Ala. Code §§ 35-11-72, 35-11-96 § 35-11-72
Lien of Landlord on Stock Raised on Rented Premises.
Operative Text
(a) Owners of land, or their assignees, shall have a lien upon all livestock raised, grown, or grazed upon rented land for the rent of said land for the current year, and which shall be paramount to all other liens. The lien shall exist only when the land is leased or rented or used for pasturing or grazing purposes. (b) For the enforcement of such lien, the owners of such land, or their assignees, may have process of attachment from any court having jurisdiction of the amount claimed, leviable upon the stock upon which the lien exists (1) When such claim is due and the defendant upon demand fails or refuses to pay the same; (2) Whether such claim is due or not when the defendant has removed any part of such stock from such land without the consent of the landlord without paying the rent, or if the claim has been assigned without the consent of the assignees; (3) Whether such claim is due or not, when the plaintiff has good cause to believe that the defendant is about to remove any part of such stock from the land without paying the rent and without the consent of the owner of such land or the assignee, if the claim has been assigned.
Under Alabama Code §§ 35-11-72 and 35-11-96, a landowner (or their assignee) holds an automatic, superior lien on any livestock raised, grown, or grazed on rented land as security for that year's rent. This lien applies specifically when the land is leased, rented, or used for pasturing or grazing. To enforce the lien, the landowner may seek an attachment order from a court of appropriate jurisdiction under defined circumstances, such as when rent goes unpaid, when livestock is removed without consent, or when there is reasonable cause to believe removal is imminent.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Landowners and their assignees operating under Alabama Code §§ 35-11-72 and 35-11-96 generally document the terms of any grazing or pasturing arrangement in writing, noting the rental amount and the livestock covered. Compliant operators are aware that their lien is automatically superior to other liens but exists only for the current rental year and only when the land is actually used for livestock purposes. When a tenant fails to pay rent or removes stock without consent, the landowner may pursue an attachment action through a court with jurisdiction over the claimed amount.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Tenants who graze or raise livestock on rented Alabama land should understand that, under §§ 35-11-72 and 35-11-96, the landowner holds a first-priority lien on that livestock for the current year's rent by operation of law. Moving livestock off the rented property without the landlord's consent and without paying rent can trigger an attachment proceeding against the stock, even before rent is technically due. Tenants who believe a lien has been improperly asserted or that an attachment action is unwarranted may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or an attorney familiar with Alabama agricultural tenancy law.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 16, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References Out
No outbound references recorded yet for this provision.
References In
No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.