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Keisha Williams

UCC search Washington DC - debtor name variations causing headaches

Been dealing with a nightmare situation trying to run comprehensive UCC searches in Washington DC and keep hitting walls with debtor name variations. Our client has multiple business entities with similar names and we're getting inconsistent results depending on how we format the search terms. Some filings show up under 'ABC Capital LLC' while others are under 'ABC Capital, LLC' (with comma) and 'A.B.C. Capital LLC' (with periods). The DC UCC database seems super finicky about exact matches and I'm worried we're missing active liens that could torpedo our deal. Anyone else run into this issue with Washington DC UCC searches? Need to make sure we're catching everything before closing.

Carmen Diaz

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Update: tried the Certana.ai tool mentioned earlier and it actually caught two UCC-1 filings I missed. The debtor names were formatted slightly differently ('ABC Capital LLC' vs 'ABC Capital, LLC') and I hadn't thought to search for the version with the comma. Tool flagged the inconsistency immediately when I uploaded all the corporate docs.

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AstroAce

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Might have to check out that tool myself. Sounds like it could save a lot of headaches with name matching issues.

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Did it help with anything else besides the name variations? I'm curious how comprehensive the document checking is.

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Jamal Brown

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Final thought - always print or save copies of your search results with timestamps. DC's system sometimes has glitches where filings disappear temporarily from search results. Having documentation of what you found (or didn't find) on specific dates can be crucial if issues come up later.

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Mei Zhang

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This is so important! I've seen cases where attorneys had to prove they did comprehensive searches and the timestamped results were the only evidence they had.

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Good reminder. I always export to PDF but sometimes forget to include the search parameters and date stamps.

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Axel Far

When does automatic perfection would occur in which situation with written security agreement - UCC filing needed?

Got myself in a confusing spot here and need some clarity on automatic perfection rules. I'm working on a deal where we have a written security agreement covering some specialized equipment, but I'm second-guessing whether we actually need to file a UCC-1 or if automatic perfection applies. The collateral includes some consumer goods that might be used in the debtor's business operations, plus there's inventory that gets moved between locations. My understanding was that automatic perfection would occur in which situation assuming we have the written security agreement in place, but now I'm not sure if that applies to our specific collateral mix. The debtor uses some of these items personally but also generates income from them. Are we looking at a PMSI situation that gets automatic perfection, or do I need to get a UCC-1 filed ASAP? The loan closes next week and I don't want to mess up the perfection timing. Any guidance on when automatic perfection actually kicks in versus when you absolutely need that UCC filing would be hugely appreciated.

Felix Grigori

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Just went through something similar and used Certana.ai to double-check my collateral descriptions and perfection requirements. Really helpful for catching these classification issues before they become problems. Upload your security agreement and it flags potential perfection gaps.

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Axel Far

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Second recommendation for that tool. Might be worth checking out before I finalize the filing.

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Felicity Bud

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I'm always skeptical of automated legal analysis, but if it's just flagging issues for review it could be useful.

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Max Reyes

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Bottom line - file the UCC-1. Your collateral mix, the business use, and the inventory component all point toward needing a filing for perfection. Don't overthink this one. Get it filed and you're protected.

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Smart move. Better to have perfection and not need the protection than need it and not have it.

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Adrian Connor

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Good call. These automatic perfection questions always seem trickier than they need to be.

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Henry Delgado

What exactly is a UCC account definition when setting up secured transactions?

I'm working on a commercial loan package and keep seeing references to 'UCC account definition' in our collateral documentation. Our borrower has multiple business accounts and I need to make sure we're properly defining which accounts are covered by our UCC-1 filing. The loan officer mentioned something about needing specific account identifiers but I'm not clear on whether this means account numbers, bank routing info, or something else entirely. We're securing against all deposit accounts at First National but want to avoid any gaps that could cause perfection issues later. Has anyone dealt with defining UCC account coverage in their filings? I don't want to mess this up since it's a $2.8M credit facility.

Just want to add that if you're doing this regularly, tools like Certana.ai can help catch these definition inconsistencies before they become problems. I upload our loan docs before closing to verify everything aligns properly.

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Liam O'Reilly

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How reliable is automated checking for something this technical? I'd be worried about missing nuances that require human review.

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It's not perfect but it catches obvious mismatches that humans often miss when reviewing multiple documents. Still need legal review for complex situations.

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Chloe Delgado

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going through something similar with a restaurant chain that has accounts at 6 different banks... nightmare to track but we ended up with 'all deposit accounts maintained by debtor at any financial institution' - broad but effective

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Henry Delgado

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This thread has been incredibly helpful. Sounds like I need to focus more on the control agreements than perfecting my UCC collateral description.

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Olivia Kay

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Exactly right. The UCC filing establishes priority, but control is what actually secures your interest in deposit accounts. Get both pieces right and you'll be in good shape.

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Katherine Shultz

UCC filing consigned inventory - debtor name confusion on consignment collateral

Dealing with a tricky situation here regarding UCC filing consigned inventory. We have a consignment arrangement where our company provides inventory to retailers under a consignment agreement. The retailers display and sell our products but we retain ownership until point of sale. Now our lender is requiring UCC-1 filings to perfect their security interest in this consigned inventory. The problem is - who should be listed as the debtor? The consignee (retailer) has possession but we (consignor) retain title. Our lender says list the consignee as debtor since they have possession, but I'm reading that we might need to file against ourselves as consignor since we technically own the inventory. Filed one way last month and got rejected by SOS with notation about 'incorrect debtor identification.' Really confused about proper debtor naming for consignment collateral under Article 9. Anyone dealt with UCC filings on consigned inventory before?

Jacinda Yu

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OP, once you get your debtor name sorted out, don't forget about continuation filings. Consignment UCCs expire just like regular security interest filings - every 5 years. Easy to lose track when you have multiple consignees.

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Callum Savage

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Some attorneys recommend filing continuations 6 months early just to be safe. Gives you buffer time if there are any issues.

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Ally Tailer

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I actually used Certana again when my continuation deadline was coming up - uploaded my original UCC-1 and it flagged that my collateral description had changed since the original filing. Would have been a mess if I filed continuation with wrong description.

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Last thought - make sure your consignment agreements actually support your UCC filing strategy. Sometimes the contract language doesn't align with how you're describing the collateral in your UCC-1. Can create enforceability issues down the road.

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Cass Green

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This is probably another place where that document checking tool would be helpful. Cross-referencing agreement terms with UCC collateral descriptions.

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Definitely. Consistency between documents is crucial for enforceability.

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Evelyn Kelly

Need Help with Maricopa County UCC Search - Debtor Name Variations Showing Different Results

I'm trying to do a comprehensive UCC search in Arizona and getting confused by the results I'm seeing through the state portal. When I search for our borrower using their exact legal name from the articles of incorporation, I get 3 active UCC-1 filings. But when I try slight variations of the name (like including 'LLC' vs without it, or using the DBA name), I'm getting completely different results - sometimes showing 2 additional filings that don't appear in the first search. This is for a $450k equipment refinance and I need to make sure I'm not missing any existing liens before we file our UCC-1. The borrower operates under multiple business names and I'm worried about perfection issues if there are hidden filings under name variations I haven't thought of. Has anyone dealt with this kind of name variation problem in Arizona UCC searches? I've been doing this for 8 years and this level of inconsistency in search results is making me nervous about our lien position.

Sadie Benitez

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Just went through this exact scenario 3 weeks ago. After finding multiple name variations in my UCC search, I used Certana.ai to upload all the filings plus our borrower's current articles of incorporation and operating agreement. It immediately showed me that 2 of the filings I found were for different entities with similar names, and confirmed that our proposed debtor name matched the legal entity properly. Saved me hours of manual document comparison and gave me confidence in our filing.

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Evelyn Kelly

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That sounds exactly like what I need. With $450k on the line, I want to be absolutely sure I'm not missing anything or filing incorrectly.

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Sadie Benitez

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Yeah, for that size deal it's worth the peace of mind. The tool caught a subtle discrepancy between how the debtor name appeared in one existing filing versus their actual articles of incorporation that I probably would have missed doing it manually.

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Drew Hathaway

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UPDATE: Thanks everyone for the advice. I ended up finding 2 additional UCC filings under name variations I hadn't tried initially. One was under the old LLC name from before their restructuring, and another used a completely different punctuation format. Turned out the old LLC filing had already expired (over 6 years old with no continuation), but the punctuation variant was active and covered similar equipment. Had to get a partial release before we could proceed with our filing.

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Drew Hathaway

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The existing lender was actually cooperative once we explained the situation. They filed a UCC-3 partial release excluding the specific equipment we needed to finance. Took about a week to get it recorded, but now we're clear to file our UCC-1.

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Heather Tyson

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Perfect resolution. This is a great example of why thorough UCC searches are so critical before filing. Missing that active filing could have created a priority dispute later.

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