Whether you own your solar or you lease it from a third party, chances are you may have a lien filed against your home from your solar company.
When a home buyer finances the purchases or leases the use of a solar system on their home, the solar company has a vested financial interest in that system. As a result, most solar companies will file what is known as a UCC-1 financial statement with the county recorder (UCC stands for Uniform Commercial Code). While most of us don’t and shouldn’t care, we do all of a sudden care about it when it prevents the sale of a home.
The UCC-1 statement is a recorded instrument with the county recorder that states that the solar company owns the solar panels during the lease (or during the payback period on the solar loan). While not technically a lien per se, it does show up as a cloud on title and generally needs to be removed before the sale of the home can be completed or a mortgage can be refinanced.
UCC-1 statements are usually the one item that many unknowing listing agents scramble to remove from title at the last hour, resulting in delayed closings.
UCC-1 statements are generally recorded against a home even if the home owner bought the solar system but financed it.
Do you have a UCC-1 statement filed against your home? Give me a call and I can check for you.
