artisan's lien

Meaning

A legal right held by a person who has performed work on or improved an item of personal property to retain possession of that item until the service has been paid for.

Examples

• The tailor placed an artisan's lien on the wedding dress because the client failed to pay for the extensive alterations.
• Under state law, the watchmaker was entitled to an artisan's lien after the customer abandoned the repaired timepiece.