Ask the community...
- DO post questions about your issues.
- DO answer questions and support each other.
- DO post tips & tricks to help folks.
- DO NOT post call problems here - there is a support tab at the top for that :)
Join the conversation
Join the conversation
CyberSamurai
Had this exact scenario 6 months ago. Filed amendment to correct debtor name on Monday, got acceptance Tuesday, filed continuation Wednesday, everything processed by Friday. WV is actually pretty fast once you get the paperwork right.
CyberSamurai
•Just said "correction of debtor name to match current corporate records." Keep it simple and factual.
Good advice. WV doesn't need detailed explanations, just accurate paperwork.
Jamal Carter
Update us when you get this resolved! Always interested to hear how these WV commercial transactions play out since their rules are so strict.
Chloe Harris
•Will do. Going to try the Certana document check first, then probably file the amendment/continuation combo if needed.
Jamal Carter
•Smart approach. Good luck with the filing!
Join the conversation
LilMama23
For Chicago specifically, are you using the Illinois SOS system or going through a third-party service? I've found the official state system sometimes gives different results than commercial search services.
LilMama23
•It's worth doing for high-value deals. Sometimes the commercial services pick up filings that the state system misses or displays differently.
I've seen that too - the state and commercial databases sometimes show different results even though they're supposedly pulling from the same source.
Bottom line - there's no substitute for being thorough with name variations when doing UCC searches. The one filing you miss could be the one that kills your deal. I always assume there might be something I didn't find and search accordingly.
Yuki Tanaka
•Good point. Better to over-search than miss a critical filing. Thanks everyone for the advice - this has been really helpful.
Agreed. The extra time spent on thorough searching is nothing compared to the cost of missing a senior lien.
Join the conversation
Side question but related - does Alabama require you to search by exact entity type? Like if it's an LLC do you have to include 'LLC' in the search?
Nia Johnson
•Yes, Alabama is pretty strict about entity designations in searches. Always include the full legal name with LLC, Inc, etc.
Thanks! That explains why some of my searches have been coming up empty.
Just want to echo what others said about getting the actual documents. Alabama's search summaries are notoriously unreliable. I've seen filings marked as 'Active' that were actually terminated months earlier.
Unfortunately no. Always verify with the source documents, especially for important transactions.
This is why I always budget extra time for Alabama UCC due diligence.
Join the conversation
This thread is making me feel better about my own portal mistakes! I once paid $95 for same-day processing in Washington when I meant to select standard processing. Didn't realize until after submission that I'd clicked the wrong service level. At least filing fees are usually deductible business expenses, but it's still annoying to overpay due to interface issues.
Yeah, these little mistakes add up when you're doing dozens of filings per month. Even $20 extra per filing becomes significant.
Our accounting department hates when filing fees vary unpredictably due to portal errors. Makes budgeting difficult.
Caleb Stark
I think the real issue is that Washington (like most states) doesn't have good user testing for their UCC portals. They're designed by government IT departments who don't actually use them day-to-day. If they had to process 50 UCC filings in a row, they'd quickly see how confusing the interface is and fix the dropdown organization.
Some private companies have started offering better interfaces that submit to state systems on your behalf. Might be worth exploring.
The problem is those third-party services usually add their own fees on top of state fees.
Victoria Brown
BTW - after disposal you'll need to account for proceeds under 9-615. Make sure you have documentation for all expenses (storage, legal, disposal costs) that you can deduct from sale proceeds before applying to the debt.
0 coins
Aiden Chen
•Good reminder. We've been tracking storage costs since we took possession. Legal fees are adding up too with all the debtor disputes.
0 coins
Samuel Robinson
•Keep detailed records of everything. Reasonable expenses are deductible but "reasonable" can be subjective if the debtor challenges your accounting later.
0 coins
Camila Castillo
One last thing - after you dispose of the collateral, if there's still a deficiency, you'll want to make sure your UCC-1 was properly filed in all the right places. If the debtor moves to a different state or changes their organization type, it can affect where you should have filed. Any issues with the original filing could impact your deficiency claim.
0 coins
Brianna Muhammad
•Yeah, I've seen cases where a debtor changes from LLC to corporation or moves their principal place of business and it affects the filing requirements retroactively.
0 coins
JaylinCharles
•This is why I love the Certana.ai tool - upload your original UCC filing with current debtor info and it flags any potential jurisdiction or name issues that could affect your perfection status.
0 coins