Glossary
UCC-1
A UCC-1 is a security notice the finance company behind a solar lease or PPA files with the state to declare that the panels on your roof belong to it. It is not a lien on the house but on the equipment; still, it appears in title searches and must be dealt with when you sell or refinance.
What a UCC-1 is
When you sign a solar lease or a PPA, the system still belongs to the company. To protect itself from other creditors (for example, if your bank foreclosed), the company files a UCC-1 form declaring its interest in the panels and inverter. In many cases it is also recorded with the county as a “fixture filing,” because the equipment is attached to the real estate.
It is different from a lien on the property: you cannot lose your house over a UCC-1, and it does not affect your mortgage’s priority. But it does appear when a buyer or a bank researches the title.
Why it matters in Florida
When you sell a home with a lease, the buyer must qualify and agree to take over the contract, or you must exercise the buyout and ask the company to terminate the UCC-1. When you refinance, some banks require a subordination letter from the solar company. Neither step is impossible, but both take time and depend on the finance company responding.
Serious contracts include a commitment to issue that termination or subordination within a set number of days. Contracts that do not leave you at the mercy of a call center. With a subscription, if you sell, the buyer can keep it at no charge, or the agreement is canceled at no cost to you if they do not want it (in writing).
Common mistake
Assuming “no lien” means nothing gets recorded. Ask whether a UCC-1 or fixture filing will be made, who terminates it when the contract ends, and within how many days. And keep a copy of the termination once it happens. The list of questions for a third-party contract is in solar lease and PPA explained.
Full guide: Solar lease and PPA explained: ownership, escalator, buyout and 48E in 2026 →
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