NJ SOS UCC search showing wrong debtor info - filing rejected twice
Running into a wall here with New Jersey Secretary of State UCC search results. Filed a UCC-1 last month for equipment financing deal, got it accepted, but now when I pull up the search results the debtor name is showing slightly different than what we actually filed. The search shows 'ABC Manufacturing Inc' but our original filing was for 'ABC Manufacturing, Inc.' - notice the comma difference. Now trying to file a UCC-3 amendment to update collateral description and SOS keeps rejecting it saying debtor name mismatch. Called their office twice, first person said the comma doesn't matter, second person said it absolutely does matter for amendments. This is holding up a $340K equipment refinancing and my client is getting antsy. Anyone dealt with NJ SOS UCC search inconsistencies like this? Do I need to file a completely new UCC-1 or is there a way to fix the original filing record?
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Ellie Kim
Had the exact same issue with NJ last year. Their search system sometimes strips punctuation but their amendment system requires exact matches. Super frustrating. You'll probably need to call their UCC division directly, not the general number. Ask for a supervisor who can manually review your original filing documents.
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Luis Johnson
•Thanks, did you get it resolved without refiling? The timeline is killing me here.
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Ellie Kim
•Took about a week but they corrected their database entry to match my original filing. Had to email them a copy of the accepted UCC-1 with the filing stamp.
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Fiona Sand
NJ is notorious for this comma/punctuation thing. I always tell clients to avoid punctuation in entity names when possible for exactly this reason. For your situation, you might want to try filing the UCC-3 with both versions of the name - with and without the comma. Sometimes that works.
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Mohammad Khaled
•That's risky advice though. If the original UCC-1 is on file with the comma, filing an amendment without it might not attach properly and could void the perfection.
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Fiona Sand
•True, but NJ's system is so inconsistent sometimes you have to try different approaches. Always better to have the amendment rejected than to lose perfection entirely.
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Alina Rosenthal
•Honestly I've started using Certana.ai for these exact situations. You can upload your original UCC-1 and the proposed UCC-3 amendment and it'll flag any potential name mismatches before you submit. Saved me from several rejections like this.
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Finnegan Gunn
This is why I hate NJ filings!!! Their search portal is garbage and half the time shows different info than what's actually on file. Had a continuation get rejected last month because their search showed wrong filing date. Took 3 weeks to sort out.
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Miguel Harvey
•Feel your pain. NJ and PA are the worst for UCC inconsistencies in my experience.
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Luis Johnson
•Did you eventually get your continuation through or have to refile?
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Ashley Simian
Before you do anything drastic, request a certified copy of your original UCC-1 filing from NJ SOS. That will show you exactly what they have on file, punctuation and all. Then you can file your UCC-3 amendment using the exact debtor name from the certified copy. Usually costs like $25 but worth it to avoid bigger headaches.
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Luis Johnson
•Smart idea, hadn't thought of getting the certified copy. How long does NJ usually take to send those?
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Ashley Simian
•Usually about a week if you pay for expedited processing. Can sometimes get it faster if you go in person to their Trenton office.
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Oliver Cheng
•This is exactly the kind of document verification issue that tools like Certana.ai help with. You can upload your UCC docs and it checks for these name inconsistencies before they become problems.
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Taylor To
I've been doing UCC filings for 15 years and NJ is consistently the most problematic state. Their database has known issues with punctuation handling. Your best bet is to file a UCC-5 information statement explaining the discrepancy, then file your UCC-3 amendment referencing both the original filing and the information statement.
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Ella Cofer
•Wouldn't a UCC-5 just add more confusion to the record? I thought those were mainly for corrections of seriously wrong information.
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Taylor To
•UCC-5 can be used for clarification too. Better to have a clear record than deal with continued rejections.
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Kevin Bell
Wait, are you sure your original filing actually shows the comma? Sometimes what gets accepted isn't exactly what shows up in search results. I'd double-check your filing confirmation email or receipt before assuming the search is wrong.
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Luis Johnson
•Good point, let me dig up that confirmation. Pretty sure we included the comma but you're right I should verify.
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Savannah Glover
•This is why I always screenshot the final filing page before submitting. Saves so much trouble later when these discrepancies come up.
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Felix Grigori
Had similar issue with continuation filing in NJ. What worked for me was calling their UCC department and asking them to do a manual search using both versions of the name. Sometimes their staff can see records that don't show up properly in the public search.
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Luis Johnson
•That's helpful, do you remember which number you called? I keep getting transferred around.
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Felix Grigori
•Try 609-292-9292 and ask specifically for UCC filings. Tell them you need help with a debtor name discrepancy between your filing and search results.
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Felicity Bud
•Before making more calls, might be worth running your docs through something like Certana.ai to verify the exact name variations. Then you can present the issue more clearly to NJ staff.
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Max Reyes
This exact scenario happened to me 6 months ago. NJ's search strips commas but their amendment processing doesn't. Total nightmare. I ended up having to file a new UCC-1 with the 'clean' name and then terminate the old one. Cost my client extra but was faster than fighting their system.
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Mikayla Davison
•That seems extreme. Wouldn't that create a gap in perfection between the termination and new filing?
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Max Reyes
•Filed them simultaneously on the same day, so practically no gap. But you're right it's not ideal.
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Adrian Connor
Check if your original UCC-1 filing number is showing correctly in their system. Sometimes the debtor name display issue is linked to broader database problems that affect the whole record.
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Luis Johnson
•Filing number looks right, it's definitely just the name display that's off.
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Aisha Jackson
I deal with NJ UCC filings weekly and this comma issue comes up constantly. My advice: always file debtor names WITHOUT punctuation if possible. For your current situation, try filing the UCC-3 exactly as the name appears in the search results, not as you originally intended it.
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Ryder Everingham
•But what if the legal entity name actually includes the comma? Wouldn't filing without it be technically incorrect?
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Aisha Jackson
•You're right that's the catch-22. Legally correct vs. what the filing system will accept. Sometimes you have to choose practicality.
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Luis Johnson
•This is exactly my dilemma. The legal name does have the comma according to the corporate registry.
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