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.
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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