The Freightline One - Q.B.D. (Adm.Ct.) (Sheen J.) - 7 November 1985

Port Authority’s statutory lien - Whether surviving change of ownership of vessel and vessel’s departure

In October 1984 the vessel Freightline One was arrested as she lay in drydock at Tilbury in the Port of London pursuant to an action in rem by 47 pilots. In November 1984 B issued a second writ in rem in respect of the repairs to the vessel they had carried out in the drydock, which they leased from the Port of London Authority (“PLA”). In December 1984, PLA filed a praecipe pursuant to R.S.C., Order 75, rule 14 requesting the entry of a caveat against the issue of a release of the vessel, the reason being that the vessel had incurred port charges before her arrest, a fact of which the Admiralty Marshal had been appraised.