---
kind: "section"
citation: "50 U.S.C. § 3954"
title: "50"
title_heading: "War and National Defense"
number: "3954"
heading: "Settlement of stayed cases relating to personal property"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/50/3954"
units:
  - "Chapter 50 — Servicemembers Civil Relief"
  - "Subchapter III — Rent, Installment Contracts, Mortgages, Liens, Assignment, Leases, Communications Service Contracts"
---

# §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](/usc/50/3911.md?p=5) may appoint three disinterested parties to appraise the property.
- (b) **Equity payment—** Based on the appraisal, and if undue hardship to the [servicemember](/usc/50/3911.md?p=1)’s [dependents](/usc/50/3911.md?p=4) will not result, the [court](/usc/50/3911.md?p=5) may order that the amount of the [servicemember](/usc/50/3911.md?p=1)’s equity in the property be paid to the [servicemember](/usc/50/3911.md?p=1), or the [servicemember](/usc/50/3911.md?p=1)’s [dependents](/usc/50/3911.md?p=4), 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.)

## Notes

### 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 act Oct. 17, 1940, ch. 888, art. III, as added Oct. 6, 1942, ch. 581, § 12, 56 Stat. 772; amended Pub. L. 102–12, § 9(9), Mar. 18, 1991, 105 Stat. 40, related to termination of leases by lessees, prior to the general amendment of this Act by Pub. L. 108–189. See section 3955 of this title.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section applicable to any case not final before Dec. 19, 2003, see section 3 of Pub. L. 108–189, set out as a note under section 3901 of this title.