Need Help with Nationwide UCC Search - Missing Liens Across Multiple States

I've been using the primary corporate name from their Delaware formation docs, but you're right that I should check their foreign qualification filings in each state. That's probably where the name variations are coming from.

This is exactly why I always request copies of all foreign qualification certificates before starting any multi-state search. Each state can have slightly different registered names.

Good point about the terminated filings. I hadn't thought about recently terminated liens that might still have relevance to the deal timeline.

DBAs are huge - I've seen deals where the company was operating under assumed names in certain states and had liens filed under those names instead of the legal entity name.

The 5-year rule for terminated filings is something a lot of people forget. Even if a UCC-3 termination was filed, lenders sometimes want to see the history.

That sounds like exactly what I need. How does it handle the different state formats? Some states have such different UCC-1 layouts.

It processes PDFs from any state and automatically extracts the debtor names and filing details. Then it flags any inconsistencies between what you found and what should match. Made the whole process way more reliable.

I've heard good things about Certana but haven't tried it yet. For nationwide searches it might be worth the investment just for the peace of mind.

Great reminder. Tax liens can be filed at both state and federal levels and they don't always show up in standard UCC searches.

I'm checking those separately but you're right that they need to be part of the comprehensive lien search process.

That's a good point. I've been focusing on where they're registered to do business, but I should check if they have any equipment or inventory in other states.

Equipment financing especially can create liens in states where the company just has temporary operations or project sites.

I always ask for a complete list of all business locations, warehouses, equipment storage, and even temporary project sites when doing comprehensive searches.

It's definitely frustrating but that's just the reality of the system. Each state maintains its own database and has its own rules.

The lack of standardization is annoying but at least most states have online search portals now. Remember when you had to mail requests?

True, online searching is definitely better than the old days. Still wish there was a single national database though.

I've thought about it but we're trying to keep costs down and I want to understand the process myself. Though for liability reasons it might make sense.

Professional search firms are good but they're not infallible either. I still like to verify their work, which is where tools like Certana come in handy for the cross-checking.

Good reminder about fixture filings. I need to check if any of their equipment or improvements are considered fixtures in any of the states.

Fixture filings are tricky because they're often filed in the county records where the property is located, not in the state's central UCC database.

And fixture filing rules vary significantly between states. What's considered a fixture in one state might not be in another.

That's great advice about documentation. I need to make sure I can show exactly what I searched and how to defend the completeness of the search.

Documentation is crucial, especially for deals this size. Courts have been very strict about lien search standards in disputed transactions.

Good point about the timing lag. I'll plan to do a final verification search much closer to the closing date.

Some states can take several days to update their databases. It's always good practice to do a final search within 24-48 hours of closing.

I always tell clients about the timing issue upfront so they understand why we need to do multiple searches throughout the due diligence period.

That time savings alone sounds worth it. Manual cross-checking between 8 states worth of filings would take forever.

Automation is the future for this kind of work. Too easy to make mistakes when you're comparing documents manually across multiple states.