Fla. Stat. § 679.3171 — Florida Code / Title XXXIX / Chapter 679 / Part III / Section 679.3171
679.3171 Interests that take priority over or take free of security interest or agricultural lien.
Status: in_force

(1) A security interest or agricultural lien is subordinate to the rights of: (a) A person entitled to priority under s. 679.322; and (b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (5), a person who becomes a lien creditor before the earlier of the time: 1. The security interest or agricultural lien is perfected; or 2. One of the conditions specified in s. 679.2031(2)(c) is met and a financing statement covering the collateral is filed.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (5), a buyer, other than a secured party, of goods, instruments, tangible documents, or a certificated security takes free of a security interest or agricultural lien if the buyer gives value and receives delivery of the collateral without knowledge of the security interest or agricultural lien and before it is perfected.

(3) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (5), a lessee of goods takes free of a security interest or agricultural lien if the lessee gives value and receives delivery of the collateral without knowledge of the security interest or agricultural lien and before it is perfected.

(4) Subject to subsections (6)-(8), a licensee of a general intangible or a buyer, other than a secured party, of collateral other than electronic money, 1 goods, instruments, tangible documents, or a certificated security takes free of a security interest if the licensee or buyer gives value without knowledge of the security interest and before it is perfected.

(5) Except as otherwise provided in ss. 679.320 and 679.321, if a person files a financing statement with respect to a purchase-money security interest before or within 20 days after the debtor receives delivery of the collateral, the security interest takes priority over the rights of a buyer, lessee, or lien creditor which arise between the time the security interest attaches and the time of filing.

(6) An encumbrancer or owner, other than the debtor or a lien creditor, who acquires an interest in the related real property takes free of a security interest in goods that are or become fixtures in this state, which interest is perfected only with a financing statement that is not filed as a fixture filing, even if the encumbrancer or owner knows of the existence of such statement. For purposes of s. 695.01, the filing of a financing statement covering goods that are or become fixtures in this state, which statement is not filed as a fixture filing, shall not constitute constructive notice of such security interest to any person, other than a lien creditor, who acquires an interest in the related real property.

(7) The holder of a mortgage or other lien against real property arising under the laws of this state, other than this chapter, has priority with respect to the rents, issues, profits, and proceeds of the real property, including proceeds from the sale thereof, over a security interest in an account consisting of a right to payment of a monetary obligation for the sale of the real property.

(8) A buyer, other than a secured party, of chattel paper takes free of a security interest if, without knowledge of the security interest and before it is perfected, the buyer gives value and: (a) Receives delivery of each authoritative tangible copy of the record evidencing the chattel paper; and (b) If each authoritative electronic copy of the record evidencing the chattel paper can be subjected to control under s. 679.1052, obtains control of each authoritative electronic copy.

(9) A buyer of an electronic document takes free of a security interest if, without knowledge of the security interest and before it is perfected, the buyer gives value and, if each authoritative electronic copy of the document can be subjected to control under s. 677.106, obtains control of each authoritative electronic copy.

(10) A buyer of a controllable electronic record takes free of a security interest if, without knowledge of the security interest and before it is perfected, the buyer gives value and obtains control of the controllable electronic record.

(11) A buyer, other than a secured party, of a controllable account or a controllable payment intangible takes free of a security interest if, without knowledge of the security interest and before it is perfected, the buyer gives value and obtains control of the controllable account or controllable payment intangible.

History: s. 3, ch. 2001-198; s. 6, ch. 2002-242; s. 67, ch. 2010-131; s. 6, ch. 2012-59; s. 92, ch. 2025-92.