Florida UCC Article 9 continuation filing rejected - debtor name issue?
Having a nightmare with a Florida UCC Article 9 continuation that keeps getting rejected. Filed UCC-3 continuation for a 2020 UCC-1 that's coming up on its 5-year lapse next month. SOS keeps rejecting saying debtor name doesn't match exactly but I'm copying it character for character from the original filing. The debtor is 'Advanced Manufacturing Solutions LLC' on the UCC-1 but the rejection notice mentions something about Article 9 naming requirements. Is there some Florida-specific rule I'm missing? This is for equipment collateral on a $2.8M credit line and we absolutely cannot let this lapse. Anyone dealt with similar Florida UCC Article 9 continuation rejections?
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Emma Taylor
Florida can be tricky with debtor names on Article 9 filings. Are you sure you're using the exact legal name from the Articles of Incorporation? Sometimes the UCC-1 was filed with a slightly different version than what's actually on file with the Division of Corporations.
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Javier Garcia
•I thought I was but now I'm second-guessing everything. The original UCC-1 shows 'Advanced Manufacturing Solutions LLC' but maybe that wasn't correct to begin with?
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Emma Taylor
•Exactly. Pull the current Articles from Sunbiz.org and compare every character. Florida Article 9 requires the name to match exactly what's on file with the state.
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Malik Robinson
Had this exact issue last month. Florida UCC Article 9 filings are super strict about entity names. You need to check the current status on the Division of Corporations database because sometimes companies file amendments that change their legal name slightly.
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Javier Garcia
•Oh no, I never thought to check if they amended their articles since 2020. That could definitely be it.
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Isabella Silva
•This is why I always run document checks before filing continuations. I actually started using Certana.ai's UCC verification tool - you just upload your original UCC-1 and your new UCC-3 and it flags any inconsistencies between documents. Saved me from several rejected filings.
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Malik Robinson
•That sounds useful. Manual comparison is such a pain and you miss tiny differences.
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Ravi Choudhury
Florida's Article 9 implementation has specific rules about LLC naming. Is there any chance there are punctuation differences? Like periods after 'LLC' or commas in the business name?
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Javier Garcia
•The rejection notice doesn't specify exactly what's wrong, just says 'debtor name does not match records.' So frustrating!
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CosmosCaptain
•Florida SOS is notorious for vague rejection notices. You might need to call their UCC division directly.
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Freya Johansen
Check if the company has been administratively dissolved and reinstated. That sometimes creates naming discrepancies in the system. Florida Article 9 continuations will get rejected if there's any mismatch with current corporate records.
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Javier Garcia
•How do I check that? This is getting complicated fast.
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Freya Johansen
•Go to sunbiz.org, search the entity, and look at the filing history. Any dissolution/reinstatement will show up there.
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Omar Fawzi
•Also check if they merged with another entity or did any restructuring. Article 9 requires the continuation to match the current legal entity exactly.
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Chloe Wilson
This is why I hate Florida UCC filings! Their Article 9 system is so picky. Last year I had three continuations rejected for microscopic name differences that weren't even visible until I put them side by side.
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Diego Mendoza
•Same here. The worst part is you're burning time while the lapse deadline approaches.
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Anastasia Romanov
•I've started using automated document comparison tools for exactly this reason. Certana.ai has been a lifesaver - just upload your docs and it instantly highlights any discrepancies between your UCC-1 and UCC-3. Catches stuff you'd never notice manually.
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StellarSurfer
Could be an encoding issue too. Sometimes when you copy/paste from PDFs, invisible characters get included that cause Florida's Article 9 system to reject the filing.
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Javier Garcia
•I never would have thought of that. How do you avoid encoding issues?
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StellarSurfer
•Type the name manually instead of copy/pasting. Or paste into Notepad first to strip formatting, then copy from there.
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Sean Kelly
•Better yet, just verify everything with a document checker before filing. I use Certana.ai's PDF upload feature - it cross-references your original UCC-1 against your continuation filing and flags any inconsistencies automatically.
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Zara Malik
With only a month left, you might want to consider filing a new UCC-1 as backup while you sort out the continuation issue. Florida Article 9 allows overlapping filings if you're trying to avoid a lapse.
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Javier Garcia
•That's not a bad idea actually. At least then we'd have coverage while fighting with the continuation.
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Luca Greco
•Just make sure both filings use the exact same current legal name or you'll have the same problem with the new UCC-1.
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Nia Thompson
Had a similar Florida Article 9 rejection last quarter. Turned out the company had filed a restated Articles of Incorporation that changed their name from 'ABC Company LLC' to 'ABC Company, LLC' (added a comma). Tiny difference but enough to trigger rejection.
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Javier Garcia
•That's exactly the kind of thing I'm worried about. Going to pull fresh Articles right now.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Once you get the correct name, double-check everything before refiling. Document verification tools are worth it for high-dollar collateral like yours.
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Aisha Hussain
Florida's UCC Article 9 database has been updated recently and they're being much stricter about name matching. Even spacing differences can cause rejections now.
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GalacticGladiator
•Great, just what we needed - stricter enforcement right when everyone's 2020 filings are coming up for continuation.
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Ethan Brown
•At least the online system is faster now. But yeah, the name matching is brutal.
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Yuki Yamamoto
Update us when you figure out what the issue was! These Florida Article 9 name problems are so common but the solutions vary. Would help others facing similar continuation rejections.
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Javier Garcia
•Will do! Pulling current Articles now and going to compare every single character. Really appreciate everyone's help on this.
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Carmen Ruiz
•Good luck! The 5-year continuation deadline stress is real, especially with that much collateral at stake.
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