File NJ UCC - Portal Down Again During Continuation Deadline

Thanks for the phone number suggestion! I tried calling but got put on hold for 45 minutes before giving up. The filing numbers are definitely correct - I triple checked them against the original UCC-1 certificates.

The phone wait times are brutal. Try calling first thing in the morning around 8 AM when they open - that's usually when you'll get through fastest.

I didn't even think about paper forms! Where do I get the NJ UCC-3 continuation forms for paper filing?

They're on the NJ Division of Revenue website under UCC forms section. Look for UCC3 - Financing Statement Amendment. Make sure you select 'continuation' as the amendment type.

Paper filing is smart backup but make sure you have certified mail with tracking. NJ can be picky about proof of timely filing.

Never heard of Certana.ai - does it actually integrate with state filing systems or just help with document prep?

It's mainly for document verification and preparation. You upload your PDFs and it cross-checks everything for consistency. Really helpful for catching debtor name mismatches before you submit to the state portal.

That sounds useful but right now the problem is the portal being down, not document prep issues.

Tell me about it. At least other states give you advance notice of maintenance windows. NJ just randomly goes offline.

And don't even get me started on their rejection notices. Half the time they don't even tell you what's wrong with the filing.

The rejection notices have gotten better lately actually. They're more specific about debtor name format issues now.

They're for equipment loans - construction equipment mostly. That's a good point about the loan agreements, I should check what exactly they require for continuation proof.

Definitely check your loan docs. Most equipment lenders understand that state filing systems can be unreliable and have provisions for delayed processing.

Filing myself through our company. We usually don't have problems but this timing is just terrible.

Commercial services are expensive though. For occasional filings it's probably not worth the cost.

True, but for deadline situations like this they can be worth it just for the peace of mind.

Really?? Let me try again right now. Fingers crossed!

Even if it's working, I'd still recommend having the paper forms ready as backup given how close you are to the deadline.

Definitely agree on the backup plan. These systems can go down again without warning.

Good to know about the grace period! Is that documented somewhere official or just something you learned from experience?

It's in the NJ UCC statutes under section 9-515. But seriously, don't rely on it unless you absolutely have to.

Some lenders won't accept filings that have lapsed even for a day, regardless of grace periods. Check your loan terms carefully.

That would have been really helpful to know about this morning! I'll definitely look into that for next time.

Do they charge extra for the monitoring service or is it included with their document tools?

It's included with their basic service. Pretty handy for planning filing schedules around known outages.

Congratulations! That must be such a relief. Good to know about the timing pattern for future reference.

So glad it worked out! Portal outages are stressful enough without having tight deadlines involved.

Lucky timing! At least now you know to have backup plans ready for next time.

Awesome news! Definitely consider setting up that portal monitoring I mentioned for your next batch of continuations.