I. Core Concepts and Definitions
- Loan: A lender provides money to a borrower, who agrees to repay it with interest.
- Mortgage: A debt instrument where real property serves as security for a loan.
- Pledge: A debtor deposits personal property as collateral.
- Lien: A creditor’s claim on a debtor’s property to secure payment.
II. Purpose of Secured Transactions
- Provide credit for the borrower.
- Ensure security for the lender.Quote: "The purpose of secured transactions is to provide credit for the borrower and security for the lender."
III. Security vs. Quasi-Security
- Security: Grants the lender a right in rem, binding third parties from freely purchasing the security.
- Quasi-Security: Secures payment or performance without granting a right in rem.Quote: "Security differs from other arrangements as it binds third parties, restricting free transfer."
IV. Types of Security Interests
- Possessory Security (Pledge): The creditor takes possession of collateral (e.g., pawned goods).
- Non-Possessory Security:
Quote: "A fixed charge creates a security interest in specific property, while a floating charge allows the debtor to deal with assets freely until default."
V. Consensual vs. Non-Consensual Security Interests
- Consensual: Created through an agreement granting the creditor an interest in debtor property.
- Non-Consensual: Imposed by law, such as unpaid sellers' liens.
Quote: "All the security interests mentioned above are consensual, created through a security agreement."
VI. Perfection and Attachment
- Perfection: Establishes creditor priority, done via:
- Attachment: When the creditor’s interest becomes vested in the collateral.
Quote: "Perfection ensures priority and puts third-party creditors on notice of the security interest."
VII. Key Comparisons
- Security vs. Quasi-Security: Security allows creditors to seize and sell property; quasi-security often means the creditor owns the asset while the debtor merely has possession.
- Fixed Charge vs. Floating Charge: Fixed applies immediately; floating only applies when crystallized (e.g., upon non-payment).
VIII. Common Collocations
- Collateral: to attach
- Credit: to provide
- Indebtedness: to secure
- Loan: to secure
- Payment: to make
- Performance: to enforce
- Security Interest: to perfect, to enforce
Conclusion:Secured transactions help balance borrower access to credit with lender protection. Understanding different security interests, perfection rules, and distinctions between fixed and floating charges ensures effective financial management.