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Current through October 23, 2012
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (b), whether a notification is sent within a reasonable time is a question of fact.
(b) In a transaction other than a consumer transaction, a notification of disposition sent after default and 10 days or more before the earliest time of disposition set forth in the notification is sent within a reasonable time before the disposition.
(Oct. 26, 2000, D.C. Law 13-201, § 101, 47 DCR 7576.)
HISTORICAL AND STATUTORY NOTES
UNIFORM COMMERCIAL CODE COMMENT
Source
New.
Reasonable Notification
Section 9-611(b) requires the secured party to send a "reasonable authenticated notification." Under that section, as under former Section 9-504(3), one aspect of a reasonable notification is its timeliness. This generally means that the notification must be sent at a reasonable time in advance of the date of a public disposition or the date after which a private disposition is to be made. A notification that is sent so near to the disposition date that a notified person could not be expected to act on or take account of the notification would be unreasonable.
Timeliness of Notification: Safe Harbor
The 10-day notice period in subsection (b) is intended to be a "safe harbor" and not a minimum requirement. To qualify for the "safe harbor" the notification must be sent after default. A notification also must be sent in a commercially reasonable manner. See Section 9-611(b) ("reasonable authenticated notification"). These requirements prevent a secured party from taking advantage of the "safe harbor" by, for example, giving the debtor a notification at the time of the original extension of credit or sending the notice by surface mail to a debtor overseas.
Legislative History of Laws
For Law 13-201, see notes following § 28:9-101.
