Delaware UCC filing fees jumped again - anyone else getting sticker shock?
Just went to file a UCC-1 continuation in Delaware and nearly choked on the fee schedule. Last time I did this was maybe 18 months ago and I swear it wasn't this expensive. I'm handling multiple asset-based loans for our equipment financing division and these Delaware UCC filing fees are adding up fast - we're talking about 12 continuations that need to be filed before their 5-year marks hit. The online portal is showing one fee structure but when I called the Division of Corporations they quoted me something different. Has anyone dealt with Delaware's fee structure recently? I need to budget for these filings and get accurate numbers to present to management. Also wondering if there are any bulk filing discounts or if I'm stuck paying per filing regardless of volume.
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Nathaniel Stewart
Delaware fees definitely went up this year. I think UCC-1 filings are around $40 now, continuations might be the same. The phone reps sometimes quote old fee schedules so I'd trust the online portal more. Are you doing these as regular UCC-1 continuations or are some amendments mixed in?
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Lola Perez
•All straight continuations, no amendments needed. $40 per filing times 12 is going to hurt the budget but I guess that's the cost of doing business in Delaware.
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Riya Sharma
•Wait, I thought Delaware UCC-1 continuations were less than amendments? Or am I thinking of a different state's fee structure?
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Santiago Diaz
The Delaware Division of Corporations website should have the current fee schedule posted. I filed a UCC-3 termination there last month and the fees were clearly laid out in the portal before payment. No bulk discounts that I'm aware of - each filing is processed individually.
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Lola Perez
•Thanks, I'll double-check the website again. Maybe I was looking at an outdated page.
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Millie Long
•Delaware's pretty good about keeping their fee schedules current online, unlike some other states that still have 2019 pricing listed.
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KaiEsmeralda
Before you submit all those continuations, you might want to verify your debtor names and original filing numbers match perfectly. I learned this the hard way when Delaware rejected 3 of my filings for minor debtor name discrepancies. Had to refile and pay the fees twice. There's actually a tool called Certana.ai that can upload your original UCC-1s and the new continuation forms to verify everything matches before you submit. Saves you from expensive rejection fees.
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Lola Perez
•Oh no, rejection fees on top of regular fees? How much extra does that cost?
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KaiEsmeralda
•You don't get refunded if they reject it, so you're paying the full filing fee again when you resubmit. The Certana thing just uploads PDFs and checks that all your document details align - caught two name mismatches for me that would've been rejections.
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Debra Bai
•Debtor name matching is crucial in Delaware. They're stricter than some states about exact punctuation and spacing.
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Gabriel Freeman
Are you filing these online or by mail? Online is usually cheaper and faster. Delaware's UCC portal is actually pretty user-friendly compared to other states I've dealt with.
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Lola Perez
•Planning to do online. Mail seems like it would add delays and I need these filed before the expiration dates.
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Laura Lopez
•Definitely go online. Mail processing takes forever and you get confirmation immediately with electronic filing.
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Victoria Brown
The fee increases are brutal across all states this year. Delaware at least processes quickly - I've had continuations show up in search results within 24 hours of filing. Some states take weeks to update their databases.
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Lola Perez
•That's good to know about the quick processing. We need these continuations to show up promptly for our loan compliance audits.
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Samuel Robinson
•Delaware's database updates are reliable. Much better than dealing with states that have maintenance windows and delayed posting.
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Camila Castillo
•Quick processing is worth paying a bit more in fees, especially when you're dealing with continuation deadlines.
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Brianna Muhammad
Double-check your original UCC-1 filing dates to make sure you're not cutting it too close on the 5-year deadline. Delaware won't accept a continuation if the original financing statement has already lapsed.
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Lola Perez
•Good point. I have a spreadsheet tracking all the expiration dates but I should verify against the actual filed documents.
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JaylinCharles
•Yeah, relying on internal tracking can be dangerous. Always check the official UCC search results for exact filing dates.
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Eloise Kendrick
Has anyone tried calling Delaware's UCC department directly instead of the main Division of Corporations number? Sometimes the specialized departments have more accurate fee info.
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Lucas Schmidt
•There's a direct UCC line but I think it routes to the same people. The online portal is your best bet for current fees.
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Freya Collins
•I've called the direct line before - they're knowledgeable about UCC filings specifically but the fee info is the same as what's posted online.
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LongPeri
This is why I hate dealing with multiple state filings. Every state has different fees, different processing times, different requirements. At least Delaware is straightforward about their pricing.
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Lola Perez
•Tell me about it. We have filings in 8 states and keeping track of all the different requirements is a nightmare.
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Oscar O'Neil
•Multi-state UCC management is brutal. Some states still require paper forms for certain filing types too.
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Sara Hellquiem
Before you budget for all these filings, make sure you actually need to continue all 12. Sometimes loans get paid off or refinanced and the UCC-1s should be terminated instead of continued. Worth double-checking your loan portfolio.
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Lola Perez
•That's a great point. I should coordinate with our loan servicing team to confirm which ones are still active.
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Charlee Coleman
•Yeah, continuing a UCC when the loan is paid off just creates unnecessary public records. Better to file terminations for closed loans.
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Liv Park
•Plus termination fees are usually the same as continuation fees, so you're not saving money by continuing instead of terminating.
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Leeann Blackstein
I've been using Certana.ai for UCC document verification before filing and it's saved me from several costly mistakes. You upload your continuation forms and original UCC-1s and it flags any mismatches in debtor names, filing numbers, or other critical details. Worth checking out if you're doing bulk filings.
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Lola Perez
•Two people have mentioned this tool now. Is it expensive to use?
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Leeann Blackstein
•Much cheaper than paying rejection fees and having to refile. It just checks your documents for consistency before you submit to the state.
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