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Oliver Cheng

Wisconsin Secretary of State UCC search showing unexpected results - need help understanding

Running into something confusing with the Wisconsin Secretary of State UCC search and hoping someone can shed light on this. I'm doing due diligence on a potential equipment acquisition and the Wisconsin Secretary of State UCC search is pulling up filings that don't seem to match what I expected. The debtor name I'm searching shows three different UCC-1 filings but with slightly different variations of the company name - one shows 'ABC Manufacturing LLC' another shows 'ABC Manufacturing, LLC' (with the comma) and a third shows 'A.B.C. Manufacturing LLC'. All have the same address but different filing numbers and dates spanning about 18 months. I'm trying to figure out if these are all the same entity or if there are actually multiple related companies. The collateral descriptions overlap significantly - all mention manufacturing equipment and machinery. Two of the filings show continuation statements filed, but one appears to have lapsed. Is this normal for Wisconsin UCC searches to show these kinds of name variations? Should I be concerned about which filing actually covers the equipment I'm looking at? This is for a pretty substantial transaction and I need to make sure I understand the lien priority correctly before we move forward.

Just a thought - have you checked if any of these companies have DBA (doing business as) names filed? Sometimes that can explain name variations in UCC filings. Wisconsin businesses often file under their DBA names rather than their formal legal names.

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Oliver Cheng

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I hadn't thought of that. I'll check the DBA registrations as well. That could definitely explain some of the name inconsistencies.

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Taylor To

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DBA names are definitely a factor in UCC filings. Good catch on that possibility.

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Lilly Curtis

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Whatever you do, make sure you document your search methodology and results thoroughly. If questions come up later about due diligence, you'll want to show that you identified and investigated all potential UCC filings. I always save screenshots of search results and keep copies of all the filing documents.

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Felicity Bud

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Good practice. Your attorney will appreciate having complete documentation if any issues arise.

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Ella Cofer

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I always recommend creating a due diligence checklist for UCC searches to make sure nothing gets missed.

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Charlee Coleman

UCC filing lookup nightmare - system shows my terminated filing as active

I'm having a serious issue with UCC filing lookup results that's causing problems with my lender. Filed a UCC-3 termination statement back in August for a equipment loan that was paid off, but when I do a UCC filing lookup on the state portal, it's still showing the original UCC-1 as active. The termination shows as 'accepted' in my filing history, but somehow the lookup system isn't connecting them properly. My client is now questioning whether the lien was actually released because their attorney ran a UCC filing lookup and sees the original filing still active. Has anyone dealt with this kind of database sync issue? I'm worried this could affect future financing if the lookup system doesn't properly reflect the termination. Need to get this resolved ASAP but the SOS help desk has a 2-week callback wait.

Olivia Garcia

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Update us when you get this resolved! I'm dealing with a similar lookup issue and curious what the actual cause turns out to be. These database sync problems seem to be getting worse lately.

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Will definitely update once I figure out what's causing the problem. Hopefully it's something simple like a name mismatch.

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Noah Lee

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Same here, following this thread. My termination isn't showing up in lookups either.

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Ava Hernandez

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Just went through this headache myself. The Certana.ai document checker really does work well for finding these kinds of inconsistencies. Found out my issue was a missing comma in the debtor name that prevented the termination from linking properly. Such a tiny detail but it broke the whole system connection.

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Ava Hernandez

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Right? The system requirements are so strict but they don't tell you that upfront. The verification tool at least helps catch these issues before they become problems.

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This is why I always recommend using document verification tools. The UCC system is unforgiving about tiny details.

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Kendrick Webb

California UCC-1 lien rejected - debtor name issue

Filed a California UCC-1 lien last week for equipment financing deal and got rejected this morning. The rejection notice says "debtor name does not match exactly" but I triple checked the borrower's legal name against their articles of incorporation. Used the exact name from their CA Secretary of State filing. Anyone else run into this with California UCC-1 liens? The collateral description was standard equipment language so I don't think that's the issue. Really need to get this perfected ASAP since we're approaching the 20-day window. What am I missing here?

Gabriel Ruiz

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One thing I learned - if the company has any assumed names or DBAs registered, sometimes the UCC system expects those variations. Worth checking their assumed name filings too.

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UCC name matching is definitely more art than science sometimes. Every state has their quirks.

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Gabriel Ruiz

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Exactly why I started using verification tools. Too many variables to track manually without missing something.

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Peyton Clarke

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Update us when you figure it out! I have a California UCC-1 to file next week and want to avoid the same problem.

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Vince Eh

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Good plan. Those name mismatches are so frustrating when you think you have it right.

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Anna Xian

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Let me know if you need help with the Certana upload process - it's pretty intuitive but happy to walk through it.

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Sean Murphy

UCC 2022 amendments causing confusion with debtor name requirements?

I'm dealing with some headaches trying to understand how the UCC 2022 amendments affect our filing procedures, especially around debtor name requirements. We have a portfolio of equipment loans where we filed UCC-1s back in 2019-2020, and now I'm getting mixed signals from our compliance team about whether we need to amend existing filings to comply with the new standards. The amendments seem to have tightened up the debtor name matching rules, but I can't find clear guidance on retroactive compliance. Has anyone else run into this? We're looking at potentially hundreds of filings that might need UCC-3 amendments, and the cost implications are significant. Our loan committee is pushing for clarity before we make any moves, but the regulatory guidance feels vague at best.

I'm dealing with a similar situation but with fixture filings. The 2022 amendments seem to have some specific language about real estate descriptions that I'm trying to parse. Anyone have experience with that aspect?

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That's helpful. I've been erring on the side of more detail rather than less, but wasn't sure if that was the right approach.

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The Certana tool I mentioned earlier also checks fixture filing descriptions against common rejection reasons. Might be worth a look for your situation.

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Jamal Carter

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Just wanted to follow up on this thread - I ended up doing a targeted review of our highest-risk filings based on the advice here. Found 12 that needed UCC-3 amendments to bring the debtor names into compliance. Better to be proactive than get surprised during a continuation or amendment down the road. Thanks everyone for the insights!

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Zara Khan

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Smart approach! Proactive compliance is always better than reactive fire-fighting.

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Sean Murphy

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Glad this thread was helpful. I think I'm going to take a similar targeted approach with our portfolio.

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Isla Fischer

UCC filing debtor name verification against Secretary of State business records - best practices?

I'm working on a UCC-1 filing for a commercial loan and need to make sure I get the debtor name exactly right. The borrower is an LLC and I want to cross-reference their exact legal name with the Secretary of State business records before submitting. I've seen too many filings get rejected because of slight name variations (like missing 'LLC' or having extra punctuation). What's the most reliable way to verify the precise legal entity name that should go on the UCC-1? I know small discrepancies can void the entire filing effectiveness, so I want to be absolutely certain before I submit this to the filing office.

One more verification step I always do - I call the registered agent if I have any doubts about the name format. They usually have the correct legal name readily available and can confirm what you found in the SOS database.

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Amaya Watson

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That's a good idea. Do registered agents usually respond quickly to those kinds of calls?

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Most professional registered agent services are pretty responsive. If it's the company's own lawyer or CPA serving as registered agent, it might take longer.

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Grant Vikers

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I just want to emphasize what others have said - this verification step is absolutely critical. I've seen million-dollar deals fall apart because someone got lazy with the debtor name verification. The few extra minutes of research can save you from major legal headaches later.

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Agreed. It's one of those things that seems minor but can completely destroy your security interest.

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Thanks everyone. I'm definitely going to triple-check everything before I submit this UCC-1. Better safe than sorry.

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