Chapter 409

409.519(2)(a) (a) Is mathematically derived from or related to the other digits of the file number; and

409.519(2)(b) (b) Aids the filing office in determining whether a number communicated as the file number includes a single-digit or transpositional error.

409.519(3) (3) Indexing: general. Except as otherwise provided in subs. (4) and (5), the filing office shall:

409.519(3)(a) (a) Index an initial financing statement according to the name of the debtor and index all filed records relating to the initial financing statement in a manner that associates with one another an initial financing statement and all filed records relating to the initial financing statement; and

409.519(3)(b) (b) Index a record that provides a name of a debtor which was not previously provided in the financing statement to which the record relates also according to the name that was not previously provided.

409.519(4) (4) Indexing: real-property-related financing statement. If a financing statement is filed as a fixture filing or covers as-extracted collateral or timber to be cut, it must be filed for record and the filing office shall index it:

409.519(4)(a) (a) Under the names of the debtor and of each owner of record shown on the financing statement as if they were the mortgagors under a mortgage of the real property described; and

409.519(4)(b) (b) To the extent that the law of this state provides for indexing of records of mortgages under the name of the mortgagee, under the name of the secured party as if the secured party were the mortgagee thereunder, or, if indexing is by description, as if the financing statement were a record of a mortgage of the real property described.

409.519(5) (5) Indexing: real-property-related assignment. If a financing statement is filed as a fixture filing or covers as-extracted collateral or timber to be cut, the filing office shall index an assignment filed under s. 409.514 (1) or an amendment filed under s. 409.514 (2):

409.519(5)(a) (a) Under the name of the assignor as grantor; and

409.519(5)(b) (b) To the extent that the law of this state provides for indexing a record of the assignment of a mortgage under the name of the assignee, under the name of the assignee.

409.519(6) (6) Retrieval and association capability. The filing office shall maintain a capability:

409.519(6)(a) (a) To retrieve a record by the name of the debtor and:

409.519(6)(a)1. 1. If the filing office is described in s. 409.501 (1) (a), by the file number assigned to the initial financing statement to which the record relates and the date on which the record was filed or recorded; or

409.519(6)(a)2. 2. If the filing office is described in s. 409.501 (1) (b), by the file number assigned to the initial financing statement to which the record relates; and

409.519(6)(b) (b) To associate and retrieve with one another an initial financing statement and each filed record relating to the initial financing statement.

409.519(7) (7) Removal of debtor’s name. The filing office may not remove a debtor’s name from the index until one year after the effectiveness of a financing statement naming the debtor lapses under s. 409.515 with respect to all secured parties of record.

409.519(8) (8) Timeliness of filing-office performance. The filing office shall perform the acts required by subs. (1) to (5) at the time and in the manner prescribed by filing-office rule, but not later than:

409.519(8)(a) (a) Five business days after the filing office receives the record in question for acts performed before July 1, 2003; and

409.519(8)(b) (b) Two business days after the filing office receives the record in question for acts performed on or after July 1, 2003.

409.519(9) (9) Inapplicability to real-property-related filing office. Subsection (2) does not apply to a filing office described in s. 409.501 (1) (a).

409.519 History History: 2001 a. 10; 2003 a. 206.

409.520 409.520 Acceptance and refusal to accept record; social security numbers.

409.520(1) (1) Mandatory refusal to accept record. A filing office shall refuse to accept a record for filing for a reason set forth in s. 409.516 (2) and may refuse to accept a record for filing only for a reason set forth in s. 409.516 (2).

409.520(1m) (1m) Social security numbers.

409.520(1m)(a) (a) A filing office may not file and index a record under this subchapter if the record contains the social security number of an individual. If a filing office is presented with a record that contains an individual’s social security number, the filing office may, prior to filing and indexing the record, remove or obscure characters from the social security number such that the social security number is not discernable on the record.

409.520(1m)(b) (b) If a filing office is presented with a record for filing and indexing that contains an individual’s social security number, and if the filing office does not discover that the record contains the individual’s social security number until after the record is filed and indexed, the filing office is not liable for the record drafter’s placement of the individual’s social security number on the record and the filing office may remove or obscure characters from the social security number such that the social security number is not discernable on the record.

409.520(1m)(c) (c) If a filing office files and indexes a record that contains the complete social security number of an individual, the record drafter is liable to the individual whose social security number appears in the filed and indexed record for any actual damages resulting from the record being filed and indexed.

409.520(2) (2) Communication concerning refusal. If a filing office refuses to accept a record for filing, the filing office shall communicate to the person that presented the record the fact of and reason for the refusal and the date and time the record would have been filed had the filing office accepted the record. The communication must be made at the time and in the manner prescribed by filing-office rule but, in no event more than:

409.520(2)(a) (a) Five business days after the filing office receives the record for records received before July 1, 2003; and

409.520(2)(b) (b) Two business days after the filing office receives the record for records received on or after July 1, 2003.

409.520(3) (3) When filed financing statement effective. A filed financing statement satisfying s. 409.502 (1) and (2) is effective, even if the filing office is required to refuse to accept it for filing under sub. (1). However, s. 409.338 applies to a filed financing statement providing information described in s. 409.516 (2) (e) which is incorrect at the time the financing statement is filed.

409.520(4) (4) Separate application to multiple debtors. If a record communicated to a filing office provides information that relates to more than one debtor, this subchapter applies as to each debtor separately.

409.520 History History: 2001 a. 10; 2009 a. 347.

409.521 409.521 Uniform form of written financing statement and amendment.

409.521(1) (1) Tax identification number. In publishing instructions for the forms specified in subs. (2) and (3), the department of financial institutions shall include a statement, where applicable, that inclusion of an employer identification number is not required under Wisconsin law.

409.521(2) (2) Initial financing statement form. A filing office that accepts written records may not refuse to accept a written initial financing statement in the following form and format except for a reason set forth in s. 409.516 (2):

409.521(3) (3) Amendment form. A filing office that accepts written records may not refuse to accept a written record in the following form and format except for a reason set forth in s. 409.516 (2):

409.521 History History: 2001 a. 10; 2003 a. 120; 2009 a. 347; 2011 a. 206.

409.522 409.522 Maintenance and destruction of records.

409.522(1) (1) Postlapse maintenance and retrieval of information. The filing office shall maintain a record of the information provided in a filed financing statement for at least one year after the effectiveness of the financing statement has lapsed under s. 409.515 with respect to all secured parties of record. The record must be retrievable by using the name of the debtor and:

409.522(1)(a) (a) If the record was filed or recorded in the filing office described in s. 409.501 (1) (a), by using the file number assigned to the initial financing statement to which the record relates and the date on which the record was filed or recorded; or

409.522(1)(b) (b) If the record was filed in the filing office described in s. 409.501 (1) (b), by using the file number assigned to the initial financing statement to which the record relates.

409.522(2) (2) Destruction of written records. Except to the extent that a statute governing disposition of public records provides otherwise, the filing office may destroy immediately any written record evidencing a financing statement. However, if the filing office destroys a written record, it shall maintain another record of the financing statement which complies with sub. (1).

409.522 History History: 2001 a. 10.

409.523 409.523 Information from filing office; sale or license of records.

409.523(1) (1) Acknowledgment of filing written record. If a person that files a written record requests an acknowledgment of the filing, the filing office shall send to the person an image of the record showing the number assigned to the record pursuant to s. 409.519 (1) (a) and the date and time of the filing of the record. However, if the person furnishes a copy of the record to the filing office, the filing office may instead:

409.523(1)(a) (a) Note upon the copy the number assigned to the record pursuant to s. 409.519 (1) (a) and the date and time of the filing of the record; and

409.523(1)(b) (b) Send the copy to the person.

409.523(2) (2) Acknowledgment of filing other record. If a person files a record other than a written record, the filing office shall communicate to the person an acknowledgment that provides:

409.523(2)(a) (a) The information in the record;

409.523(2)(b) (b) The number assigned to the record pursuant to s. 409.519 (1) (a); and

409.523(2)(c) (c) The date and time of the filing of the record.

409.523(3) (3) Communication of requested information. The filing office described in s. 409.501 (1) (b) shall communicate or otherwise make available in a record the following information to any person that requests it:

409.523(3)(a) (a) Whether there is on file on a date and time specified by the filing office, but not a date earlier than 3 business days before the filing office receives the request, any financing statement that:

409.523(3)(a)1. 1. Designates a particular debtor or, if the request so states, designates a particular debtor at the address specified in the request;

409.523(3)(a)2. 2. Has not lapsed under s. 409.515 with respect to all secured parties of record; or

409.523(3)(a)3. 3. If the request so states, has lapsed under s. 409.515 and a record of which is maintained by the filing office under s. 409.522 (1);

409.523(3)(b) (b) The date and time of filing of each financing statement; and

409.523(3)(c) (c) The information provided in each financing statement.

409.523(4) (4) Medium for communicating information. In complying with its duty under sub. (3), the filing office may communicate information in any medium. However, if requested, the filing office shall communicate information by issuing a record that can be admitted into evidence in the courts of this state without extrinsic evidence of its authenticity.

409.523(5) (5) Timeliness of filing-office performance. The filing office shall perform the acts required by subs. (1) to (4) at the time and in the manner prescribed by filing-office rule, but not later than:

409.523(5)(a) (a) Five business days after the filing office receives the request for requests received before July 1, 2003; and

409.523(5)(b) (b) Two business days after the filing office receives the request for requests received on or after July 1, 2003.

409.523(6) (6) Public availability of records. At least weekly, the department of financial institutions shall offer to sell or license to the public on a nonexclusive basis, in bulk, copies of all records filed in it under this subchapter, in every medium from time to time available to the department of financial institutions.

409.523(7) (7) Liability of filing officer. No filing officer nor any of the filing officer’s employees or agents shall be subject to personal liability by reason of any error or omission in the performance of any duty under this chapter except in case of misconduct as defined in s. 946.12.

409.523 History History: 2001 a. 10; 2003 a. 206.

409.524 409.524 Delay by filing office. Delay by the filing office beyond a time limit prescribed by this subchapter is excused if:

409.524(1) (1) The delay is caused by interruption of communication or computer facilities, war, emergency conditions, failure of equipment, or other circumstances beyond the control of the filing office; and

409.524(2) (2) The filing office exercises reasonable diligence under the circumstances.

409.524 History History: 2001 a. 10.

409.525 409.525 Fees.

409.525(1) (1) Initial financing statement or other record. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the fee for filing and indexing a record under this subchapter and the portion of the fee that an office duly authorized by the department under s. 409.501 (1) (b) may retain shall be prescribed by filing-office rule.

409.525(1m) (1m) No fee for filing termination statement. There is no fee for the filing of a termination statement.

409.525(2) (2) Basis for rule. The rule under sub. (1) must set the fees for filing and indexing a record under this subchapter on the following basis:

409.525(2)(a) (a) If the record presented for filing is communicated to the filing office in writing and consists of more than 2 pages, the fee for filing and indexing the record must be at least twice the amount of the fee for a record communicated in writing that consists of 1 or 2 pages; and

409.525(2)(b) (b) If the record is communicated by another medium authorized by filing-office rule, the fee for filing and indexing the record must be no more than 50 percent of the amount of the fee for a record communicated in writing that consists of 1 or 2 pages.

409.525(3) (3) Number of names. The number of names required to be indexed does not affect the amount of the fee under this section.

409.525(4) (4) Response to information request. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the fee for responding to a request for information from the filing office, including for communicating whether there is on file any financing statement naming a particular debtor, and the portion of the fee that an office duly authorized by the department under s. 409.501 (1) (b) may retain shall be prescribed by filing-office rule. The fee for responding to a request communicated in writing must be not less than twice the amount of the fee for responding to a request communicated by another medium authorized by filing-office rule. This subsection does not require that a fee be charged for remote access searching of the filing-office data base. The rule promulgated pursuant to this subsection need not specify a fee for remote access searching of the filing-office data base.

409.525(5) (5) Record of mortgage. This section does not require a fee with respect to a record of a mortgage which is effective as a financing statement filed as a fixture filing or as a financing statement covering as-extracted collateral or timber to be cut under s. 409.502 (3). However, the recording and satisfaction fees that otherwise would be applicable to the record of the mortgage apply.

409.525 History History: 2001 a. 10.

409.526 409.526 Filing-office rules.

409.526(1) (1) Promulgation of filing-office rules. The secretary of financial institutions shall promulgate filing-office rules to implement this chapter. The filing-office rules must be:

409.526(1)(a) (a) Consistent with this chapter; and

409.526(1)(b) (b) Promulgated in accordance with ch. 227.