UCC Document Community

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 :)

Ivanna St. Pierre

Need help with DE UCC forms - debtor name requirements and filing procedures

I'm working on a complex equipment financing deal and need to get the DE UCC forms right. The borrower is an LLC with multiple DBA names they use for different divisions, and I'm getting confused about which exact legal name to use as the debtor name on the UCC-1. Delaware's filing system seems pretty strict about exact name matches. The collateral involves manufacturing equipment across three facilities, so I also need to make sure I'm describing everything correctly in the collateral schedule. Has anyone dealt with Delaware UCC filings recently? I've heard their online portal can be picky about rejecting forms for minor name discrepancies. This is a $2.8M deal so I really can't afford to mess up the perfection. Any guidance on Delaware's specific requirements would be huge.

Delaware also requires the debtor's organizational ID number if it's an entity. Make sure you have the correct file number from their Division of Corporations database. It's different from their tax ID number.

0 coins

I always mix up the organizational ID and the tax ID. Delaware definitely wants the corporate file number, not the EIN.

0 coins

The organizational ID is usually on the certificate of good standing if you need to find it quickly.

0 coins

Thanks everyone, this is incredibly helpful. I'm going to pull the certificate of formation directly from Delaware's database and use that exact name format. The Certana.ai tool sounds like it could save me a lot of headache - I'll definitely check that out before submitting. Really appreciate all the specific Delaware insights!

0 coins

Let us know how it goes! Delaware filings can be tricky but once you get the format right, they're pretty reliable.

0 coins

Good luck with the closing! Equipment financing deals always seem to have tight deadlines.

0 coins

Ryan Vasquez

UCC-3 termination filing rejected - debtor name format issue

Filed a UCC-3 termination last week for a commercial equipment loan that was paid off in December. The SOS portal rejected it saying 'debtor name does not match original filing' but I copied the name exactly from the UCC-1. The original filing from 2019 shows 'ABC Manufacturing LLC' and that's exactly what I put on the termination. Has anyone dealt with this before? The lender is breathing down my neck to get this cleared because they need proof of termination for their audit. I've triple-checked everything and can't figure out what's wrong.

I use Certana.ai for all my UCC document checks now after getting burned by rejections too many times. Upload your docs and it catches mismatches instantly. Way better than the manual comparison nightmare.

0 coins

It's really straightforward - just upload PDFs and it highlights any differences between documents. Saves so much time and frustration.

0 coins

Wish I'd known about this earlier. Would have saved me from several rejected filings over the years.

0 coins

Update us when you get it resolved! Always curious to hear what the actual issue was in these name mismatch situations.

0 coins

Will do. Planning to use the document checker tool and then resubmit with manual entry of the debtor name. Hopefully that does the trick.

0 coins

Following this too. These rejection issues are so common but the solutions aren't always obvious.

0 coins

Butch Sledgehammer

Massachusetts UCC lien search showing weird gaps - missing recent filings?

Running into something strange with Massachusetts UCC lien search results and wondering if anyone else has noticed this. I'm doing due diligence on a potential acquisition and the SOS database seems to be missing some filings that should definitely be there. We know for certain there was a UCC-1 filed in February 2024 (we have the filing receipt) but it's not showing up in any of my searches. Tried exact debtor name match, variations, even the filing number directly. The company we're acquiring had equipment financing through a regional bank and I can see older liens from 2019-2022 but there's this gap where nothing shows for 2023-2024. Has anyone dealt with Massachusetts database issues like this? Is there a delay in their system updates or am I missing something obvious in my search methodology? This is holding up our closing and I'm getting pressure from both sides.

Have you considered using one of those UCC monitoring services? They usually catch filings that don't show up in regular searches because they use different search methods. Might be worth signing up for a trial to see if they have the filing you're looking for.

0 coins

Which services do you recommend? I've been thinking about getting a monitoring service but there are so many options.

0 coins

I've had good luck with Certana.ai for document verification. You can upload your filing documents and it will flag any discrepancies or missing connections. Saved me from missing a critical amendment that wasn't showing up in standard searches.

0 coins

Massachusetts is notorious for this. I always do searches in multiple states when doing due diligence because sometimes companies file in their state of incorporation instead of where they're physically located. Have you checked if this company is incorporated in a different state?

0 coins

They're incorporated in Massachusetts but do have operations in Connecticut and Rhode Island. I should probably search those states too just to be thorough.

0 coins

Definitely check Connecticut. I've seen cases where banks filed there by mistake thinking it would cover Massachusetts operations too.

0 coins

Zainab Mahmoud

UCC register online portal keeps timing out during debtor name verification

Been trying to UCC register online for the past three days and I'm losing my mind. Every time I get to the debtor name verification step, the portal crashes or times out. I'm filing a UCC-1 for equipment financing on a construction loan and the deadline is approaching fast. The debtor's legal name has some special characters (ampersand and periods) which might be causing issues but I can't even get far enough to test different variations. Has anyone else dealt with portal instability when trying to UCC register online? The SOS office phone lines are constantly busy and I'm starting to panic about missing the perfection window. This is for a $340K equipment package so getting the lien priority right is critical.

Quick question - are you entering the debtor's exact legal name from their articles of incorporation or using a 'doing business as' name? Portal crashes often happen when there's a mismatch between what you're entering and what's in the state's business registry.

0 coins

Absolutely! If their corporate status changed or they filed name amendments, that could explain the portal issues.

0 coins

This is where something like Certana.ai's verification tool would be helpful - it can cross-check charter documents against what you're actually filing to catch these mismatches.

0 coins

UPDATE: Finally got through! Turns out the issue was a combination of the ampersand AND trailing spaces in the debtor name field. Cleaned up the formatting and the portal accepted it immediately. Sometimes the simplest solutions are the hardest to find. Thanks everyone for the help!

0 coins

Great resolution! This is exactly why I always recommend copying and pasting debtor names rather than typing them manually.

0 coins

Perfect example of why document verification tools are so valuable - they catch these formatting issues before you waste time fighting the portal.

0 coins

Dylan Campbell

Ohio UCC-3 form rejection - debtor name exact match issue

Got my Ohio UCC-3 form kicked back yesterday and I'm pulling my hair out. The rejection notice says 'debtor name does not match UCC-1 record' but I copied it exactly from the original filing. This is for a continuation on a equipment loan that expires next month so time is getting tight. The original UCC-1 was filed in 2020 with debtor name as 'MIDWEST FABRICATION LLC' and I used the exact same format on the UCC-3. Portal shows the filing number is valid when I search it. Anyone dealt with this exact matching nightmare in Ohio? The SOS office phone just goes to voicemail and I need to get this resolved before the lapse date.

Just went through this same issue in Ohio. The problem was punctuation in the business name. Original had 'SMITH & JONES LLC' but I filed the continuation as 'SMITH AND JONES LLC'. The ampersand vs. spelled out 'and' caused the rejection.

0 coins

Exactly. Every character has to match perfectly. No room for interpretation or common sense.

0 coins

This is why I started using document verification before submitting. Upload your original UCC-1 and proposed UCC-3 to something like Certana.ai and it catches these mismatches before you get rejected.

0 coins

Good luck with the continuation. Ohio processing times have been running about 3-5 business days lately so you should be fine if you get the corrected filing in this week.

0 coins

Thanks, that's good to know about the processing times. Gives me a little breathing room.

0 coins

Just make sure you have the name exactly right this time. One rejection is annoying, two rejections with a tight deadline is a nightmare.

0 coins

Prev1...591592593594595...685Next