N.Y. Uniform Commercial Code 2-A-309 – Lessor's and Lessee's Rights When Goods Become Fixtures
Section 2-A-309. Lessor's and Lessee's Rights When Goods Become
Terms Used In N.Y. Uniform Commercial Code 2-A-309
- Consumer lease: means a lease that a lessor regularly
engaged in the business of leasing or selling makes to a
lessee who is an individual and who takes under the lease
primarily for personal, family, or household purposes. See N.Y. Uniform Commercial Code 2-A-103 - Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
- Goods: means all things that are movable at the time of
identification to the lease contract, or are fixtures
(Section 2-A-309), but the term does not include money,
documents, instruments, accounts, chattel paper, general
intangibles, or minerals or the like, including oil and gas,
before extraction. See N.Y. Uniform Commercial Code 2-A-103 - Lease: means a transfer of the right to possession and use
of goods for a term in return for consideration, but a sale,
including a sale on approval or a sale or return, or
retention or creation of a security interest is not a lease. See N.Y. Uniform Commercial Code 2-A-103 - Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
- Lease agreement: means the bargain, with respect to the
lease, of the lessor and the lessee in fact as found in their
language or by implication from other circumstances including
course of dealing or usage of trade or course of performance
as provided in this Article. See N.Y. Uniform Commercial Code 2-A-103 - Lessee: means a person who acquires the right to possession
and use of goods under a lease. See N.Y. Uniform Commercial Code 2-A-103 - Lessor: means a person who transfers the right to possession
and use of goods under a lease. See N.Y. Uniform Commercial Code 2-A-103 - Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
- Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
- Purchase: includes taking by sale, lease, mortgage, security
interest, pledge, gift, or any other voluntary transaction
creating an interest in goods. See N.Y. Uniform Commercial Code 2-A-103
Fixtures.
(1) In this section:
(a) Goods are "fixtures" when they become so related to
particular real estate that an interest in them arises under
real estate law;
(b) A "fixture filing" is the filing, in the office where a
mortgage on the real estate would be filed or recorded, of a
financing statement covering goods that are or are to become
fixtures and conforming to the requirements of Section 9–502
(a) and (b);
(c) A lease is a "purchase money lease" unless the lessee has
possession or use of the goods or the right to possession or
use of the goods before the lease agreement is enforceable;
(d) A mortgage is a "construction mortgage" to the extent it
secures an obligation incurred for the construction of an
improvement on land including the acquisition cost of the
land, if the recorded writing so indicates; and
(e) "Encumbrance" includes real estate mortgages and other liens
on real estate and all other rights in real estate that are
not ownership interests.
(2) Under this Article a lease may be of goods that are fixtures or may continue in goods that become fixtures, but no lease exists under this Article of ordinary building materials incorporated into an improvement on land.
(3) This Article does not prevent creation of a lease of fixtures pursuant to real estate law.
(4) The perfected interest of a lessor of fixtures has priority over a conflicting interest of an encumbrancer or owner of the real estate if:
(a) the lease is a purchase money lease, the conflicting interest
of the encumbrancer or owner arises before the goods become
fixtures, the interest of the lessor is perfected by a
fixture filing before the goods become fixtures or within ten
days thereafter, and the lessee has an interest of record in
the real estate or is in possession of the real estate; or
(b) the interest of the lessor is perfected by a fixture filing
before the interest of the encumbrancer or owner is of
record, the lessor's interest has priority over any
conflicting interest of a predecessor in title of the
encumbrancer or owner, and the lessee has an interest of
record in the real estate or is in possession of the real
estate.
(5) The interest of a lessor of fixtures, whether or not perfected, has priority over the conflicting interest of an encumbrancer or owner of the real estate if:
(a) the fixtures are readily removable factory or office
machines, readily removable equipment that is not primarily
used or leased for use in the operation of the real estate,
or readily removable replacement of domestic appliances that
are goods subject to a consumer lease, and before the goods
become fixtures the lease contract is enforceable; or
(b) the conflicting interest is a lien on the real estate
obtained by legal or equitable proceedings after the lease
contract is enforceable; or
(c) the encumbrancer or owner has consented in writing to the
lease or has disclaimed an interest in the goods as fixtures;
or
(d) the lessee has a right to remove the goods as against the
encumbrancer or owner. If the lessee's right to remove
terminates, the priority of the interest of the lessor
continues for a reasonable time.
(6) Notwithstanding subsection (4)(a) but otherwise subject to subsections (4) and (5), the interest of a lessor of fixtures, including the lessor's residual interest, is subordinate to the conflicting interest of an encumbrancer of the real estate under a construction mortgage recorded before the goods become fixtures if the goods become fixtures before the completion of the construction. To the extent given to refinance a construction mortgage, the conflicting interest of an encumbrancer of the real estate under a mortgage has this priority to the same extent as the encumbrancer of the real estate under the construction mortgage.
(7) In cases not within the preceding subsections, priority between the interest of a lessor of fixtures, including the lessor's residual interest, and the conflicting interest of an encumbrancer or owner of the real estate who is not the lessee is determined by the priority rules governing conflicting interests in real estate.
(8) If the interest of a lessor of fixtures, including the lessor's residual interest, has priority over all conflicting interests of all owners and encumbrancers of the real estate, the lessor or the lessee may (i) on default, expiration, termination, or cancellation of the lease agreement but subject to the lease agreement and this Article, or (ii) if necessary to enforce other rights and remedies of the lessor or the lessee under this Article, remove the goods from the real estate, free and clear of all conflicting interests of all owners and encumbrancers of the real estate, but the lessor or the lessee must reimburse any encumbrancer or owner of the real estate who is not the lessee and who has not otherwise agreed for the cost of repair of any physical injury, but not for any diminution in value of the real estate caused by the absence of the goods removed or by any necessity of replacing them. A person entitled to reimbursement may refuse permission to remove until the party seeking removal gives adequate security for the performance of this obligation.
(9) Even though the lease agreement does not create a security interest, the interest of a lessor of fixtures, including the lessor's residual interest, is perfected by filing a financing statement as a fixture filing for leased goods that are or are to become fixtures in accordance with the relevant provisions of the article on secured transactions (Article 9).