Idaho UCC search showing wrong debtor name - filing at risk?
I'm doing an Idaho UCC search for a client and found something concerning. The UCC-1 we filed 3 years ago shows up in the search results, but the debtor name appears slightly different than what's on our loan docs. Our original filing shows "Mountain View Equipment LLC" but the search results display "Mtn View Equipment LLC". The collateral is heavy machinery worth about $180k so this isn't a small issue. I'm worried our lien might not be properly perfected if there's a name discrepancy. Has anyone dealt with Idaho UCC search inconsistencies like this? Should I be filing a UCC-3 amendment to correct this or is this just a display issue in their system?
33 comments
Join the conversation
Kyle Wallace
This is actually pretty common with Idaho's system. The search results sometimes abbreviate business names for display purposes but the actual filing record should have the full name. Did you pull the actual UCC-1 document image or just looking at the search summary?
0 coins
Malia Ponder
•I only looked at the search results so far. You think the actual document would show the correct full name? That would be a relief.
0 coins
Kyle Wallace
•Yeah definitely check the actual filing image. Idaho's search display truncates names but the official record should match your original submission exactly.
0 coins
Ryder Ross
I had this exact same panic attack last month! Turned out to be just a display quirk. But honestly, name matching is so critical for UCC filings that I've started using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your original loan docs and the UCC-1 filing and it instantly flags any name inconsistencies between documents. Saved me from a major headache when it caught a debtor name that was off by one letter.
0 coins
Gianni Serpent
•How does that tool work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs and it compares them automatically?
0 coins
Ryder Ross
•Exactly - upload your charter documents and UCC-1, or UCC-3 and UCC-1, and it cross-checks all the debtor names and filing details. Takes like 30 seconds instead of manually comparing everything line by line.
0 coins
Malia Ponder
•That actually sounds really useful. I spend way too much time double-checking document consistency manually.
0 coins
Henry Delgado
Idaho SOS system is notorious for this stuff. I've seen search results that abbreviate, truncate, or even have typos that aren't in the actual filing. ALWAYS pull the official document image before you panic. If there really is a discrepancy on the actual UCC-1, then yes you'd need a UCC-3 amendment.
0 coins
Olivia Kay
•This is why I hate electronic filing systems sometimes. The search function should match the actual documents perfectly.
0 coins
Henry Delgado
•Tell me about it. But at least Idaho lets you view the document images online. Some states make you pay for certified copies just to verify what you filed.
0 coins
Joshua Hellan
Wait, if the debtor name is wrong on the actual UCC-1 filing, wouldn't that make the entire lien invalid? I thought debtor names had to match exactly or the filing doesn't perfect the security interest.
0 coins
Jibriel Kohn
•Not necessarily invalid, but definitely risky. Courts look at whether a reasonable searcher would find the filing. Small variations might be okay but you don't want to find out in bankruptcy court.
0 coins
Kyle Wallace
•Exactly right. The "seriously misleading" standard means minor errors might not kill your lien, but why take the risk? If there's a real discrepancy, file the UCC-3 amendment.
0 coins
Joshua Hellan
•Thanks, that makes sense. Better safe than sorry with $180k on the line.
0 coins
Edison Estevez
I've been doing UCC filings for 15 years and Idaho's search display has always been wonky. Pull the actual document first, but if you do need to amend, make sure you reference the original filing number correctly on your UCC-3. I've seen amendments get rejected because the filing number format was wrong.
0 coins
Malia Ponder
•Good point about the filing number format. Idaho uses a specific format right? Like year-sequence number?
0 coins
Edison Estevez
•Yes, Idaho uses YYYY-#######. Just copy it exactly as it appears on your original UCC-1 confirmation.
0 coins
Emily Nguyen-Smith
This happened to me too but with a different issue - I was comparing our UCC-1 to a UCC-3 continuation we filed and couldn't tell if the debtor names matched exactly. Used that Certana document checker someone mentioned and it immediately highlighted three tiny differences I missed. One was just extra spaces but the other two were actual letter differences that could have been problems.
0 coins
James Johnson
•That's scary that you almost missed actual letter differences. Manual checking is so error-prone.
0 coins
Emily Nguyen-Smith
•Exactly. The tool made it obvious which differences were just formatting vs actual content issues. Worth it just for the peace of mind.
0 coins
Sophia Rodriguez
UPDATE: I pulled the actual UCC-1 document image and you were all right - the full name "Mountain View Equipment LLC" is correct on the filing. It's just the search results that show the abbreviated version. Thanks everyone for the advice!
0 coins
Kyle Wallace
•Glad it worked out! Idaho's search display really needs to be fixed but at least your lien is safe.
0 coins
Mia Green
•This is exactly why I always verify the actual documents. Search results can be misleading.
0 coins
Ryder Ross
•Perfect! But consider that document verification tool for future filings - catches these issues before they become panic moments.
0 coins
Emma Bianchi
Similar thing happened to me in Idaho last year. Search showed truncated business name but actual filing was fine. However, I did have one case where the search was actually correct and our UCC-1 had a typo we missed. Had to file a UCC-3 amendment within 30 days to fix it.
0 coins
Lucas Kowalski
•30 days? I thought you had more time to amend UCC filings for errors.
0 coins
Emma Bianchi
•You can amend anytime, but we wanted to fix it quickly since it was a material error that could affect lien priority if challenged.
0 coins
Olivia Martinez
Pro tip: always do a test search immediately after filing your UCC-1 to make sure it shows up correctly and the debtor name displays properly. Easier to catch problems right away than months later.
0 coins
Charlie Yang
•That's smart. I usually just file and forget but should definitely verify it appears in searches correctly.
0 coins
Grace Patel
•I do this too. Sometimes filings get rejected or have processing errors and you want to know ASAP.
0 coins
ApolloJackson
Idaho UCC search is frustrating but at least it's free and available 24/7. Some states charge for every search or have limited hours. Just remember that search results are not official - only the filed documents matter for legal purposes.
0 coins
Isabella Russo
•Good reminder. I always print or save the actual UCC documents, not just the search results.
0 coins
Malia Ponder
•Thanks everyone for all the help. Definitely learned to check the actual documents first before worrying about search result displays.
0 coins