Idaho UCC filing rejected - debtor name mismatch nightmare
Just had our Idaho UCC filing rejected for the third time and I'm losing my mind. We're trying to perfect our security interest on some construction equipment for a $180K loan and the SOS keeps bouncing it back for "debtor name discrepancies." The borrower's legal name on their articles of incorporation is "Mountain View Construction LLC" but they've been doing business as "Mountain View Contractors" for years. We filed the UCC-1 using the exact legal name from their charter docs but apparently there's some other variation somewhere in their business records. Our loan agreement closes next week and we can't afford another rejection. Has anyone dealt with Idaho's system being this picky about debtor names? I'm starting to think we need to file multiple versions just to cover all bases but that seems ridiculous.
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Marina Hendrix
Idaho SOS is notorious for being strict about debtor names. You need to search their business entity database first to confirm the EXACT legal name as it appears in their system. Even punctuation matters - periods, commas, LLC vs L.L.C. can cause rejections.
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Romeo Barrett
•Already did that search multiple times. The name on file shows as "Mountain View Construction, LLC" with a comma that wasn't in our filing. Such a small detail to kill a filing.
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Justin Trejo
•Those little punctuation differences will get you every time. Idaho doesn't mess around with name matching rules.
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Alana Willis
I've been through this exact scenario with Idaho filings. The key is getting the debtor name to match character-for-character with what's in the Secretary of State database. You might also want to check if they have any assumed name filings or DBA registrations that could be causing confusion.
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Romeo Barrett
•Good point about the DBA check. I'll pull those records too. This is so much more complicated than it should be for a straightforward equipment loan.
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Tyler Murphy
•Wait until you have to do a continuation filing in 5 years - same exact name matching headaches all over again!
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Sara Unger
•Actually ran into a similar issue last month and ended up using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your charter documents and UCC-1 side by side and it instantly flags any name mismatches before you submit. Saved me from another rejection cycle.
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Butch Sledgehammer
This is why I always pull a certified copy of the articles of incorporation directly from the state before preparing any UCC filings. Idaho requires exact matches and their system is unforgiving. Also make sure you're not mixing up entity types - LLC vs Corporation vs Partnership can cause issues too.
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Freya Ross
•Certified copies are definitely the way to go. I learned that lesson the hard way on a fixture filing that got rejected three times.
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Romeo Barrett
•Should have done that from the start. Going to order certified docs today before attempting another filing.
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Leslie Parker
Idaho's UCC system is so frustrating!! I swear they reject filings just to collect more filing fees. Had one rejected because we used "Inc." instead of "Incorporated" - like seriously?? The debtor was the same company either way.
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Sergio Neal
•I feel your pain. Their system seems designed to create maximum friction for legitimate filings.
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Savanna Franklin
•At least Idaho processes rejections quickly. Some states take weeks just to tell you the filing failed.
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Juan Moreno
•True, but quick rejections don't help when you're up against closing deadlines like the OP.
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Amy Fleming
Have you considered filing a UCC-1 with multiple debtor name variations? You can list alternate names in the additional debtor information section. Might be overkill but could save you from future headaches.
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Romeo Barrett
•Didn't know you could do that. Would that require separate filing fees for each name variation?
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Amy Fleming
•No, it's all one filing as long as it's the same legal entity. Just different name formats for the same debtor.
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Alice Pierce
•Be careful with that approach - some states treat multiple debtor names as separate security interests. Better to get the legal name right the first time.
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Esteban Tate
I had similar issues with an Idaho UCC filing last year. Ended up having to call their UCC department directly to understand exactly what was wrong with the debtor name. The staff was actually helpful once I got through to them.
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Romeo Barrett
•What number did you call? I've been trying to reach someone but keep getting voicemail.
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Esteban Tate
•Try calling right when they open at 8am. That's when I had the best luck getting through to a real person.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•Their UCC help line is actually pretty good compared to other states. Just have your filing number ready when you call.
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Elin Robinson
This thread is giving me flashbacks to my own Idaho filing disasters. One thing that helped me was using that Certana verification service someone mentioned earlier. You upload your docs and it catches name inconsistencies before you file. Wish I'd known about it sooner - would have saved me multiple rejection cycles.
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Atticus Domingo
•How does that service work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs and it compares them?
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Elin Robinson
•Pretty much - you upload your charter docs and draft UCC-1 and it flags any mismatches in debtor names, entity types, even addresses. Takes like 30 seconds to get results.
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Romeo Barrett
•That sounds like exactly what I need right now. Going to check that out before I file again.
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Beth Ford
Here's what worked for me with Idaho - I always file UCC-1s using the exact name format from the most recent annual report filing. That's usually the most current version in their system and reduces rejection risk.
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Morita Montoya
•Smart approach. Annual reports are usually more current than the original articles of incorporation.
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Kingston Bellamy
•Just make sure the annual report is actually filed and current. I've seen entities that are behind on their reports and using those names can cause other issues.
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Joy Olmedo
Update us when you get it resolved! I'm dealing with a similar situation in Montana and curious how the Idaho filing goes.
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Romeo Barrett
•Will definitely post an update once I get this sorted out. Hoping the certified docs and name verification help avoid another rejection.
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Isaiah Cross
•Following this thread too. Idaho's system quirks seem to apply to other western states as well.
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Kiara Greene
One more thought - if you're still having trouble after getting the certified docs, consider having your borrower file a name reservation or assumed name filing to clean up any inconsistencies in the state records. Sometimes that's the only way to get everything aligned.
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Romeo Barrett
•That's a good backup plan if the next filing attempt fails. Really hoping it doesn't come to that with our closing timeline.
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Evelyn Kelly
•Name reservations can take a few days to process in Idaho, so factor that into your timeline if you go that route.
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Paloma Clark
•Or consider filing a UCC-1 amendment after closing if you discover the name issue later. Sometimes it's better to have imperfect perfection than no perfection at all.
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Amun-Ra Azra
Romeo, I feel your pain with Idaho's UCC system! One thing that's helped me avoid rejections is double-checking the entity's status with the Secretary of State before filing. Sometimes companies change their registered names during amendments or mergers and the old name becomes invalid. Also, if you're really pressed for time, you might consider filing a UCC-1 with the name as it appears in their most recent good standing certificate - that's usually the safest bet for getting through Idaho's system on the first try.
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