Security Interest Law & Legal Definition
Security interest refers to the property rights of a lender or creditor whose right to collect a debt is secured by property. A secured transaction is created by means of a security agreement in which a lender (the secured party) may take specified collateral owned by the borrower if he or she should default on the loan. Collateral is the property, that secures the debt and may be forfeited to the creditor if the debtor fails to pay the debt. Property of numerous types may serve as collateral, such as houses, cars, and jewelry. By creating a security interest, the secured party is also assured that if the debtor should go bankrupt he or she may be able to recover the value of the loan by taking possession of the specified collateral instead of receiving only a portion of the borrowers property after it is divided among all creditors.
The Uniform Commercial Code is a model statute covering transactions in such matters as the sale of goods, credit, bank transactions, conduct of business, warranties, negotiable instruments, loans secured by personal property and other commercial matters. Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code covers most types of security agreements for personal property that are both consensual and commercial. All states have adopted and adapted the entire UCC, with the exception of Louisiana, which only adopted parts of it.
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