c.36, s.7; 2008, c.45, s.10; 2013, c.32, s.19; 2023, c.17, s.133