Since there are very little up front costs for leased solar panels solar companies will place a lien against the homeowner s property as a means of security.
Solar panel liens.
If you re not buying your solar panels with cash the manufacturer may place a lien or uniform commercial code filing on your property to make sure you keep paying for them.
For solar leases and ppas liens are only over the solar property.
If the solar panels are leased from or owned by a third party under a power purchase agreement or other similar lease arrangement the following requirements apply whether to the original agreement or as.
So just like a mortgage lender has a lien on your house e g a mortgage or deed of trust and an auto lender has a lien on your car solar lenders like mosaic have a lien on your solar equipment including your solar panels wiring inverter and battery system if applicable.
Sometimes as referred to as a ucc 1 filing a ucc 1 fixture filing or a ucc 1 lien this is a public document that the owner of the equipment the solar company files to indicate that they have the legal right to repossess the solar equipment in the event that the debtor you the homeowner fails to keep up with their payments.
And just like that house or car the lien on solar equipment.
The buyer usually will have already agreed to sign a new lien after close of escrow so that the solar panel company can record a lien again on the home.
If you previously bought solar panels and are in the middle of paying off the balance there could be a lien on the house until the panels are paid off.
If you want to refinance your solar panel system the ucc 1 lien can be removed the system can be refinanced and the lien can be put back on.
Integrated hardware and simple design achieve this by securing the panels close to your roof and to each other for a minimal aesthetic.
You should own the solar panels.
Ucc 1 for solar is not a typical lien.
If there s a lien in place while you re paying off your solar panels the solar panel balance is included in your loan to value ltv ratio which could impact the amount of equity you have.
Therefore the solar panel company will record a document releasing their lien and the buyer s mortgage lender will then be in first position and the sale of the home closes to the buyer.
They are not a lien over your home.
Let s take a look why this might be the case.
When solar panels are attached to a home the solar panels become fixtures i e part of the home.
This lien poses a challenge when a homeowner wants to refinance their home.
Our solar panels are low profile and durable quietly converting sunlight to energy for decades to come.
At that time the homeowner has to make lease or mortgage payments to the solar panel company that records a document such as a ucc 1 financing statement.