Legal Question in Business Law in Montana

What are our legal obligations to a feedlot?

We have some bulls at a feedlot. Over two months ago we paid off the feedbill and told the feedlot owner to ship the bulls to another town so they could be sold private treaty. He said he would do it within the week, but he never did so, nor did he contact us in any way. Now he states that he won't move the bulls until our vet bill with the local clinic is paid and we have paid for the additional feed used since we told him to move them. We have payment arrangements with the vet clinic and they are satisfied, and they are in no way affiliated with the feedlot. We want to know three things. Is it legal for him to withhold our property for a bill owing to another party, are we legally responsibile for the additional feed bill incurred since we told him to ship the animals and he said he would, and what are our legal options at this point? We can't move the bulls ourselves as we haven't the equipment, we could hire someone else to but believe he would refuse to release them.


Asked on 9/19/02, 12:21 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Charles Aspinwall Charles S. Aspinwall, J.D., LLC

Re: What are our legal obligations to a feedlot?

The feedlot operator has a legal lien on livestock in his possession against which he has a legitimate bill for feed and vet care. He can refuse to release the stock unless legitimate charges, previously agreed to, are paid.

He cannot withhold delivery of the stock because of a bill to another, paid or unpaid, in which he has no interest.

Your remedy may have to be litigation - contact a local attorney for further details.

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Answered on 9/21/02, 10:08 am


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