Secured Credit Flashcards
What is a secured transaction?
A secured transaction is a transaction intended to create a security interest in personal property or fixtures
How to spot a security transaction:
Look for:
1. a credit transaction (a sale on credit or a loan)
2. an agreement that creates a lien in favor of the creditor on the debtor’s personal property to secure the debt
Who is the debtor
the person who owed payment or perfomance
Who is the creditor
the secured party: a lender, seller, or other person in whose favor there is a security interest
What is a security interest
A security interest is an interest in personal property or fixtures that secures payment or performance of an obligation
What happens with a security interest when default occurs?
When that contigency occurs, the property interest springs to life and the creditor has rights in the debtor’s collateral.
What is collateral?
the property subject to a security interest
what is a PMSI
purchase money security interest - special type of security interst in goods
whaat are the two ways a PMSI can arise
- seller-financed: secured party sells the goods to the debtor on credit and retains a security interest in the goods or
- financer-financed: the creditor loans the funds to the debtor to enable the debtor to buy specific collateral - those funds are used by the debtor to acquire the specific collateral and the creditor takes a security interest in that collateral
What is an after-acquired property clause?
Clause in a security agreement - allows a secured party to obtain an interest not only in a debtor’s present property, but also in property that debtor will obtain in the future
Future Advance Clause
Clause in a security agreement - a secured party contemplates making future loans to the debtor and wants to secure these future advances in the present security agreement
Attachment
deals with those steps legally required to give the secured party a security interest in the collateral that is effective as against the debtor
a creditor is not secured until attachment
Perfection
deals with the steps legally required to give the secured party an interest in the collateral as effective against the world
gives public notice of the security interest to the world
Types of Collateral - goods (tangible Collateral)
- consumer goods
- equipment
- farm products
- inventory
placement depends on how the debtor is using the collateral
what are consumer goods?
goods used or bought primarily for personal, family, or household purposes
what is equipment?
goods that are used or bought for use in a business (also the catch all category)
what are farm products?
crops or livestock or supplies used or produced in farming operations or products of crops or livestock in their unmanufactured states if they are in the possession of the debtor engaged in farming operations
what is inventory?
goods held for sale or lease, goods that are used to be furnished under service contracts, and materials used or consumed in a business in a short period of time
Intangible or Semi-Intangible Collateral
- intruments - pieces of paper representing the right to be paid (promissory notes, drafts, checks, certificates of deposit)
- documents - represents the right to recieve goods (bill of lading, warehouse receipt)
- chattel paper - record that evidences 1) monetary obligation and 2) a security interest in or a lease of specific goods
- investment property - includes items such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and brokerage accounts containing such items
- accounts - includes a right to payment (not evidenced by an instrument or chattel paper) for property sold or services rendered
- deposit accounts - nonconsumer, bank account
- commercial tort claims - a tort claim where 1) claimaint is an organization or 2) claimant is an individual, claim arose out of claimant’s business or profession, and claim does not include damages for personal injury or death of individual
- General intangibles - any personal property not coming in the scope of other definitions, patent, trademark, copyrights, goodwill
Is a contractual obligation arising from a loan of money an account?
NO - it is a general intangible
Article 9 applies to: ?
he said this isn’t coming up
- a transaction, regardless of form, that creates a security interest in personal property or fixtures by contract
- a seller’s retention of title
- agricultural liens
- sales of accounts, chattel paper, payment intangibles, or promissory notes
- commercial consignments of goods
- a secured sale disguised as a lease (leases they are intednded to serve as security arrangements)
Rights against the debtor are established by?
Attachment
Rights against third parties are established by?
Perfection
Three Requirements for Attachment
- parties must agree to create the security agreement
- value must be given by the secured party AND
- the debtor must have rights (like ownership) in the property
Requirements of an Authenticated Security Agreement
- evidenced by a record that shows an intent to make a security interest
- agreement must be authenticated (usually means signed, any symbol is good enough)
- must describe the collateral in a way that reasonably identifies it
**NO supergeneric descriptions
What does it mean to give value for a security agreement?
Any consideration sufficient to support a simple contract is value
Past consideration is okay here
What does it mean for debtor to have rights in the collateral?
can have rights (even if they are limited, don’t have to have title)
Rights and Duties of Secured Party in Possession of Collateral
secured party in possession must use reasonable care in storing and preserving the collateral, but is entitled to reimbursment for reasonable expenses in caring for the collateral
Risk of loss of property in the secured party’s possession?
on the debtor to the extent of the insurance deficiency
Who may hold any increase in value of, or profits from, the collateral (except money) as additional security?
the secured party in possession or control
money must be given to debtor applied against secured obligation
Does an after-acquired property clause need to be explicity?
yes
What interest is in the identifiable proceeds?
A security interest will automatically attach to identifiable proceeds of collateral, even without an after-acquired property clause
Proceeds include second generation proceeds
Insurance payable by reason of loss or damage to the collateral is a proceedm unless it is payable to someone other than the debtor or the secured party
Claim arising out of the loss of, defects in, or damage to collateral are also proceeds
Does an after acquired property clause apply to consumer goods?
No, unless the debtor acquires rights in the goods within 10 days after the creditor gives value
Does an after acquired property clause apply to any commercial tort claims?
No
What does it mean for proceeds to be identifiable?
The proceeds can be traced back to the original collateral
What is the lowest intermediate balance rule?
In the case of co-mingled cash proceeds, identifiable proceeds can be traced back using the lowest intermediate balance rule
take the lowest the account ever reached after proceeds put in (but only to the extent of as high as your OG proceeds)
What collateral extends to a supporting obligation (a surety) for that collateral?
The attachment of a security interest in accounts, chattel paper, documents, general intangibles, instruments, investment property
Can a security interest be perfected before it attaches to the collateral?
NO, must become attached before it is perfected. If you take all the steps for perfection first, then perfection occurs upon attachment.
When is a PMSI in consumer goods perfected?
A PMSI in consumer goods is perfected automatically as soon as it attaches
What are the different ways for something to be perfected?
- filing (in the proper place) a financing statement describing the collateral
- taking possession of the collateral
- taking control of the collateral
- automatic perfection
- temporary perfection
How can a security interest in motor vehicles be perfected?
ONLY by notation on the vehicle’s certificate of title
When will a PMSI in fixtures have priority over an enucumbrancer of the real estate?
only if the PMSI holder files a fixture filing
What is perfection by taking possession? (pledge)
Security interests in most types of collateral can be perfected smply by taking possession of the collateral
Security interest perfected from the moment of possession
When collateral is in hands of bailee, the secured party is deemed to be in possession from the moment the bailee authenticates a record acknowledging that it is holdng the collateral for the secured party’s benefit
What types of collateral cannot be pledged?
security interests in general intangibles, deposit accounts, electronic chattel paper, certificate of title goods, and accounts cannot be perfected by possession
Perfection by Control (3 different ways to perfect by control)
- Nonconsumer deposit accounts - the bank in which a consumer deposit account is maintained has AUTOMATIC control over the deposit account
- If the secured party is NOT such a bank, can obtain control over nonconsumer deposit accounts by either:
* putting deposit account in the secured party’s name or
* agreeing in an authenticated record with the debtor and the ban in which the deposit account is maintained that the bank will comply with the secured party’s orders regarding the deposit account without requiring the debtor’s consent
What collateral can be perfected by control?
Security interests in investment property, nonconsumer deposits, and electronic chattel paper may be perfected by control
security interests in nonconsumer deposit accounts can ONLY be perfected by control (unless perfected as proceeds of collateral)
Perfection by Control - Investment Property
A secured party has control of an item of investment property when secured party has taken whatever steps are necessary to have investment property sold without further action from owner
Perfection by Control - electronic chattel paper
A party has control over electronic chattel paper when a system put in place to show the transfer of interests in chattel paper reliably establishes the secured party as assignee
Perfection for motor vehicles
Under the state’s certificate of title law, security interests in motor vehicles required to be titled can ONLY be perfected by notation on the certificate of title issued by the state
How can one perfect by filing?
A secured party may obtain perfection by filing (in writing or electronically) a filing statement
The financing statement must contain:
* debtor’s name and mailing address
* the secured party’s name and mailing address
* a description of the collateral covered by the financing statement
What are the reqs for the debtor’s name when filing a financing statement?
- in most states, if debtor is an individual with an unexpired driver’s license issued by the state where the financing statement is to be filed -> must use name on license
- If debtor does not have such license -> financing statement can include debtor’s individual name (art 9 does not define) or debtor’s personal name or surname
- if debtor is registered org (corp/LP) -> debtor’s name must match its most recent public organic record
Can you use a debtor’s trade name when filing financing statement?
NO
What if there is an error in debtor’s name in financing statement filed?
- minor errors = will not invalidate a financing statement, but seriously misleading ones will
if it would be discovered in filing office search under debtor’s correct name using the filing office’s standard logic search, then it is not seriously misleading
What happens if an office fails to correctly index a filing statement?
Does not impact its effectiveness
What happens if the debtor changes his name?
If the debtor’s name on the filed financing statement becomes insufficient and thus seriously misleading, the financing statement is effective only against collateral acquired by the debtor before the name became insufficient and within 4 months after
For collateral acquired after the 4 month period, the secured party must refile using debtor’s correct name
Description of Collateral in a financing statement
- sufficient if reasonably identifies the collateral
- can be broadly by category or type (art 9 categories) or specific
- FINANCING STATEMENT CAN USE SUPER GENERIC DESCRIPTIONS OF COLLATERAL
Does a financing statement need to mention after acquired property?
Does not need to mention after-acquired property to perfect a security interest in such property if the description in the financing statement is broad enough to cover the after-acquired property
What if there is an error of the secured party’s name in the financing statement?
Does not matter - searches not done in their name and will not make it seriously misleading
Extra requirements for financing statements that cover real property-related collateral (timber to be cut, minerals, fixtures)
- a description of the related real property
- the name of the record owner (if not the debtor) AND
- an indication that it is to be filed in the real property records
What must the debtor do for a financing statement to be effective?
Debtor must authorize the filing in any signed writing either before or after it is filed
In addition, debtor automatically authorizes the financing statement if debtor authenticates the financing statement or authenticates a security agreement covering the same collateral as the financing statement
What can be filed as a financing statement?
An authenticated security agreement itself may be filed as the financing statement if the parties so desire (still must contain all of the elements)