Maine Secretary of State UCC system keeps rejecting my continuation - debtor name issues?

That's what I was afraid of. So I should use 'Coastal Bistro LLC' without the comma on the continuation, even though our LLC operating agreement now shows it with the comma?

Exactly. The UCC continuation has to match the original filing name exactly. Your current LLC documents don't matter for UCC purposes - only what was filed originally. You can always file an amendment later if you need to update the debtor name to match current records.

Good point about checking the database. I was working from a copy of our original filing, but maybe I should look at what's actually in their system.

Always check the official record. I've seen cases where the filed version had typos or formatting differences from what the filer submitted. The continuation has to match what's actually on record, not what you think you filed.

That sounds really helpful. How does the verification tool work exactly? Do you upload both the original UCC-1 and the continuation form?

Yeah, you upload both documents and it automatically compares all the key fields - debtor names, secured party info, collateral descriptions, filing numbers. It highlights any inconsistencies immediately. Much faster than trying to manually compare everything, especially when you're dealing with long legal entity names.

Never heard of Certana but that sounds way better than the manual checking I've been doing. Maine's rejection notices are so vague it's hard to figure out what's actually wrong.

That's so frustrating! You'd think they could build some flexibility into the system for obvious variations like Inc vs Incorporated.

You would think so, but nope. It's exact match or nothing. I've started keeping a spreadsheet of exactly how each client's name appears in their original UCC filings just to avoid this headache.

That's where it gets tricky. For a continuation, you have to match the original filing exactly. If you want to update the debtor name to reflect current legal status, you'd need to file a UCC-3 amendment to change the debtor name first, then file the continuation.

So two separate filings? That seems unnecessarily complicated and expensive.

Welcome to UCC filing bureaucracy! But yeah, technically you could do an amendment and continuation at the same time. Some states allow combined forms but I'm not sure about Maine specifically.

Ugh, that sounds awful. At least with the debtor name issue I have some idea what's wrong. Signature format problems sound even more mysterious.

It really was a nightmare. The rejection notice just said 'invalid signature' with no explanation of what format they wanted. Had to call their office multiple times to figure it out.

That's really helpful advice. I'm going to go check the online database right now to see exactly how our name appears.

Good plan. And if you're still having trouble after matching the name exactly, there might be other issues like the filing number or secured party information. Maine requires everything to be consistent.

This is exactly why I started using automated document checking tools. Too easy to miss these tiny details when you're manually comparing documents.

I wonder if it's because they upgraded their system and made it more automated? Sometimes new systems are less forgiving than human reviewers.

That could be it. The old system probably had more human oversight to catch obvious mistakes vs. intentional fraud. Now it's all computer matching.

Good point. Our original filing was in March 2020, so we have until March 2025. Still have some time but want to get this resolved ASAP.

You should have plenty of time then. Just get that debtor name issue sorted out and you'll be fine.

I keep hearing good things about Certana. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get this continuation filed properly.

It's worth trying, especially if you're dealing with complex filings or multiple documents. The automated checking catches things that are easy to miss manually.

I'm skeptical of these automated tools but if it works for UCC document verification I might give it a shot. Manual checking is such a pain.

Glad you found the problem! That punctuation difference is exactly the kind of thing that trips people up with Maine filings.

Perfect! That should solve your rejection issues. Maine's system should accept the continuation now that the debtor name matches exactly.

Great news! This is exactly the type of mismatch that document verification tools are designed to catch. Good luck with the resubmission.