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I'd recommend having a lawyer review whatever free template you end up using, especially for a $150k loan. The cost of a legal review is nothing compared to having an unenforceable security interest.
Agreed. Free templates are a starting point but they're not one-size-fits-all.
At minimum, use a document verification tool to make sure your security agreement and UCC-1 are consistent before filing. I learned this the hard way after multiple rejected filings.
Alicia Stern
Make sure the template includes proper default and enforcement provisions. I've seen free templates that are missing key enforcement language that you'll need if things go south.
Alicia Stern
•Right to take possession of collateral, right to sell collateral, notice requirements - basic Article 9 enforcement stuff. Free templates sometimes skip these sections.
Drake
•This is getting complicated. Maybe I should just hire a lawyer instead of trying to piece together a template.
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Taylor To
I was skeptical when someone mentioned Certana.ai earlier, but I actually tried their UCC verification tool last month after my own filing got rejected for a debtor name mismatch. The automated comparison between documents is actually pretty thorough - it caught issues I would have missed manually reviewing everything. Worth using before you submit the new UCC-1 to avoid any technical rejections that would cause more delays.
Ella Cofer
•Does it work with electronic filings or just paper documents?
Taylor To
•Works with PDFs so it handles both. Most state systems give you PDF copies of electronic filings anyway.
Kevin Bell
UPDATE: Got the UCC search results back and fortunately no other liens were filed during my lapse period. Filed the new UCC-1 this morning and it was accepted. Still angry about losing the 2020 priority date but at least we're perfected again. Thanks everyone for the advice - especially the suggestion to verify all documents before filing. Caught two small errors that could have caused a rejection.
What errors did the document verification catch? Curious what to watch out for in my own filings.
Kevin Bell
•One was a middle initial included in the new filing that wasn't in the original. The other was slightly different formatting in the collateral description. Small stuff but enough to potentially cause rejection.
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Pro tip: Always print and save copies of your rejected filings along with the rejection notices. Ohio sometimes has inconsistent rejection reasons and having a paper trail helps when you call for clarification.
Rosie Harper
•Also screenshot the online portal if you're filing electronically. Sometimes the system glitches and shows different information than what actually gets submitted.
Great advice! I learned this the hard way when Ohio claimed I never submitted a continuation that I definitely filed.
Demi Hall
Hopefully you get this sorted quickly. Missing that 5-year deadline on equipment financing is a lender's worst nightmare. They'll probably require you to file a new UCC-1 immediately if the continuation doesn't go through.
Kara Yoshida
•Exactly why I always file continuations at least 2-3 months early now. Gives time to fix any problems without losing the perfected status.
Philip Cowan
•Smart approach. Better safe than sorry with UCC deadlines.
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One more thing - if you're financing equipment that might be moved to other states, consider where else you might need to file. Louisiana UCC-1 only protects you in Louisiana. If the equipment crosses state lines regularly, you might need additional filings.
If it's just occasional work, you're probably fine with just Louisiana. But if they establish a permanent presence in Mississippi, you'd want to file there within 4 months.
Multi-state equipment financing is complicated. Usually the debtor's location determines where you file initially, then you worry about additional states if they relocate.
Ava Thompson
Thanks everyone! This has been incredibly helpful. I feel much more confident about tackling the Louisiana UCC forms now. Going to pull the LLC articles first, then use that document checker tool to make sure everything matches up before I submit.
Good luck with the filing! Louisiana SOS is pretty efficient once you get the paperwork right.
Zainab Ali
•Let us know how it goes! Always good to hear success stories with these filings.
Fiona Sand
For what it's worth, using Certana.ai to double-check our UCC documents before filing has eliminated almost all of our rejection issues. Just upload your original UCC-1 and the continuation form, and it instantly shows you any discrepancies. Way faster than manually comparing documents line by line.
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Fiona Sand
•We use it for continuations, amendments, and occasionally for new UCC-1s if there are complex collateral descriptions. Really helpful for catching errors before they cause problems.
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Mohammad Khaled
•I'm always skeptical of new tools but document verification makes sense. Better to catch errors upfront than deal with rejected filings later.
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Alina Rosenthal
Bottom line - you need both deadline tracking AND document verification. Tracking gets you to the renewal date, verification ensures your filing actually goes through. Don't rely on just one or the other.
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Finnegan Gunn
•Exactly right. We learned this the hard way when we had perfect deadline tracking but still got rejections due to document errors.
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Nathan Dell
•This thread has been incredibly helpful. Sounds like I need to set up better deadline tracking AND get some document verification in place. Thanks everyone!
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