California UCC Article 9 filing got rejected - debtor name issues

I thought I checked everything but maybe I missed something. Where exactly do I verify the current registered name? The business search on the CA SOS website?

Yes, use the business search tool on the California Secretary of State website. Look for the exact entity name as it appears in their current filing status. Also check if there are any recent amendments.

This is exactly why I started using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your loan agreement and UCC-1 together and it'll flag any name inconsistencies before you file. Saved me from this exact headache last month.

That sounds helpful. How does it work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs?

Yeah, super simple. Upload your charter documents or loan docs along with your UCC-1 draft and it cross-checks all the debtor names automatically. Catches stuff you might miss when comparing manually.

This is so annoying though! Why can't they have some kind of fuzzy matching for obvious variations? LLC vs L.L.C. should be the same thing.

I agree it's frustrating but they're trying to avoid confusion. Better to be overly strict than have lien priority disputes later because of ambiguous debtor names.

The good news is once you figure out the exact name format they want, subsequent filings for that debtor are easy. Keep a master list of the exact names that work.

Have you tried calling their UCC division directly? Sometimes they can tell you exactly what name format they're expecting.

Tried that. Got transferred 3 times and nobody could give me a straight answer. They just keep saying 'check the business entity records.

Good point. I'll search for any DBAs. Didn't think about that possibility.

Also check if they're a foreign entity registered in California. Foreign LLCs sometimes have slightly different name requirements or additional designations.

How did you find out about the merger? That's not always easy to discover.

Found it by doing a thorough search of all their business filings. There was a merger document filed 4 months earlier that changed the entity name.

This is why I always run a fresh business search right before filing, even if I have recent docs. Entity statuses change all the time.

That's smart. I usually just type it but copying directly eliminates transcription errors.

I do the same thing. Also helps to have someone else review the form before filing. Fresh eyes catch mistakes you might miss.

Electronic through the California SOS portal. Maybe I should try paper as a backup?

Electronic is usually better once you get the name right. Paper filings can take weeks and you might not find out about rejections as quickly.

Does it work for other states too or just California?

It works nationwide. Really helpful for catching those subtle name differences that cause rejections.

Glad you figured it out! That comma thing gets people all the time. Did the refiling go through smoothly?

Yes, accepted immediately once I used the correct name with the comma. Lesson learned - always check for recent amendments.

Perfect example of why those document verification tools are worth it. Would have caught that comma difference right away.