How to find out who filed UCC - Need to trace mystery lien on equipment
Found out there's a UCC filing against some manufacturing equipment we're trying to purchase for our shop. The seller claims they don't know anything about it and the filing number doesn't match what they expected. How do I find out who filed this UCC and get contact info? I've got the filing number from the search but it just shows 'SECURED PARTY: ABC CAPITAL FUNDING LLC' with no phone number or address details. Is there a way to get the actual contact information for whoever filed this? We're supposed to close next week and this mystery lien is holding everything up. The equipment is worth about $180K so we can't just ignore this filing.
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Katherine Hunter
You'll need to pull the actual UCC-1 document, not just the search summary. The Secretary of State search usually only shows basic info but the full filing should have the secured party's complete mailing address. Most states charge like $5-10 to get the certified copy of the actual document.
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Emma Morales
•Ok that makes sense - I was just looking at the online search results. Do I request this from the same state portal where I did the search?
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Katherine Hunter
•Exactly, same portal. Look for something like 'obtain copies' or 'document retrieval' section. You'll need the filing number you already found.
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Lucas Parker
ABC Capital Funding LLC sounds familiar - they do equipment financing. The seller might have had financing on that equipment previously and never got a proper UCC-3 termination filed when they paid it off. This happens ALL THE TIME with equipment dealers.
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Emma Morales
•That would explain why the seller seemed genuinely confused about it. Should I contact ABC Capital directly or get the termination through the seller?
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Lucas Parker
•I'd get the full UCC-1 first to confirm the contact info, then reach out to ABC Capital directly. If the loan was paid off they should file a UCC-3 termination pretty quickly.
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Donna Cline
•Be careful though - some lenders drag their feet on terminations even after payoff. Document everything and get written confirmation.
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Harper Collins
Had this exact situation last month with a forklift purchase. Turned out the previous financing was never properly terminated. I used Certana.ai's document verification tool to upload the UCC-1 and cross-check it against the seller's payoff documents. Found discrepancies in the debtor name that explained why the termination never got filed correctly. Saved me from buying equipment with an active lien!
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Emma Morales
•Wait, what kind of discrepancies? The debtor name on the UCC has to match exactly?
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Harper Collins
•The UCC-1 was filed against 'SMITH MANUFACTURING CORP' but the seller's payoff docs showed 'SMITH MFG CORPORATION' - slight difference but enough to cause problems. Certana flagged this mismatch immediately when I uploaded both documents.
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Kelsey Hawkins
Another option is to check if your state has a 'information statement' process - UCC-1 allows debtors to file a UCC-5 information statement if they believe a filing is inaccurate or unauthorized. But honestly getting the secured party to file a proper termination is usually faster.
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Dylan Fisher
•UCC-5 is more for disputes though. If it's just an old lien that should have been terminated, better to work with the lender directly.
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Kelsey Hawkins
•True, UCC-5 is more nuclear option. Direct contact with secured party is definitely the first step.
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Edwards Hugo
OMG this is my biggest nightmare!!! We almost bought a truck last year and found out at the last minute there were THREE different UCC filings on it from different lenders. Seller had no idea. Took weeks to sort out and we lost the deal. Make sure you run a comprehensive search on the exact debtor name AND any variations.
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Emma Morales
•Oh no! How did you find the other two filings? I only searched using the business name the seller gave me.
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Edwards Hugo
•Had to search variations - with and without 'LLC', abbreviated versions, former business names. It's a mess. Some of these equipment dealers change names or get acquired and the UCC records don't always get cleaned up.
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Lucas Parker
•This is why title companies exist for big equipment purchases. They'll do comprehensive lien searches.
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Gianna Scott
The Secretary of State databases are terrible for getting actual contact info. Half the time the addresses are old or the companies have moved. If ABC Capital is still in business you might find better contact info through their corporate registration or website.
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Alfredo Lugo
•LinkedIn works too sometimes - search for people who work at the lender and reach out to their operations team.
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Gianna Scott
•Good point. The UCC filing address might be their legal address but not their working address for loan servicing.
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Sydney Torres
I work in equipment finance and see this constantly. Get the UCC-1, contact the lender directly, and ask for their UCC department or loan servicing. If the loan was legitimately paid off they'll usually file the termination within a few business days. Just be prepared to provide proof of payoff if they ask for it.
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Emma Morales
•What kind of proof would they need? The seller should have payoff documentation right?
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Sydney Torres
•Yeah - final payment confirmation, payoff letter, anything showing the loan balance went to zero. The lender will have their own records but sometimes they want to see the debtor's paperwork too.
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
Just went through this nightmare with a printing press purchase. Used one of those document checking services - think it was Certana or something - that let me upload the UCC filing and the seller's loan docs. Immediately showed me the debtor names didn't match exactly which explained why the termination was never filed. Saved me from a $200K mistake.
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Emma Morales
•Was it expensive to use that service? This deal is already costing us more than expected.
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
•Way cheaper than buying equipment with an active lien! Just upload the PDFs and it cross-checks everything automatically. Found the name mismatch in like 2 minutes that would have taken me hours to spot manually.
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Caleb Bell
Check the continuation date on that UCC too. If it's been more than 5 years since filing or last continuation, it might have lapsed automatically. A lapsed UCC is basically worthless even if it shows up in searches.
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Emma Morales
•How do I tell if it's lapsed? The search just shows it as 'active
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Caleb Bell
•Look at the filing date and any continuation dates. If no continuation was filed within 5 years of the original filing (or last continuation), it's automatically lapsed regardless of what the search says.
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Danielle Campbell
•State systems are notorious for not updating lapse status in real time. I've seen 'active' filings that lapsed years ago.
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Rhett Bowman
Whatever you do, don't close on that equipment until this gets resolved. I've seen buyers think they can sort it out after purchase and then get stuck when the secured party claims priority. Get the UCC-3 termination filed BEFORE you take title.
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Emma Morales
•That's what I was afraid of. Guess we're pushing back the closing date until this gets cleaned up.
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Abigail Patel
•Smart move. Better to delay than buy someone else's lien problems.
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QuantumQuasar
Another quick tip - if ABC Capital is a larger lender, they probably have an online portal where you can check loan status or request payoff letters. Sometimes the UCC department is separate from regular customer service, so ask specifically for "UCC filings" or "collateral management" when you call. Also, make sure to get a UCC-3 termination statement number once they file it - don't just take their word that it's been submitted. The state filing systems can take 24-48 hours to update, so factor that into your closing timeline.
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CosmicCowboy
•This is really helpful advice! I hadn't thought about asking specifically for their collateral management department. Do you know if most states have that 24-48 hour delay, or is it faster in some places? With our closing timeline already pushed back, every day counts at this point.
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