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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>378488</law_id><section_number>8.9A-628</section_number><catch_line>Nonliability and limitation on liability of secured party; liability of secondary obligor</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2026/" slug="2026" current="TRUE" last_updated="2026-08-02">2026</edition><referred_to_by><reference>8.9A-625</reference><reference>8.9A-626</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="30" identifier="8.9A">Commercial Code &#x2014; Secured Transactions</unit><unit label="part" level="2" order_by="6" identifier="6">Default</unit><unit label="subpart" level="3" order_by="2" identifier="2">Noncompliance With Title</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="a"><p><span class="prefix-number">a.</span> Limitation of liability of secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> for noncompliance with title. Subject to subsection (f), unless a secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> knows that a person is a debtor or obligor, knows the identity of the person, and knows how to communicate with the person: <a id="paragraph-1413197" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#a"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="a1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> the secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> is not liable to the person, or to a secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> or lienholder that has filed a financing statement against the person, for failure to comply with this title; and <a id="paragraph-1413198" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#a1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="a2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> the secured <span class="dictionary">party</span>&#x2019;s failure to comply with this title does not affect the liability of the person for a deficiency. <a id="paragraph-1413199" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#a2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="b"><p><span class="prefix-number">b.</span> Limitation of liability based on status as secured <span class="dictionary">party</span>. Subject to subsection (f), a secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> is not liable because of its status as secured <span class="dictionary">party</span>: <a id="paragraph-1413200" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#b"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="b1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> to a person that is a debtor or obligor, unless the secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> knows: <a id="paragraph-1413201" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#b1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> that the person is a debtor or obligor; <a id="paragraph-1413202" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> the identity of the person; and <a id="paragraph-1413203" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> how to communicate with the person; or <a id="paragraph-1413204" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> to a secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> or lienholder that has filed a financing statement against a person, unless the secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> knows: <a id="paragraph-1413205" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#C2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> that the person is a debtor; and <a id="paragraph-1413206" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> the identity of the person. <a id="paragraph-1413207" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="c"><p><span class="prefix-number">c.</span> Limitation of liability if reasonable belief that transaction not a consumer-goods transaction or consumer transaction. A secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> is not liable to any person, and a person&#x2019;s liability for a deficiency is not affected, because of any act or omission arising out of the secured <span class="dictionary">party</span>&#x2019;s reasonable belief that a transaction is not a consumer-goods transaction or a consumer transaction or that goods are not consumer goods, if the secured <span class="dictionary">party</span>&#x2019;s belief is based on its reasonable reliance on: <a id="paragraph-1413208" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#c"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="c1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> a debtor&#x2019;s representation concerning the purpose for which <span class="dictionary">collateral</span> was to be used, acquired, or held; or <a id="paragraph-1413209" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#c1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="c2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> an obligor&#x2019;s representation concerning the purpose for which a secured obligation was incurred. <a id="paragraph-1413210" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#c2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="d"><p><span class="prefix-number">d.</span> Limitation of liability for statutory <span class="dictionary">damages</span>. A secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> is not liable to any person under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Remedies for secured party's failure to comply with title" href="/8.9A-625/">8.9A-625</a> (c) (2) for its failure to comply with &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Explanation of calculation of surplus or deficiency" href="/8.9A-616/">8.9A-616</a>. <a id="paragraph-1413211" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#d"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="e"><p><span class="prefix-number">e.</span> Limitation of multiple liability for statutory <span class="dictionary">damages</span>. A secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> is not liable under &#xA7; <a class="law" title="Remedies for secured party's failure to comply with title" href="/8.9A-625/">8.9A-625</a> (c) (2) more than once with respect to any one secured obligation. <a id="paragraph-1413212" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#e"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="f"><p><span class="prefix-number">f.</span> Limitation of liability under subsections (a) and (b) does not apply. Subsections (a) and (b) do not apply to limit the liability of a secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> to a person if, at the time the secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> obtains control of <span class="dictionary">collateral</span> that is a controllable account, controllable electronic record, or controllable payment intangible or at the time the security interest attaches to the <span class="dictionary">collateral</span>, whichever is later: <a id="paragraph-1413213" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#f"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="f1" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">1.</span> the person is a debtor or obligor; and <a id="paragraph-1413214" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#f1"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="f2" class="indent-1"><p><span class="prefix-number">2.</span> the secured <span class="dictionary">party</span> knows that the information in subsection (b)(1)(A), (B), or (C) relating to the person is not provided by the <span class="dictionary">collateral</span>, a record attached to or logically associated with the <span class="dictionary">collateral</span>, or the system in which the <span class="dictionary">collateral</span> is recorded. <a id="paragraph-1413215" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/8.9A-628/#f2"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>2000, c. 1007; 2024, c. 652.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
