Article 195 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
المادة 195 من نظام المعاملات المدنية · الفرع الثالث: حبس المال
The article sets the grounds on which the right of retention ends, and allows the retainer to ask the court to recover the thing within 30 days of learning it left his hands and before a year passes, if it left without his knowledge or despite his objection.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
1- ينقضي الحق في الحبس بهلاك الشيء المحبوس، أو استيفاء الحابس حقه من مدينه، أو خروج الشيء من يد حابسه.
2- لحابس الشيء إذا خرج من يده دون علمه أو بالرغم من معارضته؛ أن يطلب من المحكمة استرداده خلال (ثلاثين) يومًا من التاريخ الذي علم فيه بخروجه من يده وقبل انقضاء (سنةٍ) من تاريخ خروجه.
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 195 explained in plain English
This article explains when the right of retention ends, and how the retainer protects his right if he loses the thing without his consent.
Grounds for ending the right of retention (Paragraph 1):
- Destruction of the retained thing.
- The retainer's collection of his right from his debtor.
- The thing's leaving the retainer's hands.
Recovering a thing that left his hands (Paragraph 2):
If the thing left the retainer's hands without his knowledge or despite his objection, he may ask the court to recover it, subject to two time conditions together:
- That he files the request within 30 days of the date he learned the thing had left his hands.
- And that this is before a year passes from the date it left.
If the retainer handed over the thing voluntarily, Paragraph 2 does not cover him, because it is limited to the thing leaving without his knowledge or despite his objection.
Article 194 explains that the right of retention gives the retainer no priority in collecting his right from the thing. Because the periods are short, a person who has lost a retained thing should promptly consult a lawyer specializing in civil cases.
Practical example
Faisal was retaining equipment belonging to a customer who had not paid dues connected with it, and the equipment was taken from his warehouse without his knowledge, and he learned of it only two months later. He may ask the court to recover it within 30 days of the date he learned, as long as a year has not passed since it left his hands.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 195 of the Saudi Civil Transactions Law
When does the right of retention end?
It ends with destruction of the retained thing, the retainer's collection of his right from his debtor, or the thing leaving the retainer's hands.
What is the time limit for asking to recover a retained thing that was taken from me?
Within 30 days of the date you learned it left your hands, and before a year passes from the date it left.
Can I recover it if I handed the thing over willingly?
Paragraph 2 limits a request for recovery to the thing leaving without the retainer's knowledge or despite his objection.
More articles on Performance of Obligations and Agreed Compensation
- Article 107
The article lets a party to a bilateral contract, after warning the defaulting party, demand performance or termination, with compensation if warranted, in either case.
في العقود الملزمة للجانبين، إذا لم يوف أحد المتعاقدين بالتزامه، فللمتعاقد الآخر بعد إعذاره المتعاقد المخل أن يطلب تنفيذ العقد أو فسخه، مع التعويض في الحالتين إن
- Article 161
The article requires the debtor to perform his obligation when it falls due and allows it to be enforced against him by compulsion if he refuses, once the conditions for compulsory enforcement under the law are met.
يجب على المدين تنفيذ التزامه عند استحقاقه، فإذا امتنع نفذ عليه جبرًا متى استوفى التنفيذ الجبري شروطه النظامية.
- Article 162
The article provides that an obligation that does not meet the conditions for compulsory enforcement remains owed on a moral basis (diyanah); if the debtor performs it voluntarily, the performance is valid and is neither a gift nor an undue payment.
إذا لم يستوف الالتزام الشروط النظامية لتنفيذه جبرًا يبقى قائمًا في ذمة المدين ديانةً، فإذا وفاه مختارًا كان وفاؤه صحيحًا ولا يُعدُّ تبرعًا ولا دفعًا لغير المستح
- Article 163
The article provides that an obligation owed on a moral basis (diyanah) is a valid foundation on which the debtor may build a legal obligation.
الالتزام القائم ديانةً يُعدُّ أساسًا صالحًا لأن يبني عليه المدين التزامًا نظاميًّا.
- Article 164
The article compels the debtor, after formal notice, to perform in kind where possible, and lets the court, at his request, limit the creditor to compensation if performance is burdensome and causes the creditor no serious harm.
1- يُجبَر المدين بعد إعذاره على تنفيذ التزامه تنفيذًا عينيًّا متى كان ذلك ممكنًا. 2- إذا كان في التنفيذ العيني إرهاقٌ للمدين جاز للمحكمة بناءً على طلبه أن تقصر
- Article 165
The article provides that a right to a thing specified by kind attaches to a particular item only once it is set apart, and lets the creditor, on non-performance, obtain a like item at the debtor's expense.
1- إذا تعلق الحق بشيء معين بالنوع لا بالذات، فإنه لا يختص بشيء بذاته من ذلك النوع إلا بإفرازه. 2- إذا لم يقم المدين بتنفيذ التزامه جاز للدائن أن يحصل على شيء من
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.