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Terms Used In Maryland Code, COMMERCIAL LAW 9-109

  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • including: means includes or including by way of illustration and not by way of limitation. See
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Person: includes an individual, receiver, trustee, guardian, personal representative, fiduciary, representative of any kind, corporation, partnership, business trust, statutory trust, limited liability company, firm, association, or other nongovernmental entity. See
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • state: means :

    (1) a state, possession, territory, or commonwealth of the United States; or

    (2) the District of Columbia. See
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (c) and (d), this title applies to:

(1) A transaction, regardless of its form, that creates a security interest in personal property or fixtures by contract;

(2) An agricultural lien;

(3) A sale of accounts, chattel paper, payment intangibles, or promissory notes;

(4) A consignment;

(5) A security interest arising under § 2-401, § 2-505, § 2-711(3), or § 2A-508(5) of this article, as provided in § 9-110; and

(6) A security interest arising under § 4-210 or § 5-118 of this article.

(b) The application of this title to a security interest in a secured obligation is not affected by the fact that the obligation is itself secured by a transaction or interest to which this title does not apply.

(c) This title does not apply to the extent that:

(1) A statute, regulation, or treaty of the United States preempts this title;

(2) Another statute of this State expressly governs the creation, perfection, priority, or enforcement of a security interest created by this State or a governmental unit of this State;

(3) A statute of another state, a foreign country, or a governmental unit of another state or a foreign country, other than a statute generally applicable to security interests, expressly governs creation, perfection, priority, or enforcement of a security interest created by the state, country, or governmental unit; or

(4) The rights of a transferee beneficiary or nominated person under a letter of credit are independent and superior under § 5-114 of this article.

(d) This title does not apply to:

(1) A landlord’s lien, other than an agricultural lien;

(2) A lien, other than an agricultural lien, given by statute or other rule of law for services or materials, but § 9-333 applies with respect to priority of the lien;

(3) An assignment of a claim for wages, salary, or other compensation of an employee;

(4) A sale of accounts, chattel paper, payment intangibles, or promissory notes as part of a sale of the business out of which they arose;

(5) An assignment of accounts, chattel paper, payment intangibles, or promissory notes which is for the purpose of collection only;

(6) An assignment of a right to payment under a contract to an assignee that is also obligated to perform under the contract;

(7) An assignment of a single account, payment intangible, or promissory note to an assignee in full or partial satisfaction of a preexisting indebtedness;

(8) A transfer of an interest in or an assignment of a claim under a policy of insurance, other than an assignment by or to a health-care provider of a health-care-insurance receivable and any subsequent assignment of the right to payment, but §§ 9-315 and 9-322 apply with respect to proceeds and priorities in proceeds;

(9) An assignment of a right represented by a judgment, other than a judgment taken on a right to payment that was collateral;

(10) A right of recoupment or set-off, but:

(A) § 9-340 applies with respect to the effectiveness of rights of recoupment or set-off against deposit accounts; and

(B) § 9-404 applies with respect to defenses or claims of an account debtor;

(11) The creation or transfer of an interest in or lien on real property, including a lease or rents thereunder, except to the extent that provision is made for:

(A) Liens on real property in §§ 9-203 and 9-308;

(B) Fixtures in § 9-334;

(C) Fixture filings in §§ 9-501, 9-502, 9-512, 9-516, and 9-519; and

(D) Security agreements covering personal and real property in § 9-604;

(12) An assignment of a claim arising in tort, other than a commercial tort claim, but §§ 9-315 and 9-322 apply with respect to proceeds and priorities in proceeds; or

(13) An assignment of a deposit account in a consumer transaction, but §§ 9-315 and 9-322 apply with respect to proceeds and priorities in proceeds.