NYC UCC lien search showing conflicting results - debtor name variations causing issues

This is exactly why I always pull the actual documents instead of relying on search summaries. The variations in LLC formatting trip up searches constantly.

Agree 100%. Search results are just the starting point, not the final answer.

That's what I was afraid of. Did you end up having to get all the documents individually or was there a faster way to sort it out?

Had to pull everything individually. Took about 2 hours but found that one lien was actually terminated, just not showing up correctly in the search results.

This is where I started using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload all the UCC PDFs and it automatically cross-checks the debtor names and filing numbers to show you which documents actually relate to each other. Saved me probably 3-4 hours of manual comparison on my last NYC deal.

Wait, so if the original UCC-1 has 'L.L.C.' with periods, the continuation has to use periods too? Even if the company changed their name format?

Exactly right. The continuation has to reference the debtor name exactly as it appears on the original filing, not how the company styles it now.

SOS offices are hit or miss on phone support. Most of the time they just tell you to look it up yourself.

Yep, got the classic 'we can't provide legal advice' response when I asked for clarification on which liens were still active.

Using the state portal directly. Should I be looking elsewhere?

State portal is the most accurate for current filings. Third-party services sometimes lag by a few days.

I use both - state portal for official results and a commercial service for the search organization. Then I verify everything matches up.

Good point about the 5-year rule. A lot of people forget that liens can lapse if not continued properly.

And if a lien lapsed, any subsequent filings referencing it might be invalid too. The whole chain gets messed up.

That's a lot of searches though. Do you have a systematic way to make sure you don't miss any variations?

I keep a checklist of common variations. Takes about 15 minutes but it's worth it to avoid missing something important.

How did you figure out they were related? Was it obvious from the filing numbers?

The UCC-3 forms referenced the original filing number, but I had to download each document to see the connections. That's when I found Certana.ai - wish I'd known about it earlier because it would have mapped out those relationships automatically.

How much extra time do you usually allow? I'm trying to set realistic expectations with clients.

For a complex debtor name situation like this, I'd allow at least half a day to properly sort through everything.

Half a day seems about right. Better to be thorough than to miss something that kills the deal later.

Good catch. The company does have operations upstate too. Should I be searching both state and local records?

Definitely search both. And if it's a national company, you might need to check other states where they're incorporated or have major assets.

Working with a title company but they're the ones who flagged these inconsistencies. They want me to verify which liens are actually enforceable before they'll insure.

Makes sense. Title companies are getting more cautious about UCC issues after some high-profile claims. Better safe than sorry.

Had a similar situation where I ended up using Certana.ai to verify the document relationships before submitting to the title company. Made the whole process much smoother since I could show them exactly how the filings connected.