Cal. Civ. Code § 8-306
Md. Code Ann., Real Property Art. Title 8 — Landlord and Tenant
Operative Text
(a) The levy under an action of distress shall be made solely on goods on the leased premises, regardless of whether the goods are the property of the tenant or of some other person, except as provided in this subtitle. (b) When the term of a lease is for more than 15 years, levy shall be made solely on the goods of the tenant or owner of the leasehold interest found on the leased premises. However, the goods of any subtenant or of any third party on the leased premises are not subject to levy under distress.
Maryland Real Property § 8-306 governs which goods may be seized during a distress action — a legal process a landlord may use to collect unpaid rent. For most leases, any goods physically located on the leased premises can be subject to levy, even if those goods belong to someone other than the tenant, with certain exceptions set out elsewhere in the subtitle. When a lease runs longer than 15 years, however, the levy is narrowed: only goods belonging to the tenant or the leasehold owner on the premises may be seized, and goods belonging to subtenants or third parties are explicitly protected from distress.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators pursuing a distress action under Md. Code Ann., Real Prop. § 8-306 should be aware that the scope of a permissible levy depends on the lease term. For standard shorter-term leases, goods on the premises — even those owned by third parties — may generally be subject to levy, subject to the exceptions listed elsewhere in the subtitle. For leases exceeding 15 years, compliant practice involves limiting any levy strictly to goods owned by the tenant or leasehold owner, and not reaching goods belonging to subtenants or other third parties present on the premises.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under Md. Code Ann., Real Prop. § 8-306, tenants and third parties whose goods are on leased premises have specific protections depending on the lease length. If the lease is longer than 15 years, goods belonging to a subtenant or any third party cannot lawfully be seized in a distress action — only the primary tenant's or leasehold owner's goods are subject to levy. Anyone whose property has been seized in a distress action may want to review whether the levy complied with § 8-306's requirements and consider consulting a tenant-rights organization or legal aid office to understand available remedies.
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 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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