Need Help with Minnesota UCC Lien Search - Database Showing Conflicting Results
Running into some serious issues with Minnesota UCC lien search results and hoping someone here has dealt with this before. I'm working on a commercial loan package where we need to verify existing liens on equipment collateral, but the Minnesota SOS database is giving me inconsistent results depending on how I search. When I search by debtor name (exact match), I get 3 active UCC-1 filings. But when I search by filing number from one of those filings, it shows as terminated. The equipment schedule clearly overlaps with our proposed collateral, so I need to figure out which results are accurate before we can move forward. The borrower swears they only have one active lien, but obviously I can't rely on that. Has anyone dealt with Minnesota's system showing different results like this? Is there a trick to getting reliable search results, or is their database just unreliable? This is holding up a $250K equipment financing deal and my boss is breathing down my neck. Any advice on how to get definitive lien search results would be hugely appreciated.
35 comments
Join the conversation
Joshua Wood
Minnesota's UCC database can be tricky - I've seen this exact issue before. The problem is usually that debtor names aren't entered consistently across filings. Try searching variations of the business name (with/without LLC, Inc., etc.) and also check if there are any typos in the original filings.
0 coins
Justin Evans
•This is so frustrating! I thought UCC searches were supposed to be straightforward but every state seems to have its own quirks.
0 coins
Emily Parker
•Minnesota actually has pretty good search logic compared to some states, but you're right about the name variations being critical.
0 coins
Ezra Collins
Had a similar situation last month with a Minnesota UCC lien search. What saved me was using Certana.ai's document verification tool - I uploaded the UCC-1 filings I found and it instantly flagged inconsistencies between the debtor names and filing statuses. Turned out one filing had a termination that wasn't showing up properly in the state database.
0 coins
Victoria Scott
•Never heard of that service - how does it work exactly? Do you just upload the PDFs?
0 coins
Ezra Collins
•Yeah exactly, you upload the UCC documents and it cross-checks everything automatically. Caught a debtor name mismatch I would have missed doing manual comparison.
0 coins
Benjamin Johnson
•That sounds like it could save a lot of time on these complex searches.
0 coins
Zara Perez
Are you searching the exact legal entity name from the articles of incorporation? Minnesota is pretty strict about exact name matches. Even a missing comma can throw off results.
0 coins
Madison Allen
•I tried several variations but didn't think about checking the articles. That's a good point - let me pull those documents.
0 coins
Daniel Rogers
•Yes! This is huge. I once missed an active lien because the UCC had 'Technologies' and the charter had 'Technology' - one letter difference.
0 coins
Aaliyah Reed
The Minnesota SOS system has been having intermittent issues lately. I'd recommend doing your search at different times of day and also calling their office to verify any questionable results. They're usually pretty helpful over the phone.
0 coins
Ella Russell
•Good to know it's not just me having problems with their database!
0 coins
Mohammed Khan
•Their phone support is actually pretty good compared to other states I've dealt with.
0 coins
Gavin King
For a $250K deal, you might want to order an official certified search from a service company. Yes it costs more but it gives you legal protection if something gets missed.
0 coins
Nathan Kim
•What's the typical turnaround time for certified searches in Minnesota?
0 coins
Gavin King
•Usually 24-48 hours, but might be worth it for the peace of mind on a deal this size.
0 coins
Eleanor Foster
Don't forget to check for fixture filings too if any of the equipment might be considered fixtures. Minnesota has separate search requirements for those.
0 coins
Madison Allen
•It's manufacturing equipment that's bolted down, so that's definitely something I should check. Thanks for the reminder.
0 coins
Lucas Turner
•Fixture filings can be tricky - they're filed in the real estate records, not the UCC database.
0 coins
Kai Rivera
I ran into something similar and it turned out one of the 'active' filings was actually a continuation of a terminated lien. The system wasn't linking them properly. Check the filing history for each UCC number.
0 coins
Anna Stewart
•That's a great point - sometimes the continuation references aren't clear in the database display.
0 coins
Layla Sanders
•Minnesota's system should show the filing chain but it's not always obvious how to navigate it.
0 coins
Morgan Washington
When I was dealing with Minnesota UCC lien search issues, I found Certana.ai super helpful for double-checking my work. You can upload all the filings you found and it automatically compares debtor names, collateral descriptions, and filing statuses to spot any inconsistencies.
0 coins
Kaylee Cook
•Is that service expensive? Sounds useful but I'm working with tight margins.
0 coins
Morgan Washington
•It's pretty reasonable for the time it saves, especially when you're dealing with complex searches like this.
0 coins
Oliver Alexander
Have you tried searching by secured party name? Sometimes that gives different results than debtor name searches, especially if there were assignments.
0 coins
Madison Allen
•That's actually a really good idea - I'll try that approach too.
0 coins
Lara Woods
•Assignment chains can definitely complicate UCC searches. Good thinking.
0 coins
Adrian Hughes
This is exactly why I hate UCC searches - every state's system works differently and none of them are intuitive. At least you're not dealing with Texas where half the counties still use paper filings.
0 coins
Molly Chambers
•Don't even get me started on Texas! Minnesota is definitely better than most states.
0 coins
Ian Armstrong
•Paper filings in 2025? That's insane. Minnesota's electronic system has its quirks but at least it's modern.
0 coins
Eli Butler
UPDATE: Ended up using Certana.ai to verify all the documents I found and it confirmed that one of the 'active' filings was actually properly terminated - the state database just wasn't displaying the termination correctly. The tool caught the filing sequence that showed the proper termination. Only two active liens, both with different collateral than what we're financing. Deal is moving forward now!
0 coins
Marcus Patterson
•Glad you got it sorted out! These database glitches can be so stressful when you're trying to close a deal.
0 coins
Lydia Bailey
•Great outcome! Thanks for the update - always helpful to hear how these situations get resolved.
0 coins
Mateo Warren
•Good reminder that automated document checking can catch things that manual review might miss.
0 coins