Florida UCC-1 rejected for debtor name mismatch - need help

I thought I was careful about that but let me double check the punctuation. The charter shows 'Sunshine Equipment Leasing LLC' with no periods or commas. That's what I used on the UCC-1 too.

Sometimes there are invisible characters or extra spaces that get copied over. Try retyping the name manually instead of copy/paste.

That's interesting - where do I search their database? Is there a separate entity lookup tool?

Yes, go to the Florida Division of Corporations website and use their entity search. Look up your LLC there and copy the EXACT name format they show in their database, including any spacing quirks.

This is so frustrating that we have to guess what format they want. The rejection notice should be more specific about what's wrong.

That sounds helpful - does it work specifically with Florida filings?

It works with any state because it's checking the documents against each other, not state-specific rules. You just upload your charter PDF and your UCC-1 PDF and it cross-references the debtor names automatically.

Never heard of this but sounds like it could prevent a lot of headaches. Manual comparison is error-prone when you're dealing with multiple filings.

I feel your pain but they're usually pretty consistent once you figure out their format requirements. The problem is they don't explain what they want clearly.

Yeah the rejection notices are useless. They should tell you exactly what format they expect instead of making you guess.

Good point - mine just says LLC without periods. Should I try changing it to L.L.C.?

Don't guess - check the entity database first like the other poster suggested. Use whatever format shows up in their official records.

I had to change LLC to L.L.C. once in Florida but that might have been years ago. Rules change.

That's crazy - so the state's own documents didn't match their database?

Exactly! That's why you have to check the database version, not just rely on your charter documents. Systems get updated and sometimes names get modified.

This LLC was just formed 6 months ago and I don't think they've filed any amendments. But I'll double check.

Good call - even small name changes or corrections can cause this problem if you're not using the most current version.

Also check if there's a registered name vs legal name issue. Sometimes the registered name for business purposes differs from the legal entity name.

That's exactly the kind of thing that drives you crazy. Invisible formatting problems that waste everyone's time.

I'm definitely going to try that tool. This rejection is costing me time I don't have with the equipment delivery scheduled.

Wait, that's a really specific example - was that really the problem? Missing space before LLC?

I'm just using your company name as an example but yes, spacing around LLC is a common issue. The database format isn't always what you'd expect.

This is why I always do entity lookups before filing anything. Too many weird formatting quirks in state databases.

It's a straightforward transaction - just the LLC as debtor and us as secured party. No guarantors or other complications.

Good that it's simple. Complex transactions with multiple parties definitely increase the chance of name mix-ups.

I haven't tried calling yet - do they actually give specific help with rejected filings?

Yeah they've helped me before. Have your filing number ready and they can usually tell you what the issue is more specifically than the rejection notice.

The phone help is hit or miss depending on who you get but worth trying before refiling blindly.

Glad you found it! The comma thing is super common in Florida. Their database format often adds punctuation that's not obvious from the documents.

Perfect example of why document verification tools are so helpful. That comma discrepancy would have been flagged immediately if you'd run the comparison first.

Great resolution! Always check the state database format - it's the authoritative source even when your printed documents look different.