(1) Subject to section 336.2A-303, a subsequent lessee from a lessor of goods under an existing lease contract obtains, to the extent of the leasehold interest transferred, the leasehold interest in the goods that the lessor had or had power to transfer, and except as provided in subsection (2) and section 336.2A-527(4), takes subject to the existing lease contract. A lessor with voidable title has power to transfer a good leasehold interest to a good faith subsequent lessee for value but only to the extent set forth in the preceding sentence. If goods have been delivered under a transaction of purchase, the lessor has that power even though:

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Terms Used In Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-304

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
  • Goods: means all things that are movable at the time of identification to the lease contract, or are fixtures (section 336. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • 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
  • Lease: means a transfer of the right to possession and use of goods for a term in return for consideration, but a sale, including a sale on approval or a sale or return, or retention or creation of a security interest is not a lease. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
  • Lease contract: means the total legal obligation that results from the lease agreement as affected by this article and any other applicable rules of law. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
  • Leasehold interest: means the interest of the lessor or the lessee under a lease contract. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
  • Lessee: means a person who acquires the right to possession and use of goods under a lease. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
  • Lessor: means a person who transfers the right to possession and use of goods under a lease. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
  • Purchase: includes taking by sale, lease, mortgage, security interest, pledge, gift, or any other voluntary transaction creating an interest in goods. See Minnesota Statutes 336.2A-103
  • state: extends to and includes the District of Columbia and the several territories. See Minnesota Statutes 645.44
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.

(a) the lessor’s transferor was deceived as to the identity of the lessor;

(b) the delivery was in exchange for a check which is later dishonored;

(c) it was agreed that the transaction was to be a “cash sale”; or

(d) the delivery was procured through fraud punishable as larcenous under the criminal law.

(2) If a lessee has entrusted leased goods to the lessee’s lessor who is a merchant dealing in goods of that kind, a subsequent lessee from that lessor under a lease entered into after the entrustment and in the ordinary course of business takes those goods free of the existing lease contract and obtains, to the extent of the leasehold interest transferred, all of the lessor’s and the earlier lessee’s rights to the goods.

(3) A subsequent lessee from the lessor of goods that are subject to an existing lease contract and are covered by a certificate of title issued under a statute of this state or of another jurisdiction takes no greater rights than those provided both by this section and by the certificate of title statute.