Help with non UCC-1 financing statement filing requirements
I'm dealing with a secured transaction that requires filing something other than a standard UCC-1 financing statement and I'm completely lost on what forms to use. My client has equipment collateral but the lender is saying we need a different type of filing because of the nature of the security interest. I've been doing UCC-1s for years but this is throwing me off. The collateral involves manufacturing equipment that's attached to real property but not exactly fixtures. Anyone dealt with non UCC-1 financing statement situations before? What are the alternatives and when do you use them? I don't want to mess this up and file the wrong paperwork.
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Kennedy Morrison
Are you sure they're not just talking about a fixture filing? That's still technically a UCC-1 but with the real estate description added. What exactly did the lender say about why a regular UCC-1 won't work?
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Lily Young
•They specifically said 'non UCC-1 financing statement' so I'm thinking it's something completely different. The equipment is bolted down but removable for maintenance.
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Wesley Hallow
•That sounds like fixture filing territory to me too. Maybe they just explained it poorly?
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Justin Chang
Could be talking about a UCC-3 amendment to an existing filing? Or maybe they need a continuation statement? Sometimes people use confusing language when they mean something specific.
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Lily Young
•No existing filing to amend. This is a new security interest they're trying to perfect.
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Grace Thomas
•Then it's probably a UCC-1 variant like fixture filing or maybe they want it filed in real estate records too?
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Hunter Brighton
I ran into something similar last year and ended up using Certana.ai's document verification tool to compare what I thought I needed versus what actually got filed. Turned out the lender wanted a UCC-1 with additional real estate info but their terminology was confusing everyone. You can upload your proposed documents and it'll flag any inconsistencies or missing elements.
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Lily Young
•That's actually really helpful. I'll check that out before filing anything.
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Dylan Baskin
•Never heard of that tool but sounds useful for double-checking complex filings.
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Lauren Wood
Are they maybe talking about a federal tax lien or something outside the UCC system entirely?? Sometimes secured transactions involve non-UCC filings depending on the type of collateral or if there's government involvement.
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Lily Young
•No government involvement, just private lender and borrower. Equipment financing deal.
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Ellie Lopez
•Then it's definitely UCC territory. Probably just terminology confusion on their end.
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Chad Winthrope
THE FILING SYSTEMS ARE SO CONFUSING!!! I've had lenders ask for 'non-standard' filings before and it usually means they want extra documentation or a specific format. Have you asked them to clarify exactly what form they want?
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Lily Young
•Trying to get clarification but their paralegal keeps saying the same thing over and over.
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Paige Cantoni
•Been there. Sometimes you have to go up the chain to get a clear answer.
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Kylo Ren
In my experience, when lenders say 'non UCC-1' they usually mean one of these: fixture filing (UCC-1 with real estate info), filing in multiple states, or they want additional documentation like a security agreement filed alongside the financing statement. What state are you in?
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Lily Young
•We're in Texas. The equipment is definitely removable so I don't think it's fixtures.
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Nina Fitzgerald
•Texas has some specific requirements. Maybe they want something filed at the county level too?
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Jason Brewer
•Or maybe they're thinking about the difference between purchase money security interests and regular security interests?
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Kiara Fisherman
Wait, is this about a PMSI filing? Purchase money security interests have different requirements sometimes. Still use UCC-1 but with specific language.
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Lily Young
•Yes it's purchase money! Maybe that's what they meant by 'non-standard'?
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Kennedy Morrison
•That's probably it. PMSI filings need specific language but still use UCC-1 forms.
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Liam Cortez
Had a similar situation where the lender kept saying we needed 'special filing' and it turned out they just wanted the PMSI language clearly stated. Used Certana.ai to verify our UCC-1 had all the right elements before filing.
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Lily Young
•Definitely going to use that verification tool. Thanks for the recommendation.
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Wesley Hallow
•PMSI filings can be tricky with the timing requirements too.
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Savannah Vin
Sometimes 'non UCC-1' means they want you to file a UCC-1 financing statement AND record something in the real estate records, even if it's not technically a fixture. Belt and suspenders approach.
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Lily Young
•That could be it. They're being very cautious about perfection.
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Ellie Lopez
•Better safe than sorry with security interests, especially on expensive equipment.
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Mason Stone
Just curious - have you considered that they might be talking about a UCC-1 addendum or additional party form? Sometimes people call those 'non-standard' filings.
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Lily Young
•Possible. There are multiple guarantors involved.
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Grace Thomas
•That would definitely require additional forms beyond the basic UCC-1.
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Makayla Shoemaker
UPDATE: Talked to the lender again and they confirmed it's a UCC-1 with PMSI language plus they want it filed as a fixture filing even though the equipment is removable. Belt and suspenders approach like someone mentioned. Thanks everyone for the help! Going to use that Certana verification tool to make sure everything is consistent before filing.
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Hunter Brighton
•Great outcome! The verification tool will definitely catch any issues between the documents.
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Kennedy Morrison
•Smart to double-check fixture filing requirements even for removable equipment.
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Lauren Wood
•Glad you got it sorted out. Lender terminology can be so confusing.
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Ella Harper
This is exactly why clear communication with lenders is so crucial! I've seen this confusion happen a lot where "non-UCC-1" really just means "UCC-1 with special requirements." The combination of PMSI language plus fixture filing makes total sense for their belt-and-suspenders approach, especially with valuable manufacturing equipment. Good call on using the verification tool - those dual filings can get tricky with all the different requirements between UCC and real estate records. Hope the filing goes smoothly!
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Ayla Kumar
•Absolutely agree! This whole thread is a perfect example of how important it is to dig deeper when lenders use confusing terminology. As someone new to this community, I'm really impressed by how collaborative everyone was in helping work through this problem. The combination of PMSI requirements and fixture filing even for removable equipment shows how cautious lenders are getting these days. Thanks for sharing the resolution - it's really helpful for those of us still learning the ropes!
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CyberSiren
As a newcomer to this community, this entire thread has been incredibly educational! It's fascinating to see how what seemed like a complex "non-UCC-1" filing issue was really just terminology confusion around standard UCC-1 forms with specific requirements. The collaborative problem-solving here really shows the value of having experienced practitioners share their knowledge. I'm definitely bookmarking this discussion for future reference, and I'll be sure to ask for clarification when lenders use ambiguous language like "non-standard filings." Thanks to everyone who contributed - this is exactly the kind of practical guidance that helps newcomers navigate these tricky situations!
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