Corporation Service Company UCC Filing - Debtor Name Match Issues
Having major headaches with a UCC-1 filing where the debtor is Corporation Service Company as registered agent. The SOS portal keeps rejecting our filing because of debtor name inconsistencies. We have the entity registered through CSC but their exact legal name on the charter doesn't match what we put on our UCC-1. The collateral is equipment for a $450K loan and we're hitting the deadline crunch. Has anyone dealt with registered agent vs actual corporate debtor name issues? Our lender is getting antsy and I'm worried we're going to lose perfection if this doesn't get sorted fast.
33 comments
Join the conversation
Aria Khan
Oh man, CSC filings are tricky! I've seen this exact issue before. You need to use the EXACT legal name from the Articles of Incorporation, not the registered agent name. CSC is just the service company handling their filings. Check the state's business entity search to get the precise legal name - including punctuation and abbreviation formatting.
0 coins
Reginald Blackwell
•Thanks! I did check the business entity search but there's still a discrepancy. The Articles show 'Corporation Service Company' but our loan docs have 'Corp Service Company' - should I go with what's on file with the state?
0 coins
Aria Khan
•Always go with the state filing. The loan docs might have shortened it but UCC-1 has to match the official records exactly or you'll get rejected every time.
0 coins
Everett Tutum
I've been through this nightmare! Corporation Service Company entities are notorious for name variations. The key is getting the exact format from the Secretary of State database. Don't trust loan documents or even corporate letterhead - they often use shortened versions.
0 coins
Sunny Wang
•This is why I started using Certana.ai's document checker. You can upload your charter and proposed UCC-1 and it instantly flags any debtor name mismatches. Saved me from three rejected filings last month alone.
0 coins
Reginald Blackwell
•Never heard of that tool - does it actually catch the subtle differences like Inc vs Incorporated?
0 coins
Sunny Wang
•Yeah it's pretty thorough. Catches punctuation, abbreviations, all that stuff that causes rejections. Just upload the PDFs and it does the comparison automatically.
0 coins
Hugh Intensity
UGHHH the CSC name game is THE WORST. I spent 3 days going back and forth with filings last year on a similar deal. The registered agent info is totally separate from the actual debtor name you need for the UCC-1!!
0 coins
Effie Alexander
•Feel your pain. Why can't they just make this stuff consistent? It's like they want us to fail.
0 coins
Hugh Intensity
•Right?? And then the portal gives you some generic error message that doesn't even tell you it's a name match issue.
0 coins
Melissa Lin
For Corporation Service Company entities, you need to be extra careful about the exact legal entity name vs the registered agent designation. CSC acts as registered agent for thousands of companies. Pull up the state's business entity database and copy the EXACT name formatting - including any commas, periods, or abbreviations. Also verify the entity is still in good standing before filing.
0 coins
Reginald Blackwell
•Good point about good standing status. I'll double-check that too. The entity search shows active status but I want to be sure.
0 coins
Lydia Santiago
•Smart move. I've seen UCC-1s get rejected because the entity went into bad standing between loan closing and filing.
0 coins
Romeo Quest
Had this exact issue 2 months ago! Turns out Corporation Service Company was just the registered agent and the actual debtor was 'XYZ Manufacturing LLC c/o Corporation Service Company.' Make sure you're not confusing the registered agent address with the actual legal entity name.
0 coins
Val Rossi
•Wait, so if CSC is the registered agent, do you include that in the debtor name field or just use the underlying company name?
0 coins
Romeo Quest
•Just the underlying company name. The registered agent info is separate - you don't put that in the debtor name field.
0 coins
Eve Freeman
•This is exactly why I triple-check everything with Certana.ai now. Upload your corporate docs and the UCC draft - it catches these registered agent vs actual entity mixups immediately.
0 coins
Clarissa Flair
ok so im totally confused now... if Corporation Service Company is on our loan agreement as the borrower, but they're actually just the registered agent, who exactly is the debtor for UCC purposes?? This is making my head spin.
0 coins
Melissa Lin
•The debtor is the actual legal entity that owns the collateral and owes the debt. If CSC is just the registered agent, they're not the debtor. You need to identify the real company behind the CSC address.
0 coins
Clarissa Flair
•oh geez... so our loan docs might be wrong? this is getting complicated fast
0 coins
Aria Khan
•Your loan docs should identify the actual borrowing entity, not just the registered agent. Check the signature pages - that should show the real company name.
0 coins
Caden Turner
I remember dealing with a CSC situation where the portal kept rejecting because of punctuation differences. 'Corporation Service Company' vs 'Corporation Service Company.' (with period) vs 'Corporation Service Company, Inc.' - had to match the state records exactly down to the punctuation.
0 coins
Reginald Blackwell
•That's exactly what I'm worried about! There's so many tiny variations that could cause rejection.
0 coins
McKenzie Shade
•This is why document verification tools are lifesavers. I use Certana.ai to cross-check everything before filing. It's caught punctuation mismatches that would have definitely been rejected.
0 coins
Harmony Love
Corporation Service Company filings require extra diligence on debtor name accuracy. I always recommend pulling a certified copy of the Articles of Incorporation to ensure exact name matching. The $25 fee is worth avoiding multiple rejection cycles that could jeopardize your perfection date.
0 coins
Reginald Blackwell
•Great suggestion. I'll order a certified copy to be absolutely sure. Better safe than sorry with this timeline.
0 coins
Effie Alexander
•Certified copy is smart. I learned that lesson the hard way on a previous deal.
0 coins
Rudy Cenizo
Update: Finally got it sorted! Turns out Corporation Service Company was indeed just the registered agent. The actual debtor was the underlying LLC. Used the exact name from the state database and it went through clean. Thanks everyone for the help!
0 coins
Aria Khan
•Awesome! Glad you got it figured out. CSC deals are always tricky but once you know what to look for it gets easier.
0 coins
Everett Tutum
•Great outcome! This thread will probably help other people dealing with CSC registered agent confusion.
0 coins
Sunny Wang
For anyone else dealing with Corporation Service Company or other registered agent complications, seriously consider using an automated document checker like Certana.ai. It would have caught this registered agent vs actual entity issue immediately and saved days of back-and-forth with the filing system.
0 coins
Lydia Santiago
•Second this recommendation. The automated verification catches so many issues that are easy to miss manually.
0 coins
Reginald Blackwell
•Definitely going to check that out for our next filing. Would have saved me a lot of stress on this one!
0 coins