250-A - Trust upon farm products and sales proceeds for the benefit of producers. - New York Statutes

§ 250-a. Trust upon farm products and sales proceeds for the benefit of producers. 1. Farm products received by a dealer in all transactions and all inventories of food or other products derived from farm products and any receivables or proceeds from the sale of such farm products, food or other products shall be held by such dealer in trust for the benefit of all unpaid producers of such farm products until full payment of the amounts owing in connection with such transactions has been received by such producers. 2. To preserve the trust benefit provided by this section, a producer must within sixty days from the date by which the dealer was obligated by statute, regulation or written agreement to make payment to the producer, give written notice to the dealer that the producer is electing the trust benefit. The written notice shall set forth information in sufficient detail to identify the transaction subject to the trust. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subdivision, nothing shall prevent a producer from providing notice of the trust benefit election to a dealer prior to the date by which the dealer was obligated to make payment. 3. Trust beneficiaries shall have a cause of action to enforce payment from the trust. The supreme court is hereby vested with jurisdiction to entertain such actions. A producer who prevails in an action to enforce payment from the trust shall recover from the dealer related costs, fees and disbursements and may recover reasonable attorney fees as determined by the court.