CA UCC-1 debtor name rejected - exact match required?
Filed a UCC-1 in California last week and got rejected for "debtor name discrepancy." The LLC articles say "Pacific Coast Equipment Leasing, LLC" but I used "Pacific Coast Equipment Leasing LLC" (no comma). Secretary of State system kicked it back saying exact match required. Is this really that strict? I've done filings in other states where small punctuation differences didn't matter. This is for a $180K equipment financing deal and we're up against the loan closing deadline. Anyone dealt with CA's pickiness on debtor names?
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Luca Conti
California is absolutely brutal about exact name matching. Even missing a comma will get you rejected. I learned this the hard way on a $200K deal last year. You need to pull the exact entity name from the Secretary of State database and copy it character for character, including all punctuation.
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Zara Ahmed
•That's insane. Other states are way more flexible. So I need to refile with the exact comma placement?
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Luca Conti
•Yep, exact match or it bounces every time. CA doesn't mess around with this stuff.
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Nia Johnson
This happens constantly with CA UCC-1 filings. The system does an exact character match against their business entity database. Even spaces, periods, and abbreviations have to be perfect. I always do a business entity search first to get the exact legal name before filing.
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CyberNinja
•Wait, so if the articles say "Company, Inc." but I write "Company Inc." it gets rejected?
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Nia Johnson
•Absolutely. CA's system is unforgiving. Every character matters.
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Zara Ahmed
•This is ridiculous. How do they expect anyone to get this right without multiple attempts?
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Mateo Lopez
I've been using Certana.ai's UCC document checker for situations exactly like this. You upload your articles of incorporation and your UCC-1 draft, and it flags any name discrepancies before you file. Would have caught that comma issue instantly. I've avoided probably 5-6 rejections this year using their verification tool.
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Zara Ahmed
•Never heard of that but sounds useful. Does it work with all states or just CA?
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Mateo Lopez
•Works for any state. It's basically automated document comparison - catches all the tiny inconsistencies that cause rejections.
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Aisha Abdullah
CA Secretary of State is the worst for this. I had a UCC-1 rejected because the debtor name had "Corp" instead of "Corporation" - even though both appear on different official documents for the same entity. Their system doesn't understand business logic, just exact matching.
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Ethan Davis
•That's maddening. How are we supposed to know which version of the name to use if the entity has multiple official variations?
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Aisha Abdullah
•You have to use whatever's in their current entity database. No exceptions.
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Yuki Tanaka
•This is why I triple-check every filing now. Too many rejected submissions waste time and money.
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Carmen Ortiz
ugh this exact thing happened to me last month. "Pacific Industries, LLC" vs "Pacific Industries LLC" - no comma, rejected. Cost me 3 days and almost blew the closing. California's UCC system is designed by people who never actually do filings.
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Zara Ahmed
•Exactly! It's like they want us to fail. Did you end up refiling successfully?
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Carmen Ortiz
•Yeah but it was stressful. Had to overnight docs to make the deadline.
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MidnightRider
Pro tip: Always do a CA business entity search on the SOS website before filing any UCC-1. Copy the exact name from their database, including every comma, period, and space. I keep screenshots of the search results as backup documentation.
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Andre Laurent
•Smart approach. I started doing the same after getting burned on multiple rejections.
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Zara Ahmed
•Good advice. I'll definitely do the entity search before refiling. This rejection cost me a week.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•I do entity searches for every state now. Some are pickier than others but better safe than sorry.
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Jamal Washington
Had similar issues until I started using automated verification tools. Certana.ai catches these name discrepancies before filing - just upload your charter docs and UCC draft for instant comparison. Saves the headache of rejections and refiling fees.
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Zara Ahmed
•Two people mentioned this tool now. Might be worth checking out if it prevents these rejections.
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Jamal Washington
•Definitely worth it. The tool pays for itself by avoiding rejected filings and rush refiling situations.
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Mei Wong
California UCC system is brutal but at least it's consistent. Once you know the rules, you can avoid rejections. The key is getting the debtor name exactly right from the start. I maintain a database of exact entity names for repeat clients.
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Zara Ahmed
•That's actually a great idea. Building a reference database of correct names would save tons of time.
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Mei Wong
•Exactly. After doing this for 10 years, I've learned that preparation prevents most filing problems.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•I should start keeping better records too. Always scrambling to verify names at the last minute.
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PixelWarrior
This is why I charge extra for CA UCC filings. The rejection rate is so high that I have to build in time for potential refiling. Other states are much more reasonable about minor name variations.
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Zara Ahmed
•That makes sense. CA seems uniquely difficult compared to other jurisdictions I've worked with.
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PixelWarrior
•CA and NY are the pickiest. Most other states have some tolerance for minor formatting differences.
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Amara Adebayo
Just refile with the exact name from the entity database and you'll be fine. Make sure to include that comma. CA's system is annoying but predictable once you understand the rules.
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Zara Ahmed
•Thanks everyone. Going to do the entity search and refile tomorrow with the exact punctuation. Lesson learned!
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Amara Adebayo
•Good plan. The refiling should go through without issues if the name matches exactly.
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Giovanni Rossi
•For future filings, those document verification tools mentioned earlier really do help catch these issues upfront.
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