Uniform Commercial Code (UCC)
Candlefocus EditorThe UCC includes nine Articles that cover a variety of topics related to business, finance, and commerce. Article 2 of the UCC governs the sale of goods, while Article 4 of the UCC governs transfers of funds. Article 8 of the UCC outlines legal requirements for negotiable instruments while Article 9 pertains to secured transactions, such as the sale of real property. Other articles address aspects such as leasing, documents of title, bank deposits, and collections.
The UCC is designed to minimize discrepancies between states by providing a uniform set of laws, thereby encouraging companies to engage in interstate commerce. This is important as laws vary significantly between states, making it difficult for companies to easily conduct commerce across state lines. For example, California's take on the sale of goods may be quite different from Texas's. By enacting the UCC, companies can be assured that their business transactions will be governed by one comprehensive set of laws, regardless of which state those transactions take place in.
The UCC should be considered a living and breathing set of laws with periodic modifications and updates meant to ensure its relevancy and applicability to modern commercial transactions. The changes are discussed, refined and ultimately voted on at periodic ucc conferences held across the United States.
The UCC also serves to provide clarity when disputed issues arise. Companies who have disputes related to financial transactions occurring between states can turn to the UCC as an authoritative source to clarify the legal issues at hand. The UCC has language on a multitude of business topics, making it an important tool when you are engaging in business activity, whether it is within your own state or across state lines.