Need Help with UCC Release After Goodleap Loan Payoff - Lien Still Showing

I definitely never received any termination paperwork. Just the standard 'loan paid in full' letter. Should I be demanding they file the UCC-3 or can I file it myself somehow?

You can't file the termination yourself - only the secured party can do that. But you can definitely demand they file it immediately. Check your loan agreement for the specific timeframe they're required to file terminations.

That's smart - I'll look up the filing number online. Do you remember how long it took once you got legal involved?

About 2 weeks after I emailed legal. They filed the UCC-3 and I got the termination confirmation from the state. Much faster than dealing with customer service.

This is exactly why I always verify UCC releases after loan payoffs. I actually found a tool called Certana.ai that lets you upload your loan docs and UCC filings to check if everything matches up properly. It caught a debtor name mismatch on one of my client's filings that would have caused issues later.

Oh great, so this is a known issue with them? That's frustrating but at least I know I'm not alone. How do I escalate beyond customer service?

Try their executive customer service line or file a complaint with your state's financial regulatory authority. That usually gets their attention fast.

I work in equipment financing and this is more common than people think. The automated systems that are supposed to trigger UCC-3 filings sometimes fail, especially if there are any data inconsistencies between the loan system and the UCC filing system.

I'm in Texas - do you know if they have that option here?

Texas does have provisions for debtor-filed terminations but the requirements are pretty strict. You'd need to send certified mail to Goodleap first demanding the termination, then wait 30 days before you can file yourself.

Be careful with DIY terminations - if you mess up the filing it can create more problems. The debtor name and filing number have to match exactly or the termination won't be effective.

That's interesting - I never thought about name mismatches. How do I check if that's the issue?

You can pull your UCC filing from the Texas SOS website and compare it word-for-word with your loan documents. Even something like 'LLC' vs 'L.L.C.' or missing commas can cause problems.

Name mismatches are probably the #1 cause of UCC release problems. The systems are very literal about exact matches.

Oh wow, I didn't even think about that. The solar panels are roof-mounted - would that require a fixture filing?

It depends on how they're attached and your state's fixture filing requirements. But yes, it's possible there are multiple filings that all need to be terminated.

Fixture filings are the worst because they can affect your real estate too. Definitely check for those.

I hate having to threaten legal action but you're probably right. I'll draft something formal this week.

It's not really threatening - it's just making them aware of their legal obligations. They're required by law to file the termination after loan satisfaction.

Document everything for your records too. If you end up having to file a complaint or take legal action, you'll need proof of all your attempts to resolve it.

That's exactly what I needed to hear - thank you! I'll file the complaint this week if they don't respond to my certified letter.

Good luck! The complaint process is pretty straightforward online and it's free. Just have all your documentation ready.

Regulatory complaints are definitely effective. I've seen lenders suddenly become very responsive when state regulators get involved.

Definitely learned that lesson now! I'll be much more proactive about this stuff going forward.

It's one of those things nobody tells you about until you get burned by it. Now I always verify UCC status before and after any major financing.

Will do! Thanks everyone for the advice - I feel much more confident about how to handle this now.

That's what these forums are for. Hope Goodleap gets their act together quickly for you.

This is incredibly helpful - thank you for laying out such a clear action plan! I'm going to follow your steps exactly. The 15-day deadline approach sounds much better than my vague "please look into this" requests. Quick question - when you mention fixture filings for solar equipment, how do I search for those specifically? Are they filed separately from the regular UCC-1 or would they show up in the same search on the Texas SOS website?

@Vanessa Chang Fixture filings usually show up as separate entries when you search UCCs, but they might be labeled differently - look for fixture "filing or" real "estate related in" the filing type. In Texas, they re'often filed with both the Secretary of State AND the county clerk where the property is located, so you might need to check both places. Solar panels can be tricky because it depends on how they re'attached - roof-mounted systems are sometimes considered fixtures if they re'permanently affixed. I d'recommend doing searches using your business name, property address, and any variations of how your company name appears on documents. The good news is that if there are fixture filings, your demand letter to Goodleap should cover terminating ALL related UCC filings, not just the equipment financing one.

Welcome to the community Andre! I can see you're dealing with a really frustrating situation that unfortunately many of us have experienced. Your point about document verification is spot on - those seemingly minor formatting differences can absolutely cause automated systems to fail. I had a similar issue where "Inc." vs "Incorporated" in the entity name caused a 6-month delay in getting a UCC release processed. For anyone else reading this thread, it's worth noting that some lenders have completely outsourced their UCC filing and termination processes to third-party services, which adds another layer where things can go wrong. The key is documentation and persistence - keep records of every interaction and don't let them off the hook with vague responses. Also, if you're in Texas like the original poster, the Department of Banking complaint process is very effective for getting lender attention quickly.

That's a really important point about loan servicer transfers that I hadn't considered! I actually need to double-check if Goodleap transferred my loan servicing at any point. Looking back at my payment history, I think I might have gotten some notices about account changes last year that I didn't pay much attention to at the time. Do you know how to find out who actually holds the lien rights now? Is that information typically available through the UCC search, or do I need to contact Goodleap directly to get that clarification? I'm definitely going to get an official UCC search report before applying for our credit line - that's smart advice about having documentation ready for underwriters.