Does a UCC-1 Filing Give Me Proof of Ownership?

If you file a UCC-1 on your loan or property, that does not make it yours.

Proof belongs to the court. Only a judge, through a court order, can provide proof of ownership.

A UCC-1 is evidence. It creates public notice that you claim an interest in personal property.

Evidence keeps you in the conversation; silence leaves you presumed out.

Without filing, the presumption is that the lender has the only valid claim.

With a UCC-1 filing, there is evidence that you also assert an interest.

That evidence does not prove your case, but it prevents the court from assuming you abandoned your rights.

Foreclosure is different. Real estate liens (mortgages or deeds of trust) are recorded in county land records and enforced through foreclosure.

A UCC-1 cannot override that process. What it can do is create a paper trail so, if litigation occurs, your claim is visible in the record.

Whether a UCC-1 is worth filing depends on intent.

If your goal is to preserve evidence that you did not abandon your interest in a note, contract, or personal property, a UCC-1 is the recognized filing under Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code.

But do not confuse evidence with proof.

Quick Comparison

Real Estate Lien	UCC-1 Filing
Filed in county land records	Filed with Secretary of State
Proof of lien on land	Evidence of claim on personal property
Enforceable through foreclosure	Admissible as evidence, not proof

Citations & Authorities

(1) UCC § 3-104 — promissory notes as negotiable instruments (personal property).
(2) UCC § 9-102 — defines what counts as personal property under secured transactions.
(3) Carpenter v. Longan, 83 U.S. 271 (1872) — the note is property; the mortgage follows the note.
(4) Evidence of Intent™ Toolkit — structured packet (Declarations, Elections, Assignments) modeled after the records banks and courts already respect.

Conclusion

A UCC-1 does not prove ownership. Only a court can.

What it does is provide evidence that rebuts presumptions and preserves your claim so you are not dismissed by silence.

Teaching Line:

A UCC-1 doesn’t win your case. It keeps you from being presumed out before you ever get to court.