CT Corporation System as Representative UCC Filing - Name Match Issues
Having major headaches with a UCC-1 filing where CT Corporation System is listed as the registered agent but I'm getting conflicting info on how to handle the debtor name field. The actual company is something like "ABC Manufacturing LLC" but their registered agent is CT Corporation System. I've seen some filings where people put CT Corp as an additional debtor name and others where it's just in the address field. Got a rejection last week from the SOS office saying "debtor name does not match entity records" but I'm not sure if they want me to include CT Corporation System in the debtor name or if there's a specific format. This is for a $2.8M equipment loan and I really can't afford to have the lien perfection screwed up because of a name technicality. Anyone dealt with registered agent complications on UCC filings before? The collateral description is straightforward but this name issue has me stumped.
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Cassandra Moon
CT Corporation System is just the registered agent, not the actual debtor. Your debtor name should be the exact legal name of the entity - "ABC Manufacturing LLC" in your case. The registered agent info goes in the address section if needed. Check your state's entity database to get the exact legal name format.
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Eli Wang
•That's what I thought but the SOS rejection notice specifically mentioned the name not matching. I pulled the entity records and it shows "ABC Manufacturing, LLC" with a comma. Could that small punctuation difference cause the rejection?
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Cassandra Moon
•Absolutely! That comma makes all the difference. Many states are very strict about exact name matches including punctuation. Use "ABC Manufacturing, LLC" exactly as it appears in the state records.
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Zane Hernandez
Been there! CT Corp is probably the most common registered agent and this trips people up constantly. The key is the registered agent is NOT the debtor - they're just the service address. Your debtor is the actual business entity. Make sure you're pulling the name from the right database too - some states have quirky formatting in their business entity search vs what's actually on file.
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Eli Wang
•Which database should I be checking? I used the Secretary of State business entity search but wondering if there's a better source for the exact legal name format.
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Zane Hernandez
•SOS business entity search is correct. Just make sure you're looking at the "exact legal name" field not any DBA or trade names that might be listed. Some states show multiple name variations but only one is the official legal name for UCC purposes.
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Genevieve Cavalier
•I've had good luck with Certana.ai's document checker for this exact issue. You can upload your entity documents alongside your UCC-1 draft and it'll flag name mismatches before you file. Saved me from multiple rejections when dealing with registered agent confusion.
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Ethan Scott
OMG this is SO frustrating!!! I deal with CT Corp filings all the time and the name matching is ridiculous. Sometimes I swear they reject filings just to collect more fees. Have you tried calling the UCC office directly? Sometimes they can tell you exactly what format they want.
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Eli Wang
•Haven't tried calling yet but that's a good idea. Do they actually answer UCC questions or just refer you back to the website?
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Ethan Scott
•Hit or miss honestly. Some states have helpful UCC staff, others just read the statute at you. Worth a shot though especially for a big loan like yours.
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Lola Perez
The registered agent should never appear as a debtor name on your UCC-1. That would create a security interest against CT Corporation System instead of your actual borrower. Here's the proper format: Debtor name = exact legal entity name from state records, Debtor address = can be either the business address OR the registered agent address (CT Corp's address). Most lenders prefer the business address for the debtor but registered agent address is acceptable.
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Eli Wang
•So if I use the business address for the debtor address, do I need to mention CT Corporation System anywhere on the filing?
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Lola Perez
•No, registered agent info is not required on UCC-1 filings. It's just one option for the debtor address if you need a more permanent address than the business location.
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Nathaniel Stewart
•This is why I always double-check entity documents before filing. Too many variables with registered agents, DBA names, entity name changes. A simple verification step saves hours of headaches later.
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Riya Sharma
Just went through this exact scenario last month. Filed with "Smith Industries LLC" but state records showed "Smith Industries, L.L.C." - got rejected three times before I caught the punctuation difference. Now I always copy/paste the exact name from the state database. Also learned that some states let you include alternate debtor names on the same filing which can help if you're unsure about formatting.
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Eli Wang
•Three rejections? That must have been expensive in filing fees. How much time did that add to your perfection timeline?
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Riya Sharma
•About 2 weeks total because of processing time between attempts. Luckily it was before the loan closing but definitely stressful. Each rejection was $25 so $75 in wasted fees plus the delayed perfection risk.
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Santiago Diaz
•I use Certana.ai now to avoid exactly this problem. Upload your charter docs and UCC draft - it spots name inconsistencies immediately. Would have saved you those rejection fees and stress.
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Millie Long
CT Corporation is everywhere as registered agent but they have zero involvement in your UCC filing decision. Focus on getting the exact debtor entity name right. Pro tip: if your state allows electronic filing, the system sometimes has built-in entity name lookup that shows the exact format they want. Much more reliable than trying to guess punctuation.
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Eli Wang
•Our state does have electronic filing but I didn't see any entity lookup feature. Maybe I missed it? Where would that typically be located in the filing system?
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Millie Long
•Usually in the debtor information section there's a "search entities" or "verify name" button. Not all states have it but when they do it's super helpful for exact name matching.
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KaiEsmeralda
been filing uccs for 12 years and registered agent confusion is probably the #2 cause of rejections after collateral description problems. ct corp system is just the mail forwarding service basically. your debtor name should never include them unless they're actually the borrowing entity which would be weird
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Eli Wang
•What's the #1 cause of rejections in your experience? Want to make sure I don't hit any other common pitfalls on the refiling.
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KaiEsmeralda
•vague collateral descriptions. people write stuff like "all equipment" when they need to be more specific about what type of equipment, where it's located, etc. but sounds like yours is good on that front
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Debra Bai
Quick question - is this a new filing or continuation? The name matching rules can be slightly different for UCC-3 amendments vs original UCC-1 filings in some states. Just want to make sure we're giving you the right advice for your situation.
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Eli Wang
•This is an original UCC-1 filing for a new loan. Haven't dealt with continuations yet but good to know there might be different rules for those.
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Debra Bai
•Original UCC-1 is straightforward then - just match the exact legal name from state entity records. Continuations can get tricky if the entity name changed since the original filing.
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Genevieve Cavalier
•Another reason I like using document verification tools - they catch those entity name change issues between original filings and continuations. Prevents liens from becoming unperfected due to name discrepancies.
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Gabriel Freeman
Same thing happened to my colleague last week! Filed with the name exactly as it appeared on the loan documents but state entity records had different punctuation. The registered agent thing is a red herring - CT Corp has nothing to do with your filing unless they're somehow a debtor themselves. Get that exact legal name format and you should be good to go.
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Eli Wang
•Did your colleague have to pay new filing fees for the corrected version or did the state waive them since it was a minor name issue?
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Gabriel Freeman
•Had to pay new fees unfortunately. States generally don't waive rejection fees even for minor corrections. Part of why getting it right the first time is so important.
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Laura Lopez
For what it's worth I've seen this exact scenario probably 50 times. CT Corporation System as registered agent throws everyone off initially. The rule is simple: debtor name = legal entity name from state records, period. Registered agent is irrelevant to the UCC filing unless you choose to use their address as the debtor address, which is optional.
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Eli Wang
•That's reassuring to hear it's a common confusion. I was starting to think I was missing something obvious about how registered agents work with UCC filings.
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Laura Lopez
•Not at all - it's probably the most common question I get about UCC filings. Once you understand that registered agents are just mail-forwarding services it becomes much clearer.
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Victoria Brown
•This thread convinced me to try Certana.ai's verification tool for my upcoming filings. Seems like it would catch these name matching issues before they become expensive rejections.
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