Okla. Stat. tit. 12A § 1-9-613

Current through Laws 2024, c. 453.
Section 1-9-613 - Contents and form of notification before disposition of collateral: general
(a) Except in a consumer-goods transaction, the following rules apply:
(1) The contents of a notification of disposition are sufficient if the notification:
(A) describes the debtor and the secured party;
(B) describes the collateral that is the subject of the intended disposition;
(C) states the method of intended disposition;
(D) states that the debtor is entitled to an accounting of the unpaid indebtedness and states the charge, if any, for an accounting; and
(E) states the time and place of a public disposition or the time after which any other disposition is to be made.
(2) Whether the contents of a notification that lacks any of the information specified in paragraph (1) of this section are nevertheless sufficient is a question of fact.
(3) The contents of a notification providing substantially the information specified in paragraph (1) of this section are sufficient, even if the notification includes:
(A) information not specified by that paragraph; or
(B) minor errors that are not seriously misleading.
(4) A particular phrasing of the notification is not required.
(5) The following form of notification and the form appearing in paragraph (3) of subsection (a) of Section 1-9-614 of this title, when completed in accordance with the instructions in subsection (b) of this section and subsection (b) of Section 1-9-614 of this title, each provides sufficient information:

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NOTIFICATION OF DISPOSITION OF COLLATERAL

To: (Name of debtor, obligor, or other person to which the notification is sent)

From: (Name, address, and telephone number of secured party)

{1} Name of any debtor that is not an addressee: (Name of each debtor)

{2} We will sell (describe collateral) (to the highest qualified bidder) at public sale. A sale could include a lease or license. The sale will be held as follows:

(Date)

(Time)

(Place)

{3} We will sell (describe collateral) at private sale sometime after (date). A sale could include a lease or license.

{4} You are entitled to an accounting of the unpaid indebtedness secured by the property that we intend to sell or, as applicable, lease or license.

{5} If you request an accounting, you must pay a charge of $ (amount).

{6} You may request an accounting by calling us at (telephone number).

[End of Form]

(b) The following instructions apply to the form of notification in paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of this section:
(1) The instructions in this paragraph refer to the numbers in braces before items in the form of notification in paragraph (5) of subsection (a) of this section. Do not include the numbers or braces in the notification. The numbers and braces are used only for the purpose of these instructions.
(2) Include and complete item {1} only if there is a debtor that is not an addressee of the notification and list the name or names.
(3) Include and complete either item {2}, if the notification relates to a public disposition of the collateral, or item {3}, if the notification relates to a private disposition of the collateral. If item {2} is included, include the words "to the highest qualified bidder" only if applicable.
(4) Include and complete items {4} and {6}.
(5) Include and complete item {5} only if the sender will charge the recipient for an accounting.

Okla. Stat. tit. 12A, § 1-9-613

Amended by Laws 2024 , c. 13, s. 82, eff. 11/1/2024.
Added by Laws 2000 , SB 1519, c. 371, § 120, eff. 7/1/2001.

Oklahoma Code Comment

Under old section 9-504(3) , reasonable notification must be given of the time and place of any public sale or of the time after which any private sale or other disposition would be made. The form of notice was left to the determination of the secured party and, presumably, the prior agreement with basically the debtor. New section 9-613 provides for the form of notice in transactions other than consumer-goods transactions, and new section 9-614 provides for the form of notice in consumer-goods transactions. When notice is given, following substantially the form of section 9-613 in a commercial transaction, the notice is sufficient and, therefore, commercially reasonable. Whether the notification for transactions, other than consumer-goods transactions, is deficient and, thus, commercially unreasonable because it lacks any of the information as required under new section 9-613, is a question of fact in each case. In Dynalectron Corporation v. Jack Richards Aircraft Co., 337 F. Supp. 650 (W. D. Okla. 1972), the question of commercial reasonableness was determined to be a question of law, except as to time and method of sale, which in some circumstances, the court stated, may involve questions of fact. The holding in Dynalectron is limited by new section 9-613 .

The decision of the Oklahoma Court of Appeals in First State Bank of Oilton v. Perryman, 746 P.2d 706 (Okla. App. 1987), however, is still good law. The court in First State held that, although noncompliance with the requirements in Article 9 to hold a commercially reasonable sale does not preclude a creditor from seeking a deficiency judgment, a creditor who fails to give the notice required under Article 9 on default will be subject to damages suffered by reason of such failure.