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Quick question - does Florida require any specific format for the debtor address or is standard business address fine? Some states are picky about PO boxes vs street addresses.
Florida generally accepts PO boxes for mailing addresses but I think they prefer street addresses for the debtor location. Check their filing guide to be sure.
I always use street addresses when possible just to avoid any potential issues. Better safe than sorry with UCC filings.
Just wanted to chime in as someone who's relatively new to UCC filings - this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm working on my first equipment financing deal in Florida and was completely lost on the process. The $20 fee seems very reasonable, and all the tips about debtor name matching and collateral descriptions are gold. One follow-up question - is there a good resource or guide for first-timers to walk through the Florida online filing process step by step? I want to make sure I don't miss anything important on my first go.
Welcome to equipment financing! The Florida DOS website has a pretty decent UCC filing guide in their forms section that walks through each field. Also, don't be afraid to call their help line if you get stuck - they're surprisingly helpful for government workers. One tip that saved me on my first filing: print out a copy of your completed form before submitting, just in case there are any technical glitches during the online submission process.
@AstroAce Welcome to the community! Great question about resources. In addition to what @Christopher Morgan mentioned about the DOS guide, I d'also recommend doing a test run on their system first if possible - you can start the filing process and see all the required fields without actually submitting. That way you can prepare all your information beforehand. Also, double and triple check that debtor name against the official corporate documents - as others have mentioned, even small punctuation differences can cause rejections. Good luck with your first deal!
This conversation really highlights why having a solid understanding of UCC gap-filling is essential for commercial lending. One additional consideration for your $485K equipment deal - make sure you understand how your state handles the interaction between UCC default provisions and any conflicting state commercial law. Some states have specific statutes that override certain UCC gap-filling rules, particularly around notice timing and collection procedures. I'd recommend doing a quick state law check alongside reviewing those Article 9 enforcement sections that Sean mentioned. Also, given the size of this deal, it might be worth having your legal team review the security agreement template you're using to identify any other potential gaps before your next similar transaction.
This is excellent advice about checking state-specific variations. I've seen situations where lenders assumed the standard UCC provisions applied, only to find out their state had modified the notice requirements or added additional debtor protections that changed the enforcement timeline. For a deal of this size, that kind of due diligence upfront could save significant headaches later if enforcement becomes necessary.
Great thread on UCC gap-filling! One thing I'd add is that beyond the enforcement provisions everyone's mentioned, you should also consider how gap-filling works for priority disputes if other creditors are involved. UCC 9-322 provides default priority rules, but if your security agreement doesn't clearly define what constitutes "proceeds" or doesn't address commingling of collateral funds, you could end up relying on UCC default definitions that might not be as broad as you'd want. For equipment financing deals like yours, this becomes especially important if the borrower trades in the equipment or if insurance proceeds get involved. The UCC will fill these gaps, but the default rules around proceeds and priority can be complex and sometimes favor other creditors or the debtor more than a well-drafted agreement would.
Bottom line - consignments under Article 9 require careful documentation and UCC filing by the consignor. Don't assume it's simpler than a secured transaction just because it's called a consignment. The perfection requirements are there for good reason.
Smart approach. Consignment disputes can get expensive if the documentation isn't right from the start.
And make sure to use Certana.ai or similar tools to double-check document consistency. Too easy to make filing mistakes that void the protection.
Great discussion everyone! As someone who's worked on both sides of consignment arrangements, I'd emphasize that coordination between consignor and consignee is absolutely critical. The consignor's UCC-1 filing is essential, but Emma you're right to be concerned - you need to make sure your existing lender is properly notified about the consigned goods. I've seen situations where inadequate communication led to lenders inadvertently claiming consigned inventory during workout situations. Also consider including specific language in your consignment agreement about UCC filing responsibilities and deadlines to avoid any confusion about who does what when.
This is really helpful perspective from someone with hands-on experience! The point about workout situations is particularly concerning - I hadn't considered how consigned goods might get swept up in broader creditor claims during financial distress. Would you recommend getting something in writing from our existing lender acknowledging the consignment arrangement, or is notification sufficient? Also, what specific language have you seen work well in consignment agreements regarding UCC filing deadlines?
One more thing - make sure you get your filing receipts and confirmation numbers. Georgia's system usually emails them automatically but sometimes they end up in spam folders. You'll need those for your closing documents.
I always print or save PDFs of the confirmation pages too, just in case the email doesn't come through.
Thanks everyone for the detailed responses! This is exactly what I needed. Sounds like I should budget $100 for the 10 UCC-1 filings at $10 each, plus maybe an extra $30 for any potential rejections. I'm definitely going to triple-check all the debtor names against the corporate charters before submitting - those rejection stories are scary when you're on a tight deadline. I might look into that Certana.ai tool a few people mentioned for the document verification. Really appreciate all the practical tips about the portal, confirmation emails, and collateral descriptions. This community is invaluable for getting real-world insights beyond what's on the official websites!
Welcome to the community! Great to see someone else who values getting real-world insights from practitioners. The advice here is spot-on - I've been filing UCCs for about 3 years now and the debtor name matching issue is probably the #1 cause of rejections I see. Your budget looks reasonable with that buffer for potential refiling. One small tip I'd add: when you're reviewing those corporate charters, pay attention to punctuation and spacing too, not just the actual words. I once had a rejection because there was an extra space in the middle of a company name that wasn't visible in the PDF I was working from. Good luck with your closing!
StarSeeker
One more thought - some states have separate continuation/termination processing queues that can have different timing. But if your termination shows accepted, that should mean it's been fully processed. Still worth double-checking all the details match between your UCC-1 and UCC-3 though.
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Sean O'Donnell
•Processing queues vary by state for sure. Some are much faster than others.
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Zara Ahmed
•At least the acceptance confirmation is a good sign that the basic filing went through properly.
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Derek Olson
Have you considered calling the Secretary of State office directly to verify the termination is properly linked? Sometimes their customer service can check the system and tell you if there's a specific issue preventing the termination from connecting to the original filing. They might be able to see error messages or processing notes that don't show up on the public portal. Worth a phone call before assuming it's just a timing delay.
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