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Just want to echo what others said about using the DCRA corporate database. I do probably 50+ DC filings per year and this is the only reliable method. The district of columbia ucc search is useful for finding existing filings but terrible for determining the correct debtor name for new filings.
Always double-check entity numbers if you're filing amendments or continuations. DC seems to have issues with cross-referencing sometimes.
Good to know. I only do maybe 10 DC filings per year but even that feels like too many given their system quirks.
Update on this thread - used the DCRA lookup suggestion and found the issue. The LLC had filed a name change amendment 3 months ago but kept using the old name in business. Got the current registered name from their Articles and refiled the UCC-1. Accepted within 24 hours. Thanks everyone for the guidance!
Great outcome. DC really needs to improve their search functionality to make this clearer for everyone.
Congrats on getting it resolved! Definitely bookmark that DCRA lookup process for future filings.
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Michigan's system definitely has quirks but once you figure out their formatting requirements it's not too bad. Just wish they were more consistent with their validation rules.
Consistency would be nice! Every state seems to have their own special requirements.
At least Michigan accepts electronic filings. Some states still require paper for certain UCC-1 types.
Thanks for posting this thread. I'm dealing with a similar issue in Michigan right now with a foreign LLC debtor. Going to try the entity search copy/paste method first.
Foreign entities can be even trickier in Michigan. Make sure you're using the exact name from their certificate of authority.
Good point. I'll double-check the certificate of authority formatting before filing.
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The 3-week perfection gap is unfortunate but not uncommon with debtor name rejections. Focus on getting the corrected filing done properly rather than rushing and potentially making another mistake. Your lender will appreciate accuracy over speed at this point.
Exactly. Better to take an extra day to get it perfect than to have another rejection and extend the gap even further.
Update us when you get the corrected filing accepted! These debtor name horror stories are educational for all of us who work with master security agreements and UCC filings regularly.
Will do! Filing the corrected UCC-1 today with the exact debtor name from the master security agreement. Lesson learned about never abbreviating entity names.
Good luck! We've all been there with filing rejections - it's part of the learning process unfortunately.
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For future reference, California requires the debtor name to match EXACTLY what's in their business entity database if the entity is registered there. For out-of-state entities, it needs to match the formation documents exactly. No variations allowed.
That's helpful context. So since this is a Delaware LLC not registered in CA, it should match the Delaware certificate of formation exactly.
Correct. And make sure you're looking at the current version of the Delaware docs, not an older copy.
California Secretary of State has been having system issues all month. I had to file a UCC-3 amendment last week and it took four tries. Their IT department needs serious help.
Seems like every state has UCC system problems these days.
True but California is supposed to be tech-savvy. Their system feels like it's from 2005.
Omar Farouk
One more thought - make sure your UCC-1 addendum properly identifies the secured party information. Capital funding deals often involve multiple parties (original lender, servicer, trustee) and getting the secured party name wrong is another common rejection cause that's easy to overlook when you're focused on debtor name and collateral issues.
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Chloe Martin
•Great point. Also verify the secured party address matches exactly what they want on file. Some institutional lenders have specific addresses for UCC filings that differ from their general business address.
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Diego Fernández
•And double-check if they want individual names or the institution name as secured party. Capital funding agreements sometimes specify this in the loan documents.
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Anastasia Kuznetsov
Been lurking on this thread because we're dealing with something similar. Our capital funding UCC got rejected three times before we figured out the state wanted the full legal entity name INCLUDING the state of incorporation. So instead of just 'ABC Manufacturing LLC' it had to be 'ABC Manufacturing LLC, a Delaware Limited Liability Company.' Ridiculous but that's what finally worked.
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Sean Fitzgerald
•That's insane. Each state seems to have different quirks for how they want entity names formatted on UCC filings. There really should be more standardization across states.
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Olivia Clark
•This is another area where Certana.ai's verification tool helps - it knows the specific formatting requirements for each state's UCC filings and flags when your entity name format doesn't match what that state expects.
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