Solar UCC-1 Fixture Filing & Title Cheat Sheet for REALTORS® (Printable PDF)

The search nobody runs, and why one office won't find the other's filing.

UCC-1 filings are one of the most misunderstood parts of a solar sale. A filing might sit with the Secretary of State as personal property or in the county land records as a fixture filing, and a search of one office won't turn up the other. Title companies and the buyer's financing source each decide what they need released or subordinated, and release turnaround times are generally not published.

This cheat sheet is for agents, team leaders, and anyone who coordinates closings. It explains the two kinds of filings in plain English, shows how major providers describe their own filings in their public materials, and gives you checklists for both sides of the deal so the filing question gets asked early.

What's inside:

• Personal-property vs. fixture filings, side by side
• Why you search both offices
• How providers publicly describe their filings
• Listing-side and buyer-side UCC checklists

Written by Christina Mathieson Segura, The Solar Lady of Real Estate™, from the solar course she teaches in New York State approved CE.

Educational only. Not legal, tax, or financial advice. Provider policies change; verify with the provider or servicer, your broker, and a local real estate attorney before acting.