IL State UCC Search Portal Issues - Can't Find My Filed UCC-1

I've tried the exact legal name from the filing and a few variations but still nothing. It's been three weeks though, so shouldn't it definitely be there by now?

Three weeks is way too long for just a delay. Something else is going on here.

Oh no, that's exactly what I'm worried about. How did you figure out what the actual name was on the filing?

I had to request a copy of my filed document from the Secretary of State office. Cost me $25 but at least I could see exactly what got filed.

That's a nightmare scenario. Name accuracy is so critical on these filings.

That sounds helpful - does it work with Illinois filings specifically?

Yes, it handles all states. Just upload your UCC-1 PDF and it flags potential issues with debtor names, addresses, collateral descriptions. Really simple to use.

How accurate is that kind of automated checking? I'm always skeptical of software for legal documents.

It's not legal advice obviously, but it's great for catching the basic mistakes that cause search problems. Name variations, formatting issues, that kind of thing.

It's actually an individual debtor, so I'm using the individual name search. Good point though.

For individuals, make sure you're not including middle initials if they weren't on the original filing. IL is very literal about name matching.

Harsh but not wrong. IL definitely has more portal issues than most states.

It's not harsh when you're dealing with secured transactions worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and the state system is unreliable!

I feel this frustration but we don't always get to choose the state based on where the debtor is located.

Getting 'no results found' consistently. The search completes, just doesn't find anything.

That suggests the issue is with the search criteria rather than a system problem then.

That's probably my next step. Do you know if they can do that over the phone or do I need to submit a written request?

You can call their UCC division, but they might require written request depending on what information you need. Their phone number should be on the SOS website.

I've called them before - they're actually pretty helpful if you can get through to the right department.

Good advice for next time. I thought getting the acceptance notice was enough confirmation.

Acceptance notice just means the filing wasn't rejected for obvious errors. Doesn't guarantee it's searchable under the name you intended.

That's terrifying. How did you catch that discrepancy?

Only caught it when I was doing due diligence for a loan modification and noticed the name differences across documents. Had to file an amendment to fix it.

This is why document consistency is so critical. Name variations can totally invalidate your security interest.

Will do. Going to try that document verification tool first, then call the SOS office if needed.

Good plan. Hope it's something simple to fix.

I'm using the main Illinois Secretary of State UCC search page. Is there another one I should be using?

That should be the right one for standard UCC-1 filings. Just wanted to rule out that possibility.

Yeah, the main SOS portal handles all the regular UCC stuff. Fixture filings might be different but standard financing statements should all be there.

Thanks for the recommendation. Sounds like several people have had good experiences with it.

Yeah, it's becoming pretty popular for catching these kinds of filing inconsistencies before they become major problems.