2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE NINETEEN - Negotiable Instruments (§§ 1-24 — 2409) › Subtitle 2 - Commercial Transactions (§§ 401 — 2409) › Chapter 55A - Secured Transactions (§§ 2211 — 2409) › Subchapter V - Filing (§§ 2321 — 2346) › § 2335 - Duration and effectiveness of financing statement; effect of lapsed financing statement

(a) Five (5)-year effectiveness.— Except as otherwise provided in subsections (b), (e), (f), and (g) of this section, a filed financing statement is effective for a period of ten (10) years after the date of filing.
(b) Public-finance or manufactured-home transaction.— Except as otherwise provided in subsections (e), (f), and (g) of this section, an initial financing statement filed in connection with a public-finance transaction or manufactured-home transaction is effective for a period of thirty (30) years after the date of filing if it indicates that it is filed in connection with a public-finance transaction or manufactured-home transaction.
(c) Lapse and continuation of financing statement.— The effectiveness of a filed financing statement lapses on the expiration of the period of its effectiveness unless before the lapse a continuation statement is filed pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. Upon lapse, a financing statement ceases to be effective and any security interest or agricultural lien that was perfected by the financing statement becomes unperfected, unless the security interest is perfected otherwise. If the security interest or agricultural lien becomes unperfected upon lapse, it is deemed never to have been perfected as against a purchaser of the collateral for value.
(d) When continuation statement may be filed.— A continuation statement may be filed only within six (6) months before the expiration of the five (5)-year period specified in subsection (a) of this section or the thirty (30)-year period specified in subsection (b) of this section, whichever is applicable.
(e) Effect of filing continuation statement.— Except as otherwise provided in § 2330 of this title, upon timely filing of a continuation statement, the effectiveness of the initial financing statement continues for a period of five years commencing on the day on which the financing statement would have become ineffective in the absence of the filing. Upon the expiration of the five (5)-year period, the financing statement lapses in the same manner as provided in subsection (c) of this section, unless, before the lapse, another continuation statement is filed pursuant to subsection (d) of this section. Succeeding continuation statements may be filed in the same manner to continue the effectiveness of the initial financing statement.
(f) Transmitting utility financing statement.— If a debtor is a transmitting utility and a filed initial financing statement so indicates, the financing statement is effective until a termination statement is filed.
(g) Deed of mortgage as financing statement.— A deed of a mortgage that is effective as a financing statement filed as a fixture filing under § 2322(c) of this title remains effective as a financing statement filed as a fixture filing until the mortgage is released or satisfied of record or its effectiveness otherwise terminates as to the real property.
(h) Financing statement that covers a titled motor vehicle.— A financing statement filed with the Department of Transportation and Public Works, at the registry of motor vehicles covering a titled motor vehicle not held as inventory for sale or lease is effective until a termination statement is filed.
History —Sept. 19, 1996, No. 241, added as § 9-515 on Jan. 17, 2012, No. 21, § 11, eff. 1 year after Jan. 17, 2012.