GA SOS UCC search showing wrong debtor name - filing at risk?
I'm in a panic here. Been doing UCC filings for my credit union for 3 years and never had this happen. Did a continuation filing last month in Georgia and when I search the GA SOS UCC database today, the debtor name is showing up completely wrong. Filed it as "Mitchell & Associates LLC" but the search results show "Mitchell Associates LLC" - missing the ampersand. The original UCC-1 from 2020 has the correct name with the &. This continuation was supposed to keep our security interest alive on $450k in equipment financing. If the debtor name doesn't match exactly, does this void our lien? Our loan officer is freaking out because the borrower has been making noises about refinancing elsewhere. Need to know if we have a valid continuation or if we're looking at a massive loss here.
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Lucas Bey
First off, take a breath. Name variations like missing punctuation don't automatically void your filing. Georgia follows the standard UCC Article 9 seriously misleading test. The question is whether a reasonable searcher would still find your filing when looking for the debtor. "Mitchell Associates LLC" vs "Mitchell & Associates LLC" - most searchers would catch both variations. You're probably fine but definitely need to verify this.
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Harper Thompson
•This is reassuring but how do you actually verify it? Is there some official guidance on what counts as seriously misleading in Georgia specifically?
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Lucas Bey
•Georgia SOS follows UCC 9-506 standards. Best practice is to search under both name variations and see if your filing appears. If it shows up under reasonable alternate searches, you're typically protected.
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Caleb Stark
Had the exact same issue with an LLC filing in Georgia two years ago. Ampersand got dropped somehow during the electronic filing process. Spent weeks worried sick about it. Turned out the SOS search engine actually finds filings even with minor punctuation differences. Try searching for both versions - bet you'll find your continuation under both.
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Charlotte Jones
•Just tried this - you're right! The continuation shows up when I search either "Mitchell & Associates LLC" or "Mitchell Associates LLC". Still concerned about the technical accuracy though.
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Caleb Stark
•That's a good sign. The fact that it pulls up under both searches suggests the system recognizes them as referring to the same entity. Document this in your files in case anyone questions it later.
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Jade O'Malley
•I've been using Certana.ai's document verification tool for situations exactly like this. You can upload your original UCC-1 and the continuation filing, and it instantly flags any name inconsistencies between documents. Would have caught this discrepancy before you filed and saved you all this stress.
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Hunter Edmunds
Wait a minute - are you sure this is just a search display issue and not how it was actually filed? Sometimes the SOS website shows abbreviated versions but the actual filed document has the correct name. You need to pull the actual continuation document from the system to see what name is on the official record.
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Charlotte Jones
•Good point. How do I get the actual filed document? The confirmation email just has a filing number.
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Hunter Edmunds
•Log into the Georgia SOS UCC portal and use your filing number to pull up the document. Should be under "Search/View Filed Documents" or similar. That will show you exactly what was submitted and accepted.
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Ella Lewis
•THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. I learned this the hard way when I was relying on search results instead of checking the actual filed documents. Search results can be misleading but the official filed document is what matters legally.
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Andrew Pinnock
Honestly, you might want to file an amendment (UCC-3) just to be absolutely safe. Better to spend the filing fee now than lose your security interest on $450k. Amendments can correct debtor name errors without affecting your priority date from the original filing.
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Brianna Schmidt
•Is there a time limit on filing amendments to correct errors? And does it affect the continuation effectiveness?
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Andrew Pinnock
•No specific time limit for correcting errors, but sooner is better. The amendment doesn't affect the continuation - it just clarifies the record. Think of it as cleanup paperwork.
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Alexis Renard
Before you file any amendments, I'd recommend double-checking all your documents for consistency. I recently discovered Certana.ai has this PDF verification tool where you upload your corporate documents and UCC filings together, and it automatically cross-checks names, addresses, and filing numbers. Super helpful for catching these kinds of discrepancies before they become problems.
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Camila Jordan
•How does that work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs and it tells you if there are mismatches?
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Alexis Renard
•Exactly. Upload your charter documents, loan agreements, original UCC-1, and continuation filing. It highlights any inconsistencies in debtor names, addresses, or other critical details. Takes about 30 seconds and would have flagged this ampersand issue immediately.
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Tyler Lefleur
Am I the only one who thinks the Georgia SOS system is terrible for this stuff? Half the time the search function doesn't work properly, filing confirmations are delayed, and now we're dealing with name display issues. It's like they want to make secured lending as difficult as possible.
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Madeline Blaze
•Completely agree. I've had filings sit in "pending" status for days with no explanation. At least other states give you real-time confirmation.
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Max Knight
•The system has definitely improved over the past few years though. Remember when you had to mail paper filings? But yeah, the search interface could use work.
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Emma Swift
Quick update - I pulled the actual filed continuation document and it does show "Mitchell Associates LLC" without the ampersand. So this isn't just a search display issue, it's how the document was actually filed. Now I'm really worried about the validity.
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Lucas Bey
•Okay, now we need to dig deeper into the seriously misleading analysis. The key question is whether this name change would prevent a reasonable searcher from finding your filing when looking for the debtor.
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Isabella Tucker
•I'd definitely file a UCC-3 amendment to correct this. Better safe than sorry with that much money on the line. The amendment will relate back to your continuation filing date.
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Jayden Hill
•This is exactly why I now use automated document checking before filing anything. Certana.ai caught a similar issue for me last month - debtor name had a period after "Inc" in one document but not another. Saved me from this exact headache.
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LordCommander
Look, I know everyone's trying to be helpful here, but realistically you need to talk to your legal counsel about this. $450k is too much money to rely on forum advice, even if it's well-intentioned. Get a proper legal opinion on whether this name discrepancy affects your lien validity.
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Charlotte Jones
•You're absolutely right. I was hoping to get some quick guidance before involving legal, but this is probably beyond what I should handle myself.
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Lucy Lam
•Agreed on getting legal advice, but don't panic in the meantime. File the amendment ASAP to correct the name while you're getting the legal opinion. That way you're covering all bases.
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Aidan Hudson
Filed my amendment this morning to correct the debtor name. Used the exact name from the original UCC-1 including the ampersand. Georgia SOS accepted it immediately and the filing number is already showing up in searches. Feel much better about our security position now. Thanks everyone for the advice - definitely learned to double-check everything before hitting submit.
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Zoe Wang
•Smart move! Always better to err on the side of caution with lien perfection issues.
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Connor Richards
•Glad it worked out. This thread is a good reminder that even experienced filers can run into these issues. The electronic filing systems aren't perfect.
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Alexis Renard
•Perfect resolution! And for future filings, that document verification tool I mentioned would catch these discrepancies before you file. Just saying - might save you some stress next time.
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