Secured Transactions Flashcards
Accessions
Goods that are physically united with other goods in such a manner that the identity of the original good is not lost
- E.g., tire on a car
After-acquired property clause
- Without an explicit clause, the secured interest only reaches collateral the debtor had rights in at the TIME of signing the security agreement
- Requires a CLAUSE indicating security interest in after-acquired property, e.g., “owned now or acquired later.”
- EXCEPTION: courts may imply one if the collateral is of a type rapidly depleted and replenished (inventory, accounts), i.e., without it, the security interest attaches to nothing
Grant of security interest in property obtained in the FUTURE
- Enforceable
- Contract b/w debtor creditor that allows creditor to take future property
ATTACHES whne debtor obtains an interest in property
Attachment, Generally
Gives the creditor rights against the debtor in the collateral.
To attach a security interest , requires ALL OF (in any order)
- The DEBTOR must AUTHENTICATE a SECURITY AGREEMENT granting the creditor a security interest in collateral that DESCRIBES the collateral OR the creditor must take POSSESSION of the collateral
- The CREDITOR must GIVE VALUE and
- The DEBTOR must have RIGHTS in the collateral
Security interest has been CREATED; steps necessary to create security interest effective against the DEBTOR
- All rights of secured creditor
** Not a secured creditor until ATTACHMENT
Change in use of collateral
Filed financing statement remains effective to protect the security interest
- No duty to monitor, amend, even if seriously misleading
Consumer-to-Consumer Sales
Buyer takes free of security interest if
- No knowledge
- For value
- Personal use
- No filed financing statement prior to purchase
- Consumer goods in hands of both buyer and seller
Beats out a PMSI for consumer goods unless the PMSI was also filed!
** Do PMSI automically attach?
ONLY IN CONSUMER GOODS!
** Name on financing statement
Debtor’s name must be listed on financing statement. Financing statement is only void if the name is seriously misleading.
Search with correct name using filing office’s standard search logic
- Would that still retrieve the financing statement?
- Cannot correct for SPELLING ERRORS!
** Order of attachment v. perfection
Cannot be perfected before attachment, but can happen simultaneously
Original Use Test
A debtor’s original intended use of collateral governs the collateral’s classification
** Perfected v. perfected
First to file financing statement OR perfect (whichever is earlier) wins
- Get whichever date is better for you
- Getting FINANCING STATEMENT filed ASAP (i.e. before security agreement is even entered into) is critical! Can save priority
- Knowledge of other interest does not matter
Not date of attachment!
Perfected v. unperfected
PERFECTED party wins
- Good strategy to challenge perfection of creditor
Perfection
A security interest is perfected when it has ATTACHED AND use method of PERFECTION
- Order does not matter
1. AUTOMATIC perfection upon attachment - PMSI in CONSUMER goods *** if not otherwise covered by a title statute
2. POSSESSION of the collateral by the secured party (not the debtor!) - Moment of possession; continues only so long as possession is retained
- Requires PHYSICAL possession, e.g., goods, not intangibles!
- Money: perfected ONLY by possession!
3. CONTROL - Investment property: taken whatever steps necessary to sell without further intervention from creditor
- Electronic chattel paper: system showing transfer of interest reliably establishes secured party as assignee
4. NOTATION of the lien on the certificate of title - ONLY way to perfect a security interest in property with TITLES, even if it is PMSI in a consumer goods!
- Must be done by relevant governmental authority
- E.g., cars and trucks, go to DMV
- If debtor was holding goods as INVENTORY, must perfect by filing a financing statement, instead of marking each and every certificate of title
5. By filing a FINANCING STATEMENT
** Perfection by Filing a Financing Statement
Aka UCC
Financing statement must contain notice indicating that person may have security interest in collateral
* Unlike security agreement, need not be signed by debtor, but must be AUTHORIZED, i.e., creditor is authorized to file financing statement
* Can use financing statement form, own document..anything with this info
Must contain -
1. Debtor’s NAME and filing address (indexed by name)
- Majority rule: name on unexpired driver’s license issued by state where statement will be filed
- If no applicable license, just their “name”…name by which you are known in the community
- If there is an error in the financing statement, just cannot be SERIOUSLY MISLEADING
- Cannot JUST be their trade name! E.g., unofficial company name
- Not responsible for filing office errors
- Describe the COLLATERAL
- Same rules as for security agreement, EXCEPT that here, SUPER GENERIC DESCRIPTIONS (e.g., all of debtor’s property) are VALID in financing statement
- Does NOT need to mention after-acquired property in financing statement as long as it is indicated in security agreement, and description in financing statement is broad enough to cover it - Secured party’s NAME and filing address
- Error is not seriously misleading
Perfection of a non-consumer deposit account
Only by CONTROL!
- Bank where maintained automatically has control over account
- Putting deposit account in secured party’s name
- Control agreement: contract b/w debtor, creditor, and bank to give bank account to creditor
** Perfection of a PMSI
- Consumer goods: automatically perfected
- Equipment: usually by filing; any time within 20 days after the debtor gets POSSESSION of the collateral
- Inventory: usually by filing; by the time the debtor gets the collateral (no 20 day period) and others with a previously filed secuirty interest in the inventory must be given notice
** Perfection of a PMSI in Consumer Goods
Automatically perfected upon attachment
** Perfection of a security interest in goods
A creditor can perfect a security interest in goods by
- FILING, in the proper public office, a financing statement that is authorized by the debtor in an authenticated record or
- Taking POSSESSION
** Perfection of PMSI in equipment
Has priority if the PMSI is perfected when the debtor receives possession of the equipment (or within 20 days thereafter)
Perfection of security interest in accession
If a security interest is perfected when the collateral becomes an accession, the security interest remains perfected in the collateral.
Perfection, Generally
To obtain rights against another CLAIMANT to a debtor’s collateral, a secured party must also perfect its security interest.
Steps necessary to create security interest effective against the WORLD (i.e., other creditors)
- C.f. attachment…debtor
- Process of giving PUBLIC NOTICE of security interest
Rights as between the secured party and third parties (e.g., other creditors)
** Unperfected ≠ Unsecured!
- Creditor is unperfected….but that has nothing to do with security. Unperfected secured creditor
Priority of accessions
Generally, same rules. If the accession becomes PART of a whole that is subject to a security interest that has been perfected in compliance with a CERTIFICATE OF TITLE statute, the security interest in the whole has priority over the security interest in the accession.
- Want people to be able to rely on certificate of title without having to check whether parts of the car, etc. are encumbered
- VEHICLES: a security interest in an accession (e.g., tire) is subordinate to a security interest in a whole (e.g., car) which is perfected in compliance with statute
** Purchase money security interest **
A PMSI arises whe
- A creditor sells the goods to the debtor on credit, retaining a security interest in the goods for all or part of the purchase price
- A creditor advances funds that are used by the debtor to purchase the goods
“A PMSI arises when a creditor sells goods to a debtor on credit, retaining a security interest in the goods for the purchase price.”
Special KIND of security interest…on credit + secured interest
SELLER FINANCED PMSI
1. Secured party sells debtor collateral on CREDIT
3. Retains security INTEREST in collateral (items sold)
FINANCER-FINANCED PMSI (someone other than seller)
1. Loan to purchase SPECIFIC collateral
2. LOAN used to acquired THAT collateral
3. Creditor takes security interest in that collateral
* Must use THAT money for THAT item
** Requirements for Attachment
The instant these requirements are met, ATTACHMENT occurs
- SECURITY AGREEMENT
- Writing
- Oral, if the collateral is in the possession of the secured party [PLEDGE]
- Control, if collateral is a non-consumer deposit account, electronic chattel paper, investment property - VALUE HAS BEEN GIVEN
- By secured party
- Very liberal, any consideration sufficient to support a simple contract
- Also includes PAST consideration
- Every debtor has given value to the creditor…promise to repay loan
- ** Creditor gave value to debtor? - DEBTOR HAS A RIGHT IN THE COLLATERAL
- E.g., must actually own the thing you give as collateral
** Types of Collateral under Article 9
- Goods
- Semi-intangible and intangible property
Unperfected secured party v. Unperfected secured party
First to ATTACH wins
** Where are filing statements filed?
For collateral other than real estate, filed centrally with the secretary of state
** Which collateral can be perfected with a filing statement?
All but accounts and money
** Which interests may be automatically perfected?
- PMSI in consumer goods
- Small scale assignments of accounts
- Sales of payment intangibles and promissory notes
- Beneficial interests in consumer accounts
- Certain investment property transactions
***Goods under Art 9
Tangible, movable personal property. *Classify based on how COLLATERAL is USED by DEBTOR. These categories are mutually exclusive, can only be one.
- CONSUMER GOODS: used or bought for use primarily for personal, family, or household purposes
- EQUIPMENT: used or bought for use in business
- Default / catchall (even if it doesn’t meet this definition!) - FARM PRODUCTS: crops, livestock, supply
- Must be in the possession of a FARMER / debtor - INVENTORY: held by a debtor who holds them for sale lease
- Materials used/consumed in a business in a short period of time, e.g., raw materials, office supplies
***Semi-intangible and intangible property under Art 9
- INSTRUMENTS: represent right to be paid money, e.g., checks, promissory, notes
- DOCUMENT: represents right to receive goods, e.g., bill of lading, warehouse receipts
- CHATTEL PAPER: evidence BOTH monetary obligation and security interest in / lease of specific goods, e.g., promissory note + security agreement
- Electronic: electronic chattel paper - RECORD: information stored in either tangible / intangible medium
- INVESTMENT PROPERTY, e.g., stocks and bonds
- ACCOUNTS: right to payment for PROPERTY sold / SERVICES rendered
- E.g., selling goods on credit - DEPOSIT ACCOUNTS (bank accounts)
- Generally, can only take security interest in business bank account - COMMERCIAL TORT CLAIM where claimant is organization, claimant o/b/o business
- GENERAL INTANGIBLES: everything else, e.g., IP, goodwill
- Default / catch-all
- E.g., settlement money
Authorization for Filing a Financing Statement
Can be contained in any signed writing by the debtor
- If signed writing is security agreement for the collateral –> IPSO FACTO AUTH financing statement
* As long as debtor signed security agreement, all good for financing statement!
Breach of peace
Conduct that has the potential to lead to violence
- Physical presence + verbal objection = breach of peace
- Objection does not need to be violent / forceful
- Unauthorized entry into HOME = breach of peace, even if there is a contract provision consenting. Need consent at time of entry.
- Business, less likely to be a breach of the peace. However, picking lock and not re-locking on the way out is a breach.
Buyers Not in the Ordinary Course
- Take subject to perfected security interests
- Take free of unperfected security interests, unless they know of interest
Choice of law in secured transactions
File financing statement w/ SoS of state where DEBTOR is located
- Individual: located at principal residence
- Registered org: where organized, i.e., probably Delaware
- Unregistered org (general partnerships, LLPs): place of business. If multiple, chief executive office.
Collateral
Property subject to security interest
- Secured party can repossess upon default to make sure debt is paid
Construction mortgage
Always wins over subsequent security interest!
- Even over PMSI
Debtor’s right to redeem
Recover collateral by paying everything owed to creditor BEFORE foreclosure sale
- Acceleration clause: if you default, can call in entire loan balance
- E.g., miss payment, can’t just make that payment. Instead, must pay off entire debt.
Default
Event causing security interest to spring to life
- Not defined by statute
- Terms usually specified in security agreement
- In absence of specification, failure to perform obligation (e.g., late or missed payments)