§ 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\n Fixtures.\n (1) In this section:\n (a) Goods are "fixtures" when they become so related to\n particular real estate that an interest in them arises under\n real estate law;\n (b) A "fixture filing" is the filing, in the office where a\n mortgage on the real estate would be filed or recorded, of a\n financing statement covering goods that are or are to become\n fixtures and conforming to the requirements of Section 9--502\n (a) and (b);\n (c) A lease is a "purchase money lease" unless the lessee has\n possession or use of the goods or the right to possession or\n use of the goods before the lease agreement is enforceable;\n (d) A mortgage is a "construction mortgage" to the extent it\n secures an obligation incurred for the construction of an\n improvement on land including the acquisition cost of the\n land, if the recorded writing so indicates; and\n (e) "Encumbrance" includes real estate mortgages and other liens\n on real estate and all other rights in real estate that are\n not ownership interests.\n (2) Under this Article a lease may be of goods that are fixtures or\nmay continue in goods that become fixtures, but no lease exists under\nthis Article of ordinary building materials incorporated into an\nimprovement on land.\n (3) This Article does not prevent creation of a lease of fixtures\npursuant to real estate law.\n (4) The perfected interest of a lessor of fixtures has priority over a\nconflicting interest of an encumbrancer or owner of the real estate if:\n (a) the lease is a purchase money lease, the conflicting interest\n of the encumbrancer or owner arises before the goods become\n fixtures, the interest of the lessor is perfected by a\n fixture filing before the goods become fixtures or within ten\n days thereafter, and the lessee has an interest of record in\n the real estate or is in possession of the real estate; or\n (b) the interest of the lessor is perfected by a fixture filing\n before the interest of the encumbrancer or owner is of\n record, the lessor's interest has priority over any\n conflicting interest of a predecessor in title of the\n encumbrancer or owner, and the lessee has an interest of\n record in the real estate or is in possession of the real\n estate.\n (5) The interest of a lessor of fixtures, whether or not perfected,\nhas priority over the conflicting interest of an encumbrancer or owner\nof the real estate if:\n (a) the fixtures are readily removable factory or office\n machines, readily removable equipment that is not primarily\n used or leased for use in the operation of the real estate,\n or readily removable replacement of domestic appliances that\n are goods subject to a consumer lease, and before the goods\n become fixtures the lease contract is enforceable; or\n (b) the conflicting interest is a lien on the real estate\n obtained by legal or equitable proceedings after the lease\n contract is enforceable; or\n (c) the encumbrancer or owner has consented in writing to the\n lease or has disclaimed an interest in the goods as fixtures;\n or\n (d) the lessee has a right to remove the goods as against the\n encumbrancer or owner. If the lessee's right to remove\n terminates, the priority of the interest of the lessor\n continues for a reasonable time.\n (6) Notwithstanding subsection (4)(a) but otherwise subject to\nsubsections (4) and (5), the interest of a lessor of fixtures, including\nthe lessor's residual interest, is subordinate to the conflicting\ninterest of an encumbrancer of the real estate under a construction\nmortgage recorded before the goods become fixtures if the goods become\nfixtures before the completion of the construction. To the extent given\nto refinance a construction mortgage, the conflicting interest of an\nencumbrancer of the real estate under a mortgage has this priority to\nthe same extent as the encumbrancer of the real estate under the\nconstruction mortgage.\n (7) In cases not within the preceding subsections, priority between\nthe interest of a lessor of fixtures, including the lessor's residual\ninterest, and the conflicting interest of an encumbrancer or owner of\nthe real estate who is not the lessee is determined by the priority\nrules governing conflicting interests in real estate.\n (8) If the interest of a lessor of fixtures, including the lessor's\nresidual interest, has priority over all conflicting interests of all\nowners and encumbrancers of the real estate, the lessor or the lessee\nmay (i) on default, expiration, termination, or cancellation of the\nlease agreement but subject to the lease agreement and this Article, or\n(ii) if necessary to enforce other rights and remedies of the lessor or\nthe lessee under this Article, remove the goods from the real estate,\nfree and clear of all conflicting interests of all owners and\nencumbrancers of the real estate, but the lessor or the lessee must\nreimburse any encumbrancer or owner of the real estate who is not the\nlessee and who has not otherwise agreed for the cost of repair of any\nphysical injury, but not for any diminution in value of the real estate\ncaused by the absence of the goods removed or by any necessity of\nreplacing them. A person entitled to reimbursement may refuse permission\nto remove until the party seeking removal gives adequate security for\nthe performance of this obligation.\n (9) Even though the lease agreement does not create a security\ninterest, the interest of a lessor of fixtures, including the lessor's\nresidual interest, is perfected by filing a financing statement as a\nfixture filing for leased goods that are or are to become fixtures in\naccordance with the relevant provisions of the article on secured\ntransactions (Article 9).\n