Also known as: accession · laws of accession · accession doctrine
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A doctrine under which a security interest may attach to goods that are physically united with other goods without loss of the original goods' identity. The interest continues in the accession and remains perfected if it was perfected at the time of accession. Priority between competing interests is governed by the general rules of Part 3 of Article 9.
Southern Precision purchased a robotic arm from Blue Works under a purchase-money security agreement that Blue Works promptly perfected by filing. Southern Precision then welded the arm into its existing assembly line that Nova Production had financed years earlier. After default, Blue Works asserts its interest in the arm as an accession that continues under the governing rule.
Black Medical bought an MRI coil from Lake Clinical under a financing agreement that Lake Clinical perfected by filing a financing statement describing only the coil. Technicians later bolted the coil into an MRI machine already encumbered by Pacific Patient's earlier perfected interest. After default, Lake Clinical claims its perfected interest continues in the coil as an accession.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Atlas Packaging obtained a conveyor motor from Prime Equipment under a security agreement perfected by filing. Atlas later installed the motor into a packaging line financed earlier by Metro Bank. After Atlas defaulted, Prime Equipment asserts its continuing perfected interest in the motor as an accession.
Quantum Data purchased a specialized server rack from Tech Finance under an agreement that Tech Finance perfected by filing. Quantum later bolted the rack into a larger data-center array financed by First Bank. After default, Tech Finance claims its perfected interest continues in the rack as an accession.
The interest continues in the accession under UCC § 9-335(a). If the interest was perfected at the time of accession, it remains perfected under § 9-335(b). Priority is then determined under the general rules of Part 3.
Supporting sources
Goods become an accession only when physically united with other goods without loss of the original identity under UCC § 9-102(a)(1). If identity is lost through commingling, different rules apply under § 9-336.
Supporting sources
Subordination occurs when the whole is subject to a certificate-of-title statute and the interest in the whole is perfected by notation on the title under § 9-335(d). In all other cases, general priority rules control under § 9-335(c).
Supporting sources
Except as otherwise provided in subsection (d), the other provisions of Part 3 determine priority of a security interest in an accession under § 9-335(c).
Supporting sources
…It was donated to the museum in 1937 by Solomon R. Guggenheim. The museum keeps track of its collection through the use of “accession cards,” which indicate when individual pieces leave the museum on loan, when they are returned and when they are transferred between the museum and storage. The museum lent the painting to…