Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2016

Abstract

Because “priorities” are such an important and difficult issue in Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”), most commentators use what might be called an individualized or seriatim approach to priorities. For example, most commentators start by describing the rules of priorities for individual kinds of properties or for individual kinds of transactions. Then the commentators move on to second kinds of properties or transactions and describe the priorities for them, and then to a third, etc. However, because the priority rules are so difficult, the individualized or seriatim approach to discussions of priorities often generates confusion or a lack of full understanding. The analysis of priorities here differs. This analysis suggests that there is a hierarchy of priorities in Article 9 of the UCC and that this hierarchy is relatively simple to describe. The analysis here describes this hierarchy by engaging in a two-part analysis. Part I suggests that the rules for priorities in Article 9 come out of the interaction of a number of variables, variables that are well-known to everybody who is familiar with Article 9. Part II suggests that the variables described in Part I allow us to put all of the important rules about priorities into a simple chart that shows how the various different priorities interact with each other.

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