Real estate title glossary
What is UCC fixture filing?
Definition
A UCC fixture filing is a financing statement recorded in the real property records that gives a lender a security interest in goods attached to the land, such as solar panels or HVAC equipment.
Fixture filings follow Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code and lapse after five years unless continued. Leased solar systems are a common source of them on homes.
How it shows up in a title search
Because they are recorded against the parcel, a title search finds them in the land records, and a lender may require them terminated or subordinated.
Guides that go deeper
- What Is an Encumbrance on Property? Meaning, Types and ExamplesWhat an encumbrance means in real estate, the main types (mortgages, liens, easements, restrictions, leases), how they differ, and how to find them on a property.
- Lien on a House: What It Means for Owners and Buyers, and How It Gets RemovedA lien on a house is a creditor's legal claim against it. Learn the main types, how a lien affects selling and refinancing, and how liens are released.
- Is That Mortgage Actually Open? Satisfactions, Assignments and CEMAsA recorded mortgage never leaves the record. Only a satisfaction closes it, an assignment does not, and a CEMA hides old mortgages inside a new one.
Related terms
Book and pageAssignment of mortgageSubordination agreementMERS (Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems)Payoff statementCode enforcement lienCC&Rs (covenants, conditions and restrictions)Lien priorityAll terms
Source: Legal Information Institute, UCC 9-502 (fixture filings). Plain-English summary of general US usage; state law varies, and this is not legal advice.