Georgia UCC filing search - how to search ucc filings in georgia on SOS website

That's exactly what I was worried about. Do you know if there's a way to do wildcard searches or partial name matching?

Not really, you have to be pretty exact. I usually make a list of every possible variation I can think of and search them all individually.

Ugh that's what I was afraid of. How do you even find all the old names? Corporate records search?

Yeah, Georgia Secretary of State corporate database will show you the name history. Also check with the company directly - they should have records of all previous entity names.

Also check doing business as (DBA) names if they have any. Sometimes lenders file under those too.

That sounds useful - does it work specifically with Georgia or just general UCC stuff?

It works across all states including Georgia. You just upload the corporate docs and it handles the name matching logic automatically. Way better than trying to guess every possible variation manually.

Good point, I hadn't thought about fixtures. Where would I search for those in Georgia?

County clerk's office where the real estate is located. Each county is different but most have online records now.

Also worth checking if any of the UCC-1s you find have fixture filing checkboxes marked. Those get dual-filed in both places.

How can you tell if a filing has been continued vs lapsed?

Look for UCC-3 continuation statements filed before the original UCC-1's 5-year expiration date. The system should show these as separate documents but linked to the original filing.

Sometimes the continuation doesn't show up immediately in search results though. I always download and review the actual filing documents to be sure.

Are the paid services worth it for a one-off search like this?

Depends on the deal size. For anything over a few million I'd probably pay for a professional search service rather than risk missing something.

Professional search companies also know all the quirks of each state's system. They're less likely to miss name variations or filing types.

Good point. If the collateral description says 'all equipment' does that mean literally everything?

Pretty much, unless there are specific exclusions listed. Broad collateral descriptions are very common in asset-based lending.

How would I find out about subsidiaries or affiliates?

Corporate filings, loan documents if you have access, or just ask the company directly. Most are pretty forthcoming about their corporate structure during due diligence.

That's exactly the kind of thing I'm worried about missing. How comprehensive is their database coverage?

It pulls from the same state databases you'd search manually, but it's much better at generating all the possible name variations automatically. Plus it checks document consistency across all the filings it finds.

That's really good advice, I wouldn't have thought to document the negative results.

Yeah, it shows due diligence completeness. Also date-stamp everything since UCC filings can change between your initial search and closing.

I usually do a final search right before closing too, just to make sure no new filings appeared during the deal process.

Great question about termination timing! In Georgia, there's no specific statutory deadline for lenders to file UCC-3 termination statements after loan payoff - it's typically governed by the loan agreement terms. Most agreements require termination within 30-60 days of payoff, but enforcement is spotty. I'd recommend getting payoff letters from any lenders shown in active UCC-1s, and if you see filings that should have been terminated based on loan payoff dates, you can request the lender file the termination or get a written statement that the debt has been satisfied. This protects you even if the UCC filing is still technically active in the system.