cost of filing the lien. If the vehicle is towed by a public agency or private towing company, the lien arises when the vehicle is towed or transported. The lien may be satisfied by selling the vehicle through the lien sale process. To conduct a lien sale, the person/lienholder must have possession of the vehicle and may require lien sale authorization from the State's Department of Motor Vehicles, depending on the State and or value of the vehicle. Interested parties, including the registered and legal owners of record will be notified, by Registered Mail, before the sale occurs. Creation Mechanic's liens exist to secure payment for services, labor and material on both personal and real property. However, the creation and enforcement mechanisms differ depending on whether real or personal property is involved. The law of mechanic's liens on real property governs the creation and enforcement of these liens on items of personal property that have been attached to real property in such a way as to be a fixture. Creation and enforcement – personal property The English common law recognized mechanic's liens respecting only personal property. The lien was created by operation of law by the fact of the artisan working on the personal property item or attaching additional material to it. However, to maintain the lien, the artisan had to retain possession of the article until he or she was paid. If the property were returned to the owner before that time, the lien was lost. The lien was enforced by a "self-help" sale of the property and applying the sale proceeds to payment of the amount owed for the workmanship. The sales were non-judicial, i.e., they were held in the same way as a sale of property pawned for a debt. In America, 34 states now appear to have statutes providing for mechanic's liens on personal property. These statutes tend to modify the common law rules. For example, in Virginia, a mechanic's lien can only be enforced up to the amount of $625, and if the property is valued at over $5,000, it must be sold at a sheriff's auction ordered by the court of appropriate jurisdiction. Creation, perfection, priority and enforcement – real property Mechanic's liens on the title to real property are exclusively the result of legislation. Each state has its own laws regarding the creation and enforcement of these liens, but, overall, there are some