UCC Document Community

Bottom line: your deed of trust and security agreement create the security interest, but UCC-1 filings perfect it for personal property. For equipment that might be fixtures, consider fixture filings to maintain priority. Don't assume your deed of trust covers everything - when in doubt, file the UCC-1. The small filing fee is nothing compared to losing your security interest.

Smart decision on the dual filing approach, Paolo! I just wanted to add that when you're preparing your UCC-1 filings, make sure your collateral descriptions are very specific and don't overlap between the fixture filing and regular UCC-1. You want to clearly delineate which equipment falls under each category to avoid any confusion down the line. Also, consider including serial numbers or model numbers in your descriptions where possible - it makes enforcement much cleaner if you ever need to repossess. With $85,000 in equipment collateral, the extra specificity in your filings will pay dividends if there are ever any disputes about what's covered under your deed of trust versus your UCC filings.

Great thread everyone! One additional tip from my experience - if your brother's business has multiple loans or credit lines with the same bank, double-check that they're only terminating the UCC filing for the specific equipment loan that was paid off. I've seen cases where banks accidentally terminated the wrong UCC filing or tried to terminate multiple filings when only one loan was satisfied. Make sure the termination statement specifically references the correct original filing number and matches the exact collateral that was financed.

Just wanted to add that you can also request a UCC search report from the Secretary of State's office after the termination is filed to confirm it actually shows up properly in the system. I always do this as a final verification step - costs maybe $10-20 but gives you peace of mind that the lien is truly cleared from public record. Sometimes there can be processing delays or technical glitches that prevent the termination from showing up immediately, so having that official search report is good documentation that everything was handled correctly.

One final check - verify that the original UCC-1 filing is still active and hasn't been terminated or amended in ways that might affect the continuation filing. Sometimes there are changes to the financing statement that you might not be aware of.

Thanks Emma for bringing up this important timing question! As someone who's handled dozens of UCC-3 continuations, I always recommend filing as early as possible in that six-month window. You're absolutely right that maintaining continuous perfection is critical, especially with equipment and inventory collateral. I've seen too many situations where lenders waited until the last minute and ran into filing system delays or technical rejections that put their security interest at risk. Filing early in January 2025 gives you plenty of buffer time to address any potential issues. Also, since you mentioned both equipment and inventory, make sure to verify that your debtor hasn't relocated to a different state since the original 2020 filing - you might need to file in multiple jurisdictions depending on where the collateral is now located.

I just want to follow up on this thread because I think I figured out my problem. I was searching in the wrong section of the website. There's a difference between the 'Business Entity Search' and the 'UCC Search'. I was using the business entity search which is why I couldn't find my UCC filings. Once I switched to the actual UCC search section, I found most of my filings. Still having trouble with a couple but at least now I know I'm looking in the right place. Thanks everyone for the help!

I'm dealing with a similar situation right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I've been using the Florida UCC search system for a few months but I keep running into issues with name variations. One thing I discovered is that if you're searching for a business that might have changed names or merged with another entity, you might need to search under the old name too. The UCC filing stays under whatever name was used when it was originally filed, even if the business has since changed its legal name. Also, for anyone still struggling with the search - I found that removing all punctuation (commas, periods, apostrophes) from the debtor name sometimes helps. The system can be really picky about special characters.

One more thing about Washington UCC filings - they charge $12 for the standard UCC-1 which is pretty reasonable compared to other states. You can pay by credit card through their portal. The filing becomes effective immediately upon acceptance, and you should get your filing number and confirmation pretty quickly. Make sure you keep that filing number for any future amendments or continuations you might need to do down the road.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm new to UCC filings and have been intimidated by the whole process. Reading through everyone's experiences with Washington state filings and the practical tips about entity name verification, collateral descriptions, and even the technical issues to watch out for has given me a much better understanding of what to expect. The Certana.ai tool mentioned by several people sounds like it could be a game-changer for someone like me who's still learning the ropes. Thanks to everyone who shared their knowledge - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that makes this community so valuable!