7403 - Obligation of bailee to deliver; excuse.
§ 7403. Obligation of bailee to deliver; excuse. (a) Delivery.--A bailee shall deliver the goods to a person entitled under a document of title if the person complies with subsections (b) and (c) unless and to the extent that the bailee establishes any of the following: (1) delivery of the goods to a person whose receipt was rightful as against the claimant; (2) damage to or delay, loss or destruction of the goods for which the bailee is not liable; (3) previous sale or other disposition of the goods in lawful enforcement of a lien or on a warehouse's lawful termination of storage; (4) the exercise by a seller of its right to stop delivery pursuant to section 2705 (relating to stoppage by seller of delivery in transit or otherwise) or by a lessor of its right to stop delivery pursuant to section 2A526 (relating to lessor's stoppage of delivery in transit or otherwise); (5) a diversion, reconsignment or other disposition pursuant to section 7303 (relating to diversion; reconsignment; change of instructions); (6) release, satisfaction or any other personal defense against the claimant; or (7) any other lawful excuse. (b) Satisfaction of bailee's lien.--A person claiming goods covered by a document of title shall satisfy the bailee's lien if the bailee so requests or the bailee is prohibited by law from delivering the goods until the charges are paid. (c) Document.--Unless a person claiming the goods is a person against which the document of title does not confer a right under section 7503(a) (relating to document of title to goods defeated in certain cases): (1) the person claiming under a document shall surrender possession or control of any outstanding negotiable document covering the goods for cancellation or indication of partial deliveries; and (2) the bailee shall cancel the document or conspicuously indicate in the document the partial delivery or the bailee liable to any person to which the document is duly negotiated. Cross References. Section 7403 is referred to in sections 7202, 7209, 7503 of this title.