50 USC § 3954 - Settlement of stayed cases relating to personal property

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t50/s3954"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "50 USC § 3954 - Settlement of stayed cases relating to personal property"
title_number: 50
title_name: "WAR AND NATIONAL DEFENSE"
section_number: "3954"
section_name: "Settlement of stayed cases relating to personal property"
chapter_number: 50
chapter_name: "SERVICEMEMBERS CIVIL RELIEF"
subchapter_number: "III"
subchapter_name: "RENT, INSTALLMENT CONTRACTS, MORTGAGES, LIENS, ASSIGNMENT, LEASES, COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE CONTRACTS"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-21"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, title III, § 304, as added Pub. L. 108–189, § 1, Dec. 19, 2003, 117 Stat. 2848.)"
---


# § 3954. Settlement of stayed cases relating to personal property

**(a)** **Appraisal of property** When a stay is granted pursuant to this chapter in a proceeding to foreclose a mortgage on or to repossess personal property, or to rescind or terminate a contract for the purchase of personal property, the court may appoint three disinterested parties to appraise the property.

**(b)** **Equity payment** Based on the appraisal, and if undue hardship to the servicemember’s dependents will not result, the court may order that the amount of the servicemember’s equity in the property be paid to the servicemember, or the servicemember’s dependents, as a condition of foreclosing the mortgage, repossessing the property, or rescinding or terminating the contract.

---

**Source Credit**: (Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, title III, § 304, as added Pub. L. 108–189, § 1, Dec. 19, 2003, 117 Stat. 2848.)

## Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was formerly classified to section 534 of the former Appendix to this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 304 of , art. III, as added , ; amended , , , related to termination of leases by lessees, prior to the general amendment of this Act by . See .

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section applicable to any case not final before , see , set out as a note under .