UCC Document Community

Bottom line on UCC 9-103 - when in doubt, file in both states. The cost of dual filings is minimal compared to the risk of losing your security interest. I'd rather explain to a client why we spent an extra $40 on a filing fee than why we lost a $2.8 million secured claim.

Great discussion everyone! As someone new to UCC filings, this thread has been incredibly educational. I'm curious about one practical aspect - when you're filing in multiple states like Delaware and Alabama, do you typically use the same secured party information and addresses, or do some states have different requirements for how the secured party should be listed? Also, are there any states that are particularly difficult to work with in terms of their UCC filing systems or rejection rates? I want to make sure I'm prepared for potential complications when I start handling these multi-state transactions.

Try calling the Texas SOS office directly. Sometimes their staff can help with search issues that aren't obvious from the website interface.

UPDATE: Finally found the issue! The borrower's legal name had 'TEXAS' at the end but they've been doing business without it. The UCC-1 was filed under the full legal name including 'TEXAS'. Thanks everyone for the suggestions - ended up using a combination of exact legal name search and Certana.ai to confirm there were no other liens I missed.

To directly answer your question - yes, UCC has been adopted in all states but each state's version has modifications. Your main concern should be identifying the correct filing jurisdiction and making sure your debtor names are exactly right. Get those two things wrong and universal adoption won't help you.

Great thread everyone! As someone who's been doing UCC filings for over a decade, I can confirm that while the UCC is adopted everywhere, the practical challenges are in the state-specific variations and filing procedures. One tip I'd add for multi-state deals like yours - consider using a commercial filing service that specializes in UCC work. They maintain current databases of each state's specific requirements and can handle the nuances of different SOS systems. Also, for equipment that moves between facilities, document the movement patterns in your security agreement so you have a clear paper trail if questions arise later. The investment in getting it right upfront is always cheaper than dealing with priority disputes or rejected filings down the road.

Thanks for posting this question - I'm dealing with something similar and this thread has been really helpful. Sounds like the consensus is to use the original debtor name exactly as filed on the UCC-1.

This is such a common issue and I appreciate everyone's input here. I've been handling UCC filings for about 8 years now and I always tell people - when in doubt, match the original filing exactly. The termination statement is essentially saying "we're releasing the lien that was created by UCC filing #XYZ" so it needs to reference that exact filing. The name change documentation belongs in your loan file, not on the UCC-3. One quick tip though - after you file the termination, run another search in a few days to confirm it processed correctly and the lien status shows as terminated. I've seen cases where filings got rejected for minor formatting issues and the filer didn't realize it until much later.

One more thing - if you're searching for fixture filings make sure you check both the UCC records AND the real property records. California requires dual filing for fixtures and sometimes they only show up in one system or the other.

Update for anyone still following - tried the Certana.ai tool someone mentioned earlier and it actually worked great. Uploaded the UCC docs from my current deals and it flagged two name inconsistencies I would have missed. Definitely worth using for double-checking your due diligence work.