An Act To Reduce the Period of Enforcement for Judgments Based upon Consumer Obligations
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1053
Committee Amendment CA_A_H716 (House)
Amends: 14 MRSA §4651-A

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 776, L.D. 1053, Bill, "An Act To 
Reduce the Period of Enforcement for Judgments Based upon Consumer Obligations" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Reduce the Duration of Execution Liens' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 14 MRSA §4651-A, sub-§9, as reallocated by RR 2001, c. 1, §17, is 
amended to read: 
9, Duration of lien created before September 1, 2020; renewal. A lien created 
pursuant to this section after the effeotive date of this subseotion September 21. 2001 but 
before September 1. 2020 continues for a period of 20 years from the date of the filing of 
the writ of execution or of the recording of the writ of execution in the registry of deeds, 
unless the judgment is paid, discharged or released. A lien may be renewed once for a 
period of 20 years from the filing or recording of a renewal, pluries or alias writ of 
execution in the same manner as the original writ of execution was filed or recorded, with 
the same notice as required by subsection 5. 
A. If the renewal writ is filed or recorded before the expiration of the 20-year period 
of the original writ of execution, the renewal writ relates back to the date that the 
original writ of execution was filed or recorded and prevents the expiration of the 
lien. 
B. A lien created pursuant to this section when the date of the recording of the writ 
of execution in the registry of deeds is more than 18 years prior to the effeotive date 
of this subseotion Septemper 21. 2001 may be renewed as provided in this subsection 
if the renewal writ is recorded within 2 years of the effeotive date of this subseotion 
by September 21, 2003. 
Sec, 2. 14 MRSA §4651-A, sub-§9-A is enacted to read: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
\ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 776, L.D. 1053 
9-A. Duration of lien created on or after September 1, 2020; renewal. A lien 
created pursuaq.t to this section on or after Se,Ptember 1, 2020 coq.tinues for a period, of 10 
years from the date of the filing of the writ of execution or of the recording of the writ of 
execution in the registty ~ideeds, unless the ju9gment is paid, discharged or released. A 
lieµ may be renewed under this subsection once for a period of lQ years from the filing or 
recording of a renewal, nluries or alias writ of execution in the same manner as the 
original writ of exe~ution was filed or reco~ded, with the same notice as required by 
subsection 5. 
If the renewal writ is Wed or recorded before the expiration of the 10-year period of the 
original writ of execution, ~hy renewal writ relates back to the date that the original writ 
of execution was filed or recorded and prevents the expiration of the lien.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill, which provides that a judgment or decree based 
upon a consumer obligation would be irrebuttably presumed to be paid and satisfied at the 
end of one year after any duty or obligation accrued by virtue of the judgment or decree 
unless within that period the judgment creditor has commenced other action as permitted 
by law for the enforcement of the judgment or decree. 
Instead, this amendment provides that an execution lien created on or after September 
1, 2020, for any underlying judgment, expires at the end of 10 years unless it is renewed 
before the expiration of the 10-year period. The renewal period is also 10 years. The lien 
can be renewed once. 
The amendment provides that the current law, which provides for a 20-year duration 
and a 20-year renewal period, applies to liens created before September 1, 2020. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT