When filing required to perfect security interest or

agricultural lien; security interests and agricultural liens to which filing provisions do not apply. (a) Except as otherwise provided in Subsection (b) of this section and in Section 55- 9-312 NMSA 1978, a financing statement must be filed to perfect all security interests and agricultural liens. (b) The filing of a financing statement is not necessary to perfect a security interest: (1) that is perfected under Subsection (d), (e), (f) or (g) of Section 55-9-308 NMSA 1978; (2) that is perfected under Section 55-9-309 NMSA 1978 when it attaches; (3) in property subject to a statute, regulation or treaty described in Subsection (a) of Section 55-9-311 NMSA 1978; (4) in goods in possession of a bailee that is perfected under Paragraph (1) or (2) of Subsection (d) of Section 55-9-312 NMSA 1978; (5) in certificated securities, documents, goods or instruments that is perfected without filing, control or possession under Subsection (e), (f) or (g) of Section 55-9-312 NMSA 1978; (6) in collateral in the secured party's possession under Section 55-9-313 NMSA 1978; (7) in a certificated security that is perfected by delivery of the security certificate to the secured party under Section 55-9-313 NMSA 1978; (8) in controllable accounts, controllable electronic records, controllable payment intangibles, deposit accounts, electronic documents, investment property or letter-of-credit rights that is perfected by control under Section 55-9-314 NMSA 1978; (9) in proceeds that is perfected under Section 55-9-315 NMSA 1978; or (10) that is perfected under Section 55-9-316 NMSA 1978. (c) If a secured party assigns a perfected security interest or agricultural lien, a filing under Chapter 55, Article 9 NMSA 1978 is not required to continue the perfected status of the security interest against creditors of and transferees from the original debtor. History: 1978 Comp., § 55-9-310, enacted by Laws 2001, ch. 139, § 30; 2005, ch. 144, § 101; 2023, ch. 142, § 61. OFFICIAL COMMENTS UCC Official Comments © by ALI & the NCCUSL. Reproduced with permission of the PEB for the UCC. All rights reserved. 1. Source. Former Section 9-302(1), (2). 2. General Rule. Subsection (a) establishes a central Article 9 principle: Filing a financing statement is necessary for perfection of security interests and agricultural liens. However, filing is not necessary to perfect a security interest that is perfected by another permissible method, see Subsection (b), nor does filing ordinarily perfect a security interest in a deposit account, letter-of-credit right, or money. See Section 9- 312(b) [55-9-312 NMSA 1978]. Part 5 of the article deals with the office in which to file, mechanics of filing, and operations of the filing office. 3. Exemptions from Filing. Subsection (b) lists the security interests for which filing is not required as a condition of perfection, because they are perfected automatically upon attachment (Subsections (b)(2) and (b)(9)) or upon the occurrence of another event (Subsections (b)(1), (b)(5), and (b)(9)), because they are perfected under the law of another jurisdiction (Subsection (b)(10)), or because they are perfected by another method, such as by the secured party’s taking possession or control (Subsections (b)(3), (b)(4), (b)(5), (b)(6), (b)(7), (b)(8), and (b)(8.1)). 4. Assignments of Perfected Security Interests. Subsection (c) concerns assignment of a perfected security interest or agricultural lien. It provides that no filing is necessary in connection with an assignment by a secured party to an assignee in order to maintain perfection as against creditors of and transferees from the original debtor. Example 1: Buyer buys goods from Seller, who retains a security interest in them. After Seller perfects the security interest by filing, Seller assigns the perfected security interest to X. The security interest, in X's hands and without further steps on X's part, continues perfected against Buyer's transferees and creditors. Example 2: Dealer creates a security interest in specific equipment in favor of Lender. After Lender perfects the security interest in the equipment by filing, Lender assigns the chattel paper (which includes the perfected security interest in Dealer's equipment) to X. The security interest in the equipment, in X's hands and without further steps on X's part, continues perfected against Dealer's transferees and creditors. However, regardless of whether Lender made the assignment to secure Lender's obligation to X or whether the assignment was an outright sale of the chattel paper, the assignment creates a security interest in the chattel paper in favor of X. Accordingly, X must take whatever steps may be required for perfection in order to be protected against Lender's transferees and creditors with respect to the chattel paper. Subsection (c) applies not only to an assignment of a security interest perfected by filing but also to an assignment of a security interest perfected by a method other than by filing, such as by control or by possession. Although Subsection (c) addresses explicitly only the absence of an additional filing requirement, the same result normally will follow in the case of an assignment of a security interest perfected by a method other than by filing. For example, as long as possession of collateral is maintained by an assignee or by the assignor or another person on behalf of the assignee, no further perfection steps need be taken on account of the assignment to continue perfection as against creditors and transferees of the original debtor. Of course, additional action may be required for perfection of the assignee's interest as against creditors and transferees of the assignor. Similarly, Subsection (c) applies to the assignment of a security interest perfected by compliance with a statute, regulation, or treaty under Section 9-311(b) [55-9-311 NMSA 1978], such as a certificate-of-title statute. Unless the statute expressly provides to the contrary, the security interest will remain perfected against creditors of and transferees from the original debtor, even if the assignee takes no action to cause the certificate of title to reflect the assignment or to cause its name to appear on the certificate of title. See PEB Commentary No. 12, which discusses this issue under former Section 9- 302(3) [55-9-302 NMSA 1978]. Compliance with the statute is "equivalent to filing" under Section 9-311(b) [55-9-311 NMSA 1978].