Alabama UCC statement request form - getting blank responses from SOS office

Yes, I copied the name character by character from the incorporation docs. Even tried variations without punctuation just in case but still getting nothing useful back.

Try calling their UCC office directly - sometimes they can run manual searches when the online system fails. The phone wait times are brutal though.

Interesting - what kind of variation did it catch? I thought I was being super careful with the name matching.

The incorporation had 'LLC' spelled out but the UCC filing used 'L.L.C.' with periods. Tiny difference but enough to mess up Alabama's search algorithm apparently.

This is why I always double-check everything now. Made similar mistakes before and learned the hard way that even spacing can matter in some states.

Don't have the filing numbers - that's exactly what I'm trying to find with the statement request. It's like a catch-22 situation.

Ugh yeah that's the problem. Their search by name function is notoriously unreliable. You might need to do broader searches or try different name variations.

Good point - I'll double check the form number. Downloaded it from their website but who knows if it's current.

Alabama updated their UCC forms in late 2023 I think. Old forms might still work but could cause processing delays.

Yeah definitely verify you have the current version. Their website isn't always great about removing outdated forms.

Equipment is definitely in Alabama and the company does business there primarily, so should be the right state. But good reminder to check other states too.

Worth checking Delaware too since lots of companies incorporate there even if they operate elsewhere. Their UCC search is much more reliable than Alabama's.

That actually sounds really helpful. Did it catch things that weren't obvious when you compared the documents manually?

Absolutely. It flagged subtle differences in entity type abbreviations and caught an extra space in the middle of the company name that I never would have noticed. Made the difference between getting accurate search results and more blank responses.

Yeah the timing is killing me. Bank wants this cleared up by end of week or they're putting the loan approval on hold.

Can your bank contact Alabama directly? Sometimes they have better luck with SOS offices than individual requesters do.

Worth asking but most banks prefer to have the borrower handle UCC searches themselves to avoid liability issues.

Didn't think of that approach - will give it a shot. Their system logic definitely seems counterintuitive.

This actually works in several states. The search algorithms aren't great at handling full corporate names with all the legal suffixes and punctuation.

Good point. The company has been around for 8 years though and definitely has had equipment loans before, so I'm expecting to find something.

Even with previous loans, the liens might have been terminated already if the loans were paid off. Worth considering.

True, or they might have been filed in a different state than where the company is incorporated. Asset location matters more than incorporation state for UCC filings.

Will do. Hoping to get this resolved in the next day or two before my bank deadline.

Georgia's system is usually pretty reliable in my experience. Alabama is just notoriously difficult compared to other southeastern states.