RS 10:7-601 Lost, stolen, or destroyed documents of title - Louisiana Statutes

PART 6.

WAREHOUSE RECEIPTS AND BILLS OF LADING:

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

§7-601.  Lost, stolen, or destroyed documents of title

(a)  If a document of title is lost, stolen, or destroyed, a court may order delivery of the goods or issuance of a substitute document and the bailee may without liability to any person comply with the order.  If the document was negotiable, a court may not order delivery of the goods or issuance of a substitute document without the claimant's posting security unless it finds that any person that may suffer loss as a result of nonsurrender of possession or control of the document is adequately protected against the loss.  If the document was nonnegotiable, a court may require security.  The court may also order payment of the bailee's reasonable costs and attorney fees in any action under this Subsection.

(b)  A bailee that, without a court order, delivers goods to a person claiming under a missing negotiable document of title is liable to any person injured thereby.  If the delivery is not in good faith, the bailee is liable for all damages, foreseeable or not, that are a direct consequence of the bailee's actions.  The bailee is liable only for the damages that were foreseeable at the time the document of title was issued if the bailee was in good faith in making delivery and if the claimant posts security with the bailee in an amount at least double the value of the goods at the time of posting to indemnify any person injured by the delivery which files a notice of claim within one year after the delivery.

Added by Acts 1978, No. 164, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1979; Acts 2009, No. 207, §3, eff. Jan. 1, 2010.