If a lien claimant is paid in full and has not supplied agricultural chemical, seed, or labor in the prior 45 days, the claimant must file a termination statement and send a copy to the lien debtor.
Sec. 128.038. TERMINATION STATEMENT. (a) If a lien claimant receives payment for the total amount secured by a lien under this chapter and the lien claimant has not furnished an agricultural chemical, agricultural seed, or labor during the 45-day period before the date on which payment is received, the lien claimant shall file a termination statement with the secretary of state and shall send the lien debtor a copy of the statement as provided by this section. The statement shall state that the lien claimant no longer claims a security interest under the notice of claim of lien. (b) The notice of claim of lien must be identified in the statement under Subsection (a) by the date, names of parties to the agreement, and file number of the original lien. (c) If the lien claimant does not send the termination statement required by this section before the 11th day after the date on which the lien claimant received payment, the lien claimant is liable to the lien debtor for actual damages suffered by the lien debtor as a result of the failure. If the lien claimant acts in bad faith in failing to send the statement, the lien claimant is liable for an additional penalty of $100. (d) The filing officer in the secretary of state's office shall mark each termination statement with the date and time of filing and shall index the statement under the name of the lien debtor and under the file number of the original lien. If the filing officer has a microfilm or other photographic record of the lien and related filings, the filing officer may destroy the filed notice of claim of lien at any time after receiving the termination statement. If the filing officer does not have a photographic record, the filing officer may destroy the filed notice of claim of lien at any time after the first anniversary of the date on which the filing officer received the termination statement. (e) The uniform filing fee for filing and indexing the termination statement is the same as the fee assessed under Section 9.525, Business & Commerce Code. Added by Acts 1995, 74th Leg., ch. 197, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1995. Amended by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 414, Sec. 2.04, eff. July 1, 2001.