2023 Maine Revised Statutes › TITLE 11: UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE › Article 9-A: TRANSACTIONS › Part 5: FILING › Subpart 1: FILING OFFICE; CONTENTS AND EFFECTIVENESS OF FINANCING STATEMENT › 11 §9-1516. What constitutes filing; effectiveness of filing

§9-1516. What constitutes filing; effectiveness of filing
(1).
Except as otherwise provided in subsection (2), communication of a record to a filing office and tender of the filing fee or acceptance of the record by the filing office constitutes filing.
[PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §4 (AFF).]
(2).
Filing does not occur with respect to a record that a filing office refuses to accept because:
(a). The record is not communicated by a method or medium of communication authorized by the filing office;   [PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §4 (AFF).]
(b). An amount equal to or greater than the applicable filing fee is not tendered. For a record recorded in the county registry of deeds, the filing office may refuse to accept the record if the amount tendered is greater than the applicable filing fee;   [PL 2001, c. 286, §6 (AMD).]
(c). The filing office is unable to index the record because:
(i) In the case of an initial financing statement, the record does not provide a name for the debtor or, for a record recorded in the county registry of deeds, the record does not provide a name for the debtor and the secured party;
(ii) In the case of an amendment or information statement, the record:
(A) Does not identify the initial financing statement as required by section 9‑1512 or 9‑1518, as applicable; or
(B) Identifies an initial financing statement whose effectiveness has lapsed under section 9‑1515;
(iii) In the case of an initial financing statement that provides the name of a debtor identified as an individual or an amendment that provides a name of a debtor identified as an individual that was not previously provided in the financing statement to which the record relates, the record does not identify the debtor's surname; or
(iv) In the case of a record recorded in the county registry of deeds, the record does not provide a sufficient description of the real property to which it relates;   [PL 2013, c. 317, Pt. A, §24 (AMD).]
(d). In the case of an initial financing statement or an amendment that adds a secured party of record, the record does not provide a name and mailing address for the secured party of record;   [PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §4 (AFF).]
(e). In the case of an initial financing statement or an amendment that provides a name of a debtor that was not previously provided in the financing statement to which the amendment relates, the record does not:
(i) Provide a mailing address for the debtor; or
(ii) Indicate whether the name provided as the name of the debtor is an individual or an organization;   [PL 2013, c. 317, Pt. A, §25 (AMD).]
(f). In the case of an assignment reflected in an initial financing statement under section 9‑1514, subsection (1) or an amendment filed under section 9‑1514, subsection (2), the record does not provide a name and mailing address for the assignee;   [PL 2015, c. 180, §2 (AMD).]
(g). In the case of a continuation statement, the record is not filed within the 6-month period prescribed by section 9‑1515, subsection (4); or   [PL 2015, c. 180, §2 (AMD).]
(h). In the case of a record submitted for filing or recording with the Secretary of State, the Secretary of State refuses to accept the record in compliance with Title 5, section 90‑F.   [PL 2015, c. 180, §3 (NEW).]
[PL 2015, c. 180, §§2, 3 (AMD).]
(3).
For purposes of subsection (2):
(a). A record does not provide information if the filing office is unable to read or decipher the information; and   [PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §4 (AFF).]
(b). A record that does not indicate that it is an amendment or identify an initial financing statement to which it relates, as required by section 9‑1512, 9‑1514 or 9‑1518, is an initial financing statement.   [PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §4 (AFF).]
[PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §4 (AFF).]
(4).
A record that is communicated to the filing office with tender of the filing fee, but which the filing office refuses to accept for a reason other than one set forth in subsection (2), is effective as a filed record except as against a purchaser of the collateral that gives value in reasonable reliance upon the absence of the record from the files.
[PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §2 (NEW); PL 1999, c. 699, Pt. A, §4 (AFF).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1999, c. 699, §A2 (NEW). PL 1999, c. 699, §A4 (AFF). PL 2001, c. 286, §6 (AMD). PL 2013, c. 317, Pt. A, §§24, 25 (AMD). PL 2015, c. 180, §§2, 3 (AMD).