Title 7. Mortgages, Deeds of Trust, and Vendor's Liens — Subtitle 2. Vendor's Liens

If any property is granted, and the purchase money, or any part of it, remains unpaid at the time of the grant, the vendor may not have a lien or charge on the property for any other sum of money than the sum that appears to be due on the face of the deed. The time set for payment shall be specified and recited in the deed. No provision in this section may be construed to affect any mortgage or deed of trust given by a purchaser to secure the payment of all or any part of the purchase money, or in any way affect or postpone the lien of any landlord on goods or chattels for the satisfaction or security of rent due or accruing.

The provisions of § 7–105 also are applicable to instruments reserving a valid vendor’s lien, to sales pursuant to a reserved vendor’s lien, and to sales pursuant to the vendor’s authority to sell. A court of equity may decree a sale to enforce a vendor’s lien or any other equitable lien although the lienor may have an adequate remedy at law.

Any deed retaining a valid vendor’s lien may provide that in the event of a sale, any note or other instrument of indebtedness mentioned in the deed shall be paid and satisfied in full in the order of maturity. However, if any note or instrument of indebtedness is paid or satisfied, no further proceedings may be had in reference to or satisfaction of it, but the funds arising from the sale shall be distributed as if the note already paid or satisfied had never been given. If the lien is duly released of record after the date of the maturity of the note or other instrument of indebtedness mentioned in the deed, the note or other instrument of indebtedness conclusively is presumed to have been paid as far as any lien on the property granted by the deed is concerned.

An assignment or release of a vendor’s lien may be made by the holder of the lien in the same manner prescribed for the short assignment or release of a mortgage. The holder of the lien also may write a release on the record in the office where the deed is recorded or the release may be endorsed on the original deed.

The acceptance by the vendor of any guarantee, endorsement, collateral, or other security to insure the full payment of any vendor’s lien, may not be construed as a waiver of the lien. However, the purchaser shall be credited with the proceeds from the sale of any collateral or other securities.