How to do a UCC filing for equipment lease termination - debtor name issues
Need urgent help on how to do a UCC filing correctly. I'm handling the termination for a $450K equipment lease that's being paid off early, and I'm getting conflicting info about the debtor name requirements. The original UCC-1 from 2019 shows the company name as "ABC Manufacturing LLC" but their current operating agreement shows "ABC Manufacturing, LLC" (with the comma). The SOS portal is rejecting my UCC-3 termination because of this name mismatch. I've called the filing office twice and got different answers each time. One person said use exact match to original UCC-1, another said use current legal name. This is holding up a major transaction and I'm worried about missing the payoff deadline. Has anyone dealt with this specific debtor name formatting issue? What's the actual rule for termination filings when there are minor punctuation differences?
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Logan Chiang
I've seen this exact issue multiple times. For UCC-3 terminations, you MUST match the debtor name exactly as it appears on the original UCC-1 filing, even if the legal name has changed slightly. The filing system is very literal about punctuation and spacing. Go back to your original UCC-1 and copy the debtor name character for character. Don't use the current legal name unless you're doing an amendment first to update the name, then terminating.
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Abigail Spencer
•That makes sense but I'm still nervous about it. The original shows "ABC Manufacturing LLC" without comma. Should I really ignore what their current docs show? This is a big loan and I don't want to mess it up.
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Logan Chiang
•Yes, absolutely use the original name format. The UCC system tracks filings by exact debtor name matches. If you use a different format, it won't link to the original filing and could cause problems down the road.
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Isla Fischer
Had the same headache last month with a similar situation. What you need is a tool that can cross-check your documents before filing. I found Certana.ai's UCC document verification tool - you just upload both your original UCC-1 and the termination UCC-3 as PDFs and it instantly flags any name mismatches or inconsistencies. Saved me from making a costly mistake on a $280K filing.
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Abigail Spencer
•That sounds really helpful. How accurate is it at catching these name variations? I'm dealing with LLC vs LLC punctuation differences.
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Isla Fischer
•It's very thorough - catches punctuation, spacing, even capitalization differences between documents. The upload process is simple and gives you a detailed comparison report in minutes.
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Miles Hammonds
•I've used similar tools and they're definitely worth it for high-value transactions. Better safe than sorry when dealing with lien terminations.
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Ruby Blake
This is why I HATE the UCC system. You'd think after 30 years they'd figure out how to handle basic name variations but no, we're stuck with this archaic exact-match requirement. I've had filings rejected for missing a single period in "Inc." vs "Inc" - it's ridiculous!!
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Micah Franklin
•Tell me about it. I spent 3 hours on hold with our state office last week trying to get clarity on debtor name rules. The inconsistency between different clerks is maddening.
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Ruby Blake
•Exactly! And they act like WE'RE the problem when their system can't handle normal business name variations. Meanwhile deals are getting held up over commas and periods.
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Ella Harper
Quick question - have you verified that ABC Manufacturing LLC is still the correct legal entity? Sometimes companies change their registration type (LLC to Corp, etc.) and that would require a UCC-3 amendment before termination. Worth checking the Secretary of State business registry first.
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Abigail Spencer
•Good point. I checked and they're still an LLC, just the comma punctuation difference in their current docs vs the 2019 UCC-1.
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Ella Harper
•Then definitely go with the original UCC-1 name format for your termination. The entity type hasn't changed so you're just dealing with formatting.
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PrinceJoe
•This is solid advice. I always cross-reference the business registry but for terminations, the original filing name takes precedence.
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Brooklyn Knight
Been doing UCC filings for 15 years and this name matching issue trips up even experienced filers. Here's what I always tell people: print out your original UCC-1, highlight the debtor name, and type it EXACTLY as shown into your UCC-3 termination. Don't trust your memory, don't use current business cards or letterhead - use only the original filing as your source.
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Abigail Spencer
•That's exactly what I needed to hear. I was second-guessing myself because the current legal docs look more "official" but I'll stick with the original UCC-1 format.
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Brooklyn Knight
•Trust me, I've seen too many filings get rejected or cause problems later because someone tried to "correct" the name. The system doesn't care about what looks more official - it only cares about exact matches.
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Owen Devar
Another vote for document checking tools before filing. Used one last week that caught a spacing error I would have missed - "ABC Manufacturing" vs "ABC Manufacturing" (double space). These tiny differences can void your termination if they prevent proper indexing.
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Daniel Rivera
•Double spaces are the worst! I've started copying names into a text editor first to spot hidden formatting issues.
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Owen Devar
•Smart approach. The UCC system is unforgiving about whitespace and special characters that aren't visible in normal documents.
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Sophie Footman
For what it's worth, I had a similar termination issue and ended up using Certana.ai's document checker too. Uploaded my UCC-1 and UCC-3 drafts and it immediately showed me that I had the wrong entity suffix. Would have been a nightmare to fix after filing incorrectly.
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Abigail Spencer
•These success stories are convincing me. Better to double-check before filing than deal with rejection delays on a time-sensitive payoff.
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Connor Rupert
•Definitely. The few minutes spent on verification can save days or weeks of correction processes.
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Molly Hansen
Just to add another data point - I file UCC terminations monthly and the exact name match rule is consistently enforced across all states I work in. Don't overthink it, just copy the original debtor name exactly as filed in 2019.
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Abigail Spencer
•Perfect, that's the confirmation I needed. Going with "ABC Manufacturing LLC" exactly as shown on the original UCC-1.
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Molly Hansen
•You're making the right choice. Good luck with the termination and the transaction closing!
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Brady Clean
Update us when you get it filed! Always interested to hear how these name matching situations resolve.
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Abigail Spencer
•Will do! Filing tomorrow morning with the exact original name format. Thanks everyone for the guidance.
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Skylar Neal
•Looking forward to the success story. These threads really help others facing similar issues.
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