NJ UCC lien search showing conflicting results - need help verifying debtor records
Running into major headaches with NJ UCC lien search results that don't match up. I'm trying to verify existing liens on a commercial borrower before we finalize a $450K equipment loan, but the search results from the NJ Division of Revenue are showing inconsistencies. When I search by exact debtor name "Mountain Valley Industries LLC" I get 3 active UCC-1 filings, but when I search by federal EIN the system only shows 2 records. One of the filings has a slightly different business name format (Mountain Valley Industries, LLC - with the comma) and I'm not sure if this represents a separate entity or just a name variation that could affect our lien priority. The collateral descriptions also seem to overlap - two filings reference "all equipment and fixtures" while another specifically lists "manufacturing equipment, inventory, and accounts receivable." Our loan will be secured by the same manufacturing equipment so I need to understand the exact lien positions. Anyone dealt with NJ UCC search discrepancies like this? Is there a way to get definitive clarification on which liens are actually valid and enforceable? The closing is scheduled for next week and I can't move forward without certainty on the collateral priority.
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Pedro Sawyer
NJ's search system has always been quirky with business entity names. The comma thing you mentioned is actually a common issue - some filers include punctuation and others don't, but legally they usually refer to the same entity if the core name matches. You should also try searching without "LLC" entirely since some older filings might just use the business name without the entity designation.
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Gemma Andrews
•Thanks for the tip about searching without LLC. Just tried that and found one additional filing from 2019 that I missed before. This is getting more complicated - now I have 4 potential liens to sort through.
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Mae Bennett
•The 2019 filing might be expired if it wasn't continued. UCC-1 filings are only good for 5 years unless a continuation statement was filed. Check the filing dates carefully.
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Beatrice Marshall
I had similar issues with overlapping collateral descriptions in NJ last month. What I ended up doing was pulling copies of all the actual UCC-1 forms to compare the detailed collateral schedules rather than relying on the search summary descriptions. Sometimes the search results truncate the full collateral description and you miss important details about specific equipment or exclusions.
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Gemma Andrews
•Good point about pulling the full forms. The search summaries are pretty basic. How do you request the actual UCC-1 copies from NJ? Is it through their online portal or do you have to mail in requests?
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Beatrice Marshall
•NJ lets you order certified copies online for like $25 each. It's worth it for a $450K loan to get the complete picture. You can also see if any amendments or terminations were filed that might not show up clearly in the search results.
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Melina Haruko
•Just be prepared for slow processing if you order copies. NJ took almost 2 weeks to send mine last time, which might not work with your closing timeline.
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Dallas Villalobos
The EIN vs name search discrepancy is a red flag. In my experience, when searches by different criteria show different results, there's usually either a data entry error in the original filings or you're dealing with related but separate legal entities. Have you confirmed that all the filings actually reference the same borrower entity?
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Gemma Andrews
•That's what I'm worried about. The addresses are all the same but the exact business names vary slightly. Could be the same company filed under different name variations over time, or could be separate entities that I need to treat differently.
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Dallas Villalobos
•Check the business registration records with NJ Division of Revenue to see if there were any name changes or if multiple entities are registered to the same address. That should clarify whether you're looking at one company or several.
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Reina Salazar
For situations like this where you need to verify document consistency across multiple UCC filings, I've started using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload all the UCC forms as PDFs and it automatically cross-checks debtor names, filing numbers, and identifies any discrepancies between documents. Way faster than manually comparing everything and catches details you might miss.
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Gemma Andrews
•Interesting, never heard of that service. Does it work with NJ filings specifically? Some of the document formats from different states can be tricky.
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Reina Salazar
•Yeah it handles all state formats including NJ. You just upload the PDFs from whatever state and it parses everything automatically. Really helpful for catching those subtle name variations that could affect lien validity.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•I tried Certana.ai after someone mentioned it here a few months back. Pretty slick tool for document verification - saved me from missing a critical debtor name mismatch on a Texas filing that would have been a nightmare later.
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Demi Lagos
UGH the NJ search system is THE WORST!! I swear they update it just to make it more confusing. Last week I spent 3 hours trying to figure out why a continuation filing wasn't showing up in the results even though I had the filing number. Turns out their search was case-sensitive for some random field that wasn't obvious. Try variations in capitalization too.
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Gemma Andrews
•Wait, case-sensitive? That's ridiculous. I'll try some different capitalization combinations and see if more results show up.
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Mason Lopez
•NJ really needs to fix their search functionality. It's 2025 and we're still dealing with these basic usability issues that affect real business transactions.
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Vera Visnjic
Been dealing with NJ UCC searches for 15 years and here's what I've learned: always do multiple search variations (with/without punctuation, with/without entity type, abbreviated names, etc.) and always cross-reference with the Secretary of State business records. For your specific situation, the overlapping collateral descriptions could mean your equipment is already encumbered by multiple liens, which would affect your priority position significantly.
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Gemma Andrews
•That's exactly my concern about lien priority. If there are existing blanket liens on "all equipment" then my specific equipment lien might be subordinate even though I'm filing now.
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Vera Visnjic
•Correct. You need to determine the exact filing dates and whether any of the existing liens have priority over the specific equipment you're financing. The blanket "all equipment" language typically covers everything unless there are specific carve-outs.
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Jake Sinclair
•Also check if any of the existing liens have been partially released or amended to exclude the equipment you're financing. Sometimes borrowers negotiate partial releases when they get new financing.
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Brielle Johnson
Quick question - did you check the UCC-3 amendment filings too? Sometimes what looks like conflicting information is actually the result of amendments that modified the original collateral descriptions or debtor names. NJ search results don't always clearly show the amendment history.
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Gemma Andrews
•Good catch. I was focusing on the UCC-1 filings but didn't pull a comprehensive report showing all amendments. That could explain some of the discrepancies I'm seeing.
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Brielle Johnson
•Yeah, run a full chain of title search that includes all UCC-3 amendments, continuations, and any termination statements. That's the only way to get the complete picture of each lien's current status.
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Honorah King
I had a similar mess in NJ last year with multiple liens showing different debtor name variations. What solved it was getting the borrower's attorney to provide a certified resolution confirming the exact legal entity name and any DBAs or name changes over the past 5 years. Then I could definitively match the liens to the correct entity and determine which ones were actually enforceable.
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Gemma Andrews
•That's a great approach. I'll ask the borrower for documentation of any name changes or variations they've used in business filings. That should help me sort out which liens are legitimately tied to this entity.
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Oliver Brown
•Make sure you get that documentation before closing. I've seen deals fall apart at the last minute when lien searches revealed undisclosed name variations that created priority issues.
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Mary Bates
One more thing to consider - if you're seeing 3-4 different liens with overlapping collateral, you might want to require subordination agreements from the existing lenders rather than trying to figure out priority through filing dates alone. It gives you more certainty and control over your collateral position.
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Gemma Andrews
•Subordination agreements would be ideal but probably not realistic with a week until closing. The existing lenders would need time to review and approve, and there might be fees involved.
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Mary Bates
•True, but it might be worth requesting even if it delays the closing slightly. Better than discovering later that your equipment lien is subordinate to blanket liens that could wipe out your collateral in a default scenario.
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Clay blendedgen
Just went through something similar in NJ. The key is getting certified copies of ALL the UCC filings, not just relying on search results. I found two filings that had been terminated but the terminations weren't showing up in the basic search. Also found that one of the "active" liens was actually invalid due to an incorrect debtor name that didn't match the business registration. Saved me from a major priority dispute.
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Gemma Andrews
•How did you verify that the debtor name was incorrect? Did you have to cross-reference with state business registration records?
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Clay blendedgen
•Exactly. Pulled the Articles of Incorporation and all amendments from NJ Division of Revenue, then compared against the exact debtor names on each UCC filing. One filing had a name that was never legally registered, making it invalid.
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Ayla Kumar
•This is why I always run a comprehensive entity verification before relying on UCC search results. The databases don't always sync properly and you can miss critical details about entity status or name changes.
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Lorenzo McCormick
Update us when you get this sorted out! Dealing with NJ UCC searches myself on a deal next month and curious how you resolve the conflicting search results. Always helpful to know what works and what doesn't with their system.
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Gemma Andrews
•Will definitely post an update once I get the certified copies and sort through everything. Hoping to have clarity by end of week so we can still close on schedule.
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Carmella Popescu
•Good luck! NJ can be a pain but at least their certified copy process is relatively fast compared to some other states.
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