UCC Document Community

This whole thread is making me paranoid about my own UCC filings. How do you even keep track of everything when the systems keep changing?

Have you considered that this might be a federal UCC filing rather than state-level? The document number format and the "WA DC" designation could indicate it was filed with a federal agency or through the USPTO for intellectual property collateral. Try checking the Library of Congress or Patent and Trademark Office databases - they sometimes handle specialized UCC filings that don't show up in regular state searches. Also, given the timing around 2012, this could have been related to Dodd-Frank compliance filings that had different numbering systems.

Update for anyone following this - I ended up using the document verification tool someone mentioned earlier and it caught that our acquisition agreement had the LLC name as "Mountain View Equipment, LLC" (with comma) but the original UCC-1 had it as "Mountain View Equipment LLC" (no comma). That tiny difference would have caused major problems with the assignment. Filed a quick amendment to standardize the name first, then did the assignment. Everything processed smoothly after that.

This is such a helpful thread! I'm new to UCC filings and dealing with my first acquisition scenario. One thing I'm still unclear on - when you file the UCC-3 assignment, do you need to get any kind of consent or signature from the original debtor (Mountain View Equipment LLC), or can the new secured party (Summit Industrial Holdings) file the assignment unilaterally? I'm assuming since you acquired the company you have the authority, but want to make sure I'm not missing any required notifications or approvals from the debtor side.

The Texas SOS website has a fee schedule that's pretty current if you want the official breakdown. But like everyone said, it's basically $15 across the board for most filing types. The consistency actually makes it easier to budget than some other states.

I've been dealing with the same Texas fee increases - it definitely adds up when you're doing multiple filings. One thing that's helped me manage costs is batching my filings strategically. While there's no official bulk discount, I try to prepare all my UCC-3 continuations at once so I can catch any errors before submitting. For your agricultural equipment deals, make sure you're being specific with the collateral descriptions - "John Deere Model 6120R Tractor, Serial #ABC123" rather than just "farm equipment." This reduces the chance of rejections which would cost you another $15 per filing. Also, I've started setting up email reminders 6 months before continuation deadlines to avoid any last-minute rush fees. The $15 per filing is frustrating but still cheaper than losing perfection!

One thing to watch out for with NC - they're pretty strict about the continuation statement format. Make sure you're using the current UCC-3 form and that all required fields are completed exactly as specified in the statute.

I've been through this exact situation with mixed collateral in NC. The statute treats equipment and fixtures the same for continuation purposes. Your main focus should be on timing and accuracy rather than worrying about different rules for different collateral types.

I'd also recommend documenting the business rationale for filing early in your deal notes. If you ever face a challenge later (bankruptcy trustee, competing creditor, etc.), having clear documentation that shows this was a legitimate business decision to preserve priority in a competitive lending environment can be helpful. Also make sure your malpractice insurance covers UCC filing issues - some policies have specific exclusions around secured transaction work.

Thanks everyone for the detailed responses - this has been really helpful. Based on what you've all shared, it sounds like filing the UCC-1 early is workable but comes with risks I need to manage carefully. The key points I'm taking away are: 1) Make sure the term sheet provides adequate authorization for filing, 2) Keep the collateral descriptions consistent between the UCC-1 and eventual security agreement, 3) Get the security agreement finalized quickly to minimize the gap, and 4) document the business rationale for early filing. I'm also going to look into that Certana.ai tool a few of you mentioned for cross-checking documents. Going to proceed with the filing but with much more attention to these details than I originally planned. Really appreciate the practical experience you've all shared!