Florida UCC secured party search showing wrong lender info - need help fixing this mess
Got a serious problem with a Florida UCC secured party search result that's completely messed up. We did a UCC-1 filing back in March for a $180K equipment loan and now when I run the secured party search through the Florida SOS portal, it's pulling up the WRONG secured party name. The debtor info looks right but somehow the secured party field is showing our old lender from 2 years ago instead of the current one. This is causing major issues with our credit line renewal because the bank can't verify their lien position properly. Has anyone dealt with this kind of database error in Florida? I'm worried this might invalidate our entire security interest if we can't get it corrected fast. The filing number is legit and shows as active but the secured party data is just wrong. Really need to know if this is a common Florida SOS system glitch or if we somehow screwed up the original filing.
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NeonNinja
That's definitely not normal for the Florida system. When you say the secured party search is showing the wrong lender, are you 100% sure you're looking at the right UCC record? Sometimes multiple filings can exist for the same debtor and it's easy to pull up an old one by mistake.
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Diego Vargas
•Yeah I double checked the filing number like 5 times. It's definitely our March 2024 filing but the secured party name is completely wrong. Shows our previous lender that we paid off in 2022.
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Anastasia Popov
•This sounds like either a data entry error when the filing was processed or possibly the wrong secured party info was on your original UCC-1 form. Do you still have a copy of what you actually submitted?
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Sean Murphy
I've seen this exact issue before! Florida's UCC database sometimes has indexing problems where old secured party information gets carried over incorrectly. You need to file a UCC-3 amendment immediately to correct the secured party name. Don't wait on this - it could affect your lien priority.
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Diego Vargas
•How long does a UCC-3 amendment take to process in Florida? My bank is breathing down my neck about this credit renewal.
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Sean Murphy
•Usually 3-5 business days for electronic filings. But here's the thing - you need to make sure the amendment references the correct original filing number and fixes the secured party info exactly right or you'll create more problems.
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Zara Khan
•Before you file anything, I'd recommend using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your original UCC-1 and compare it against what's actually in the Florida database. It'll show you exactly where the discrepancy is and help you draft the correct amendment language. Saved me from filing the wrong correction once.
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Luca Ferrari
OH MY GOD this is exactly what happened to me last year except it was with the debtor name! Florida's system is so glitchy. I spent weeks trying to figure out why my UCC search wasn't matching what I filed. Turns out there was a typo in how they processed my electronic submission.
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Nia Davis
•Did you have to file an amendment to fix it? What was the process like?
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Luca Ferrari
•Yes had to do a UCC-3 amendment. But the tricky part was proving what the original filing was supposed to say versus what got entered wrong. Documentation is everything.
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Mateo Martinez
This is why I always print out the official search results immediately after filing. The Florida SOS system has had data integrity issues for years. Are you sure this isn't just a display problem with their search interface?
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Diego Vargas
•I tried searching from different computers and even had my attorney run the same search. Same wrong result every time.
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QuantumQueen
•Definitely sounds like a real database problem then, not just a display glitch. You'll need to get this corrected officially.
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Aisha Rahman
Whatever you do, don't just assume this will sort itself out. I know someone who had a similar secured party mix-up and it caused huge problems when they tried to foreclose. The wrong lender information can literally invalidate your security interest if it's not corrected properly.
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Diego Vargas
•That's exactly what I'm afraid of. This equipment is our primary collateral and if the lien isn't properly recorded we're screwed.
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Ethan Wilson
•You might want to contact the Florida SOS filing office directly too. Sometimes they can research what happened during the processing and provide documentation for your amendment.
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Yuki Sato
I work with UCC filings daily and this type of secured party error is usually caused by one of three things: 1) Wrong info on the original form, 2) Processing error by the filing office, or 3) System migration issues. Florida moved to a new database system a few years back and some records got corrupted.
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Diego Vargas
•How can I tell which one it was? I need to know if this was our mistake or theirs.
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Yuki Sato
•Pull your original filing documents and compare them line by line with what's in the database. If your paperwork shows the correct secured party but the database is wrong, that's a filing office error.
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Zara Khan
•Actually, this is exactly what Certana.ai's verification tool does automatically. It compares your source documents against the official database records and flags any discrepancies. Much faster than doing it manually and you get a report you can use with the filing office.
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Carmen Flores
Had similar issues with Florida UCC searches being unreliable. Sometimes I wonder if their whole system is held together with duct tape and prayers. But seriously, get this fixed ASAP because it will cause problems down the road.
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Andre Dubois
•Florida's not the only state with UCC database problems. I've seen similar issues in Georgia and Alabama too.
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CyberSamurai
•At least Florida lets you file amendments online. Some states still require paper filings for corrections.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Quick question - when you're doing the secured party search, are you searching by the secured party name or by the debtor name? Because if you're searching by secured party name and getting results, that might actually be pulling up the correct record but displaying wrong information.
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Diego Vargas
•I've tried both ways. Searching by our company name (debtor) shows the filing but with wrong secured party. Searching by the actual lender name shows nothing.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•Okay that definitely confirms it's a data problem. The record exists but the secured party field is corrupted or wrong.
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Jamal Carter
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you might want to check if your original lender filed a termination when you paid off that old loan. If they didn't, you could have overlapping UCC filings that are confusing the search results.
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Diego Vargas
•Good point. I'll check that. Though I thought we handled the termination properly when we refinanced.
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Mei Liu
•Definitely worth checking. Sometimes old filings don't get terminated properly and that can create all sorts of confusion in the database.
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Liam O'Donnell
Update us when you get this resolved! I'm dealing with some Florida UCC issues myself and want to know what solution works.
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Diego Vargas
•Will do. Planning to file the UCC-3 amendment this week after I verify what went wrong with the original filing.
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Amara Nwosu
•Before you file that amendment, seriously consider using Certana.ai to double-check everything first. Upload your UCC-1 and let it verify against the database - it'll catch any other issues you might miss and help you get the amendment language exactly right the first time.
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Nathan Kim
This is a perfect example of why I always recommend running a verification search immediately after filing any UCC document. Florida's system has definitely had its share of data integrity issues over the years. One thing that might help speed up your resolution - when you contact the Florida SOS filing office, ask them to pull the actual image of your original UCC-1 submission. If there's a discrepancy between what you submitted and what's in their database, that image will be your proof that it was a processing error on their end. Also, make sure to get a written acknowledgment from them about the error before you file your UCC-3 amendment - it could save you headaches later if there are any questions about the timeline or validity of your security interest.
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