UCC Document Community

Final update - called Colorado SOS directly and they confirmed our filing is on record and properly indexed. Turns out there was indeed a technical issue with their search portal that was affecting certain date ranges. They manually verified our lien is in first position and properly filed. Thanks everyone for the advice, especially about trying the filing number search and calling directly when online results don't make sense.

I'm glad I found this thread! I'm new to UCC filings and this kind of search issue would have sent me into a panic. It's really helpful to see that calling the SOS directly is a viable option when the online portal isn't cooperating. I'll definitely keep that in mind for future filings. Also appreciate all the tips about name variations and using filing numbers instead of debtor names for searches - these are exactly the kinds of practical insights you don't learn from the filing guides.

Keep us posted on how this works out. Your situation could help other people who end up in similar circumstances. The court route seems like your best bet given that the secured party is dissolved.

I went through something very similar about two years ago when our asset-based lender filed bankruptcy mid-loan. Even though we had paid down significantly, the UCC-1 was blocking new credit lines. One thing that helped speed up my court petition was getting an affidavit from the liquidation attorney stating they had no authority to file terminations - even though they couldn't help directly, having that official statement actually strengthened my case for judicial termination. The judge appreciated seeing that I had exhausted all other options before coming to court. Also, if you're working with any new lenders for your expansion, some of them will actually advance the legal costs to clear the UCC if it means they can close your deal faster. Worth asking about.

UPDATE: We got the lender to agree to file an immediate UCC-3 termination after our attorney sent them copies of the satisfaction letter and payment records. Apparently their system had a glitch that marked our account as unpaid even though they processed the final payment. The termination should be filed by tomorrow and we can close the sale next week. Thanks everyone for the advice - the escrow suggestion especially helped keep our buyer engaged while we worked this out.

Wait, I'm confused - the update says Jake Sinclair resolved this, but the original post was from Kara Yoshida. Are you the same person with different accounts, or is this a similar situation? Either way, congrats on getting it resolved! This is a perfect example of why keeping detailed payment records and satisfaction letters is so important. For anyone else facing similar issues, this shows that sometimes the direct approach with documentation works better than immediately going nuclear with legal threats.

Been following this thread and wow, what a mess. The transition from secured creditor with UCC foreclosure rights to unsecured creditor is brutal. But here's a thought - are you absolutely certain about the equipment's current value and condition? If the borrower has been in distress for months, the equipment might be worth less than you think, which could change your negotiation strategy.

I've been through similar UCC continuation lapses and the harsh reality is you're now playing defense instead of offense. Since you can't do UCC foreclosure anymore, I'd recommend a multi-pronged approach: 1) Get that physical equipment inspection done ASAP to assess actual current value, 2) Pursue the $150K personal guarantee aggressively since that's your most secure recovery, 3) Consider offering a settlement that splits the difference - maybe propose they surrender the equipment voluntarily in exchange for you waiving part of the debt. The key is moving fast before other creditors complicate things further. Also, document everything about the equipment's location and condition now in case they try to move or dispose of it. You've lost your secured foreclosure rights but you still have leverage as long as you act quickly.

One more thing - if you're dealing with entities that have gone through mergers or name changes, you might need to search under the old names too. Corporate name changes don't automatically update existing UCC filings, so you could have active liens under historical entity names.

This is such a comprehensive thread - lots of great advice here! One approach I've found helpful for large multi-state UCC searches is to create a standardized checklist for each jurisdiction that includes all the name variations, search parameters, and specific quirks of that state's system. For 15 entities across multiple states, that organization becomes crucial. Also, since you mentioned worrying about missing variations, consider doing a "reverse check" where you take a sample of filings you found and verify they show up when searching under slightly different name formats. It's extra work but can help you refine your search strategy and catch systematic gaps in your approach.