(law) Used in instances of title of property (such as a vehicle) to refer to the person who has right of property, as opposed to the party that merely has right of possession. The party that only has right of possession is referred to as a registered owner, and in the event the registered owner fails to pay off the lien according to the agreed-to terms, the lienholder has the right to invoke repossession of the property (vehicle).
lienholder
Definition, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentence examples for lienholder.
Editorial note
Most states distinguish between the registered owner and the legal owner, and a lienholder is the legal owner.
Quick take
(law) Used in instances of title of property (such as a vehicle) to refer to the person who has right of property, as opposed to the party that merely has right of possession. The party that only has right of possession is referred to as a registered owner, and in the event the registered owner fails to pay off the lien according to the agreed-to terms, the lienholder has the right to invoke repossession of the property (vehicle).
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of lienholder gathered in one view.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for lienholder.
noun
(law) Used in instances of title of property (such as a vehicle) to refer to the person who has right of property, as opposed to the party that merely has right of possession. The party that only has right of possession is referred to as a registered owner, and in the event the registered owner fails to pay off the lien according to the agreed-to terms, the lienholder has the right to invoke repossession of the property (vehicle).
Example sentences
Most states distinguish between the registered owner and the legal owner, and a lienholder is the legal owner.
But the lienholder is also in possession of the title (which may be electronic).
So long as you make your payments on time, the lienholder cannot confiscate your property to make the pie whole.
How do you know some lienholder doesn’t have title to property without a public register?
Concretely, your citation only shows that the owner-lienholder distinction is small for one specific aspect.
And yet if you loan the car to someone who gets into a serious accident, it is you who gets sued, not the lienholder.
So Joe gets a loan from a bank (oftentimes middleman'd by the dealership), the bank pays the dealer in full, Joe gets his car, the bank becomes the lienholder on the car until the loan is paid off.
I'd also love to see this blow up in Tesla's face when a lienholder takes possession of a Cybertruck and sells it at auction.
I've seen vehicle registration documents with an owner and a lienholder.
In a foreclosure, the senior lienholder usually gets the property and the junior lienholders either get nothing or get what’s left over after the senior creditor gets whatever they were owed.
As a counter example, San Diego County Sheriff charges $2500 to levy a vehicle[1] - and I'm certain there's more fees involved since there will be a title involved somewhere, possibly a bank/lienholder, etc.
> Acquisition of Property After a Flood Event > If the homeowner still owes a mortgage on the home, the balance due will be deducted and paid to the lienholder.
Quote examples
"Tech debt" has nothing to do with interest, with a lienholder, a creditor, a payment plan, etc.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use lienholder in a sentence?
Most states distinguish between the registered owner and the legal owner, and a lienholder is the legal owner.
What does lienholder mean?
(law) Used in instances of title of property (such as a vehicle) to refer to the person who has right of property, as opposed to the party that merely has right of possession. The party that only has right of possession is referred to as a registered owner, and in the event the registered owner fails to pay off the lien according to the agreed-to terms, the lienholder has the right to invoke repossession of the property (vehicle).
What part of speech is lienholder?
lienholder is commonly used as noun.