Secured Transactions Flashcards
What is a secured transaction?
Transacted intended to create a security interest in personal property or fixtures.
2 aspects of a secured transaction
- sale on credit or a loan
2. agreement that creates a loan in favor of the creditor on the debtor’s property to secure the debt
Who is the debtor?
The person who owes payment or performance.
Who is the secured party?
The lender or seller who has a security interest in its favor.
Security agreement
Agreement that creates the security interest entered into b/w debtor and secured party
Security interest
The interest that the secured party holds in PERSONAL PROPERTY or FIXTURES.
It secures payment or performance of the debtor’s obligation.
Collateral
The property subject to the security interest
Ex: inventory
Purchase money security interest (2 types)
- secured party sells debtor goods (collateral) on credit and retains a security interest in that collateral
- secured party provides the purchase money (a loan) so that the debtor can buy collateral
Will refinancing the purchase money security interest destroy PMSI status?
NO
What if a lender loans a debtor money and this is secured by (1) collateral the debtor already has AND (2) collateral to be purchased with the loan proceeds? What is there a PMSI on?
There is a PMSI on the collateral that is purchased with the loan proceeds.
No PMSI on the goods already in existence. (normal security interest on the goods already in existence)
What if a lender loans debtor money to purchase collateral and takes a security interest in the collateral and then later lender lends more money secured by the same collateral?
New loan does not destroy PMSI
What is an after-acquired property clause?
This is a clause included in security agreements that gives the lender the right to a security interest in property that the debtor obtains IN THE FUTURE.
What is a future advance clause?
It is a clause that can be included in a security agreement so that a new security agreement does NOT have to be entered into every time the secured party lends the debtor money.
*provides for future advances
What are the steps called to legally give the secured party a security interest in the collateral AGAINST THE DEBTOR?
Attachment
What are the steps called to legally give the secured party a security interest in the collateral AGAINST THE WORLD?
Perfection
What is a financing statement?
It is an example of perfecting your security interest.
A financing statement is a document that provides PUBLIC NOTICE of the security interest.
What are the two categories of collateral?
- goods
2. semi-intangible and intangible property
Definition of goods
Movable at the time the security interest attaches (includes crops, animals, unborn animals, fixtures)
What are the different categories of goods that can be used for collateral?
- consumer goods
- equipment
- farm products
- inventory
How do you determine what category the good is?
You have to look at how the DEBTOR is using the collateral good.
What is a consumer good?
Debtor uses or bought for use primarily for personal, family, or household purposes.
What is equipment?
Debtor uses or bought for use primarily in business
What is farm products?
Crops
Livestock
supplies used or produced in farming operations
Products of crops or livestock (cotton, maple syrup, milk and eggs)
What is inventory?
Held by debtor who holds them for sale or lease or to be furnished under service contracts
*includes materials used or consumed by business in a short period of time (paper clips, paper, pencils)
What are the types of semi-intangible and intangible property that can be used for collateral?
- instruments
- documents
- chattel paper
- investment property
- accounts
- deposit accounts
- commercial tort claims
- general intangibles
Instruments that are considered collateral
negotiable instruments (promissory notes)
Documents that are considered collateral
document that is used in the ordinary course of business and is treated as evidence that the person with the document has the right to receive, hold, and dispose of the document and the goods
Ex: warehouse receipt
Chattel paper
A writing that evidences both a monetary obligation and a security interest in or a lease of specific goods
Ex: negotiable instrument coupled with a security interest
Investment property
Includes stocks, bonds, mutual funds, brokerage accounts
Accounts as collateral
A right to payment for:
- goods
- services
- for real property
- health care insurance receivables
Right to payment when no promissory note exists
Deposit accounts
Savings account or other similar account maintained with a bank
What happens if a consumer enters into a security agreement that lists the consumer’s savings account as collateral?
This is not subject to Article 9
Commercial tort claims
You can use your lawsuit as collateral in the event that you get proceeds from it.
*can’t use it if it is for personal injury or the death of an individual
General intangibles
Types of personal property that don’t fall under any of the other definitions.
Ex: software, patents, goodwill
- includes a contractual obligation arising from a loan of money (your right to receive money from someone else stemming from a loan)
What does article 9 apply to?
- security interests in personal property or fixtures (regardless of its form)
- agricultural lien
- an outright sale of accounts, chattel paper, etc for the purpose of obtaining financing (raising money)
- most consignments are subject to Art. 9
- a secured sale disguised as a lease
When does a consignment store trigger Art. 9?
- consigned goods are worth more than $1000 AND
- person selling the consigned goods deals in the goods of the kind sole under a name other than the consignor AND
- person selling the consigned goods is not an auctioneer AND
- creditors do not know that person selling consigned goods is substantially engaged in selling goods of others AND
- person who gave the consignee the goods to sell did not use the goods as consumer goods
So what if the consigned goods do trigger Art. 9?
The person who gave the consignee the goods to sell should make sure he complies with Art. 9 so that those goods can’t be reached by the consignee’s creditors.
Is a true lease outside the scope of Art. 9?
Yes. But you have to look out for disguised secured sale
What is a disguised secured sale?
- At the end of lease period, lessee becomes owner for little or no consideration (can purchase for $1)
OR - Lessee is bound to purchase the goods at the end of the lease or must renew until the economic life of the goods is over
OR - The lease is for the entire economic life of the leased goods
Can the security agreement be oral?
Only if the secured party has possession or control of the collateral. OTHERWISE it MUST be in writing.
What must be contained in a security agreement?
- INTENT to create a security interest
- agreement must be AUTHENTICATED by the debtor
- agreement must contain a DESCRIPTION of the collateral
What type of description is required of the collateral?
It must reasonably identify the collateral.
What must secured party have given to get a security interest?
Secured party must have given value
- sells goods on credit
- pre-existing debt
What does it mean that the debtor must have rights in collateral?
He must have an ownership interest or right to obtain possession OR if someone else has given him permission to use the thing as collateral.
When will an after-acquired clause not attach? (REMEMBER: protection of unsophisticated consumers)
- commercial tort claims
2. consumer goods UNLESS the debtor acquires rights in them w/in 10 days after secured party has given value
Does a security agreement automatically give the secured party the right to proceeds from collateral?
YES. (as long as you can identify the proceeds)
Types of proceeds from collateral
- sale of collateral
2. insurance proceeds
What if a debtor deposits proceeds from a collateral sale in his bank account?
Secured party’s security interest can reach this money if the money is still in there.
Once the proceed dollars are gone, you can’t get them back even if account goes back up.
What if debtor deposits $5000 in proceeds into his bank account and his account has $6000? Down to $2000?
The proceeds are the last money out. When there is $6000 you can get all proceeds out.
When down to $2,000, secured party can only reach that 2000.
What if an item of collateral also has a supporting obligation?
Secured party automatically gets a security interest in the supporting obligation.
Ex: Collateral is accounts receivables and there is a surety who promised to pay if person who owed the accounts receivables doesn’t pay. Surety automatically attaches.
When you create a valid Art. 9 security interest, what happens?
Attachment - secured party has a valid, enforceable security interest against the debtor
Ways that a secured party can perfect his security interest against 3rd parties (the world!)
4 possible methods
- automatic
- possession of the collateral by secured party
- control
- filing
Automatic perfection: under what circumstances is no additional step needed to perfect?
- ***1. purchase money security interest in consumer goods (PMSI)
2. assignment of certain accounts or payment intangibles (if only small portion of total account)
3. sale of a payment intangible or a promissory note 4. when a patient assigns right to payment of health care insurance receivable to the health care provider
5. supporting obligations when the security interest has been perfected
6. temporary automatic perfection for negotiable documents for 20 days
What happens if the secured party gives up right to possession of the collateral?
Becomes un-perfected (unless secured party perfected in some other way)
Exception: some collateral can remain secured for 20 days while debtor has it if the debtor needs it for business reasons