Maritime Lien Priority Calculator

Lien priority distribution from vessel arrest and sale proceeds.

Legal Disclaimer

This calculator provides general estimates only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws, regulations, and court procedures vary significantly by jurisdiction. Consult a licensed attorney in your area for advice specific to your situation.

Inputs

Vessel Sale Price ($)

Crew Wages Claim ($)

Salvage Claim ($)

Suppliers Claim ($)

Mortgage Balance ($)

Port Charges ($)

Tab to move between fields

Results

Crew Recovery (%)

100

Mortgage Recovery (%)

99.3

Salvage Recovery (%)100

Suppliers Recovery (%)0

Marshal Fees ($)$60,000.00

Total Shortfall ($)$160,000.00

Surplus / Deficit ($)$0.00

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Vessel Sale Price from the judicial foreclosure sale.
Set Crew Wages Claim (highest priority), Salvage Claim, and Port Charges.
Enter Suppliers Claim and Mortgage Balance.
Review recovery percentages by priority — crew wages and salvage claims rank above ship mortgages.
If sale proceeds are insufficient, lower-priority creditors recover nothing.
Maritime lien priority is governed by U.S. maritime law (46 U.S.C.) — consult a maritime attorney for complex multi-lien disputes.

What each input means

Vessel Sale Price ($): Judicial sale proceeds of the arrested vessel.
Crew Wages Claim ($): Outstanding crew wages and maintenance/cure.
Salvage Claim ($): Salvage award claim.
Suppliers Claim ($): Necessaries/suppliers lien claims.
Mortgage Balance ($): Preferred ship mortgage outstanding balance.
Port Charges ($): Outstanding port fees and charges.

What each result means

Crew Recovery (%): Percentage of crew wages claim recovered.
Salvage Recovery (%): Percentage of salvage claim recovered.
Mortgage Recovery (%): Percentage of mortgage recovered.
Suppliers Recovery (%): Percentage of suppliers claim recovered.
Marshal Fees ($): Court-appointed marshal fees (~3%).
Total Shortfall ($): Total claims exceeding sale proceeds.
Surplus / Deficit ($): Remaining funds after all claims (negative = deficit).

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Vessel Sale Price ($) = 2000000, Crew Wages Claim ($) = 150000, Salvage Claim ($) = 300000, Suppliers Claim ($) = 100000 = 6 input(s) provided
Calculate Crew Recovery
100 = 100
Calculate Mortgage Recovery
99.3 = 99.3
Calculate Salvage Recovery
100 = 100
Calculate Suppliers Recovery
0 = 0