Need UCC report urgently - debtor name showing inconsistencies across filings
Running into a major issue with a UCC report I need to compile for our audit next week. The problem is that our debtor entity has gone through multiple name changes over the past 18 months, and now I'm seeing inconsistencies when I pull the filing history. Some UCC-1s show the old corporate name, while newer continuations reference the current legal name. The auditors are going to want a clean report showing the complete lien chain, but right now it looks like we have gaps because the names don't match up perfectly. Has anyone dealt with this kind of situation before? I'm worried about missing active liens or having the auditors question the validity of our security interests. The entity started as 'Midwest Manufacturing LLC' then became 'Midwest Manufacturing Solutions LLC' and now operates as 'MMS Holdings LLC'. Each name change should have triggered UCC-3 amendments but I'm not seeing all the expected filings when I search each variation.
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Vera Visnjic
Oh wow, this is exactly what happened to us last year! The name change issue is super common and can definitely mess up your UCC report. You'll need to search under ALL the name variations, not just the current one. The SOS database doesn't always cross-reference automatically. Also check if there were any mergers or acquisitions involved - those can create additional filing requirements that might not be obvious.
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Jake Sinclair
•This is so frustrating! Why can't the filing systems just link these automatically? We had the same issue with a borrower who changed names three times.
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Mason Lopez
•Thanks for the heads up about searching all variations. I did find some additional UCC-3 filings under the middle name that I missed initially. Still trying to piece together the complete timeline though.
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Brielle Johnson
You're going to want to run a comprehensive search using each exact legal name variation. The key is making sure you capture every UCC-1, UCC-3 amendment, and any continuations. For your audit, create a chronological table showing: filing date, filing type, debtor name as it appears on that specific filing, and the filing number. This gives auditors a clear chain of custody for the security interests.
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Honorah King
•Great advice on the chronological table. We use a similar format and it really helps when auditors are reviewing our UCC portfolio. Make sure to include the secured party name changes too if applicable.
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Mason Lopez
•The chronological table idea is perfect! That's exactly what I need to show the auditors. Working on compiling all the filing numbers now.
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Oliver Brown
Been there! This is actually where I discovered Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload all your UCC documents as PDFs and it automatically cross-checks the debtor names, filing numbers, and dates to catch any inconsistencies. It really helped me identify missing amendments that I would have overlooked just doing manual searches. Super helpful for creating a complete UCC report when you're dealing with multiple name variations.
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Mary Bates
•Wait, this sounds too good to be true. Does it actually work with different name variations? How does it handle partial matches?
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Oliver Brown
•It flags potential matches and inconsistencies so you can review them. Saved me probably 6 hours of manual document comparison when I was preparing for our compliance review.
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Mason Lopez
•This could be exactly what I need! Going to check it out - anything that can help catch missing filings would be huge right now.
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Clay blendedgen
The trick with UCC reports is understanding that the filing system treats each name as completely separate. Even if 'Midwest Manufacturing LLC' and 'Midwest Manufacturing Solutions LLC' are obviously the same entity to us, the database sees them as different debtors. You need to manually connect the dots. Also, don't forget to check for any UCC-5 corrections that might have been filed to fix name discrepancies.
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Ayla Kumar
•UCC-5 corrections are often overlooked! Good catch. We've seen situations where the original filing had a typo and the correction wasn't properly linked in the system.
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Mason Lopez
•I didn't even think about UCC-5 corrections. Let me add that to my search criteria. This is getting complicated but at least I'm getting a complete picture now.
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Lorenzo McCormick
For audit purposes, you'll also want to verify that all the name changes were properly documented with the Secretary of State. Sometimes companies change their operating names without filing the proper amendments with the state, which can create issues with UCC filings. The auditors will want to see that the name changes were legitimate and properly recorded.
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Carmella Popescu
•Absolutely! We always request copies of the Articles of Amendment or Certificate of Name Change when we're dealing with these situations. It's extra documentation but it shows due diligence.
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Mason Lopez
•Good point about the state documentation. I'll need to gather those certificates to include with my UCC report. Better to have too much documentation than not enough for the auditors.
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Kai Santiago
Just went through this exact scenario last month. The thing that saved me was creating a master spreadsheet with columns for: Original Filing Number, Current Status, Debtor Name (as filed), Debtor Name (current), Filing Type, Expiration Date, and Notes. It took forever to compile but the auditors loved having everything laid out clearly. Also helped us identify two continuations that were about to lapse.
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Mason Lopez
•That spreadsheet format sounds perfect! I'm definitely going to use that structure. Were you able to catch any other issues besides the name changes?
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Kai Santiago
•We found three filings where the collateral descriptions didn't match up properly between the original UCC-1 and subsequent amendments. Having everything in one place made it much easier to spot the discrepancies.
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Lim Wong
This is why I hate name changes! The filing system is such a mess. We had a borrower change names four times in two years and it was a nightmare to track everything. Half the time the UCC-3 amendments weren't filed properly or were filed late. The whole system needs an overhaul.
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Dananyl Lear
•I feel your pain! It's like the system was designed to make simple things complicated. At least we're not still dealing with paper filings though.
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Vera Visnjic
•The electronic filing system is definitely better than paper, but it still has so many quirks. The search functionality especially needs work.
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Oliver Brown
Update on the Certana.ai tool I mentioned earlier - I just used it again this week for a similar situation. You literally just upload your UCC documents and it creates a verification report showing any name mismatches, missing amendments, or filing number inconsistencies. Made my UCC report prep so much easier. Definitely worth checking out if you're dealing with complex filing histories.
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Mary Bates
•Okay, I'm convinced. Going to try it out. Does it work with batch uploads or do you have to do them one at a time?
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Oliver Brown
•You can do batch uploads. I did about 20 documents at once and it processed them all together. The report shows everything cross-referenced which is exactly what you need for audit documentation.
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Honorah King
One more thing to consider - if this entity has any fixture filings, those might be filed under different name variations too. Fixture filings often get overlooked in UCC reports but they're just as important for a complete security interest picture. Check the real estate records as well as the UCC database.
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Mason Lopez
•Oh no, I hadn't even thought about fixture filings! This entity does have some equipment that could be considered fixtures. Adding that to my search list now.
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Brielle Johnson
•Fixture filings are tricky because they're often filed in a different office than regular UCCs. Make sure you're checking the right jurisdiction.
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Jake Sinclair
This thread is so helpful! I'm bookmarking it because I know I'll need this information eventually. The name change issue seems to come up constantly in our industry. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences and solutions.
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Carmella Popescu
•Same here! These types of detailed discussions are exactly why I love this forum. Real solutions from people who've actually dealt with these problems.
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Mason Lopez
•Thanks everyone! I feel much more confident about tackling this UCC report now. Going to start with the chronological table approach and see how the Certana.ai tool works for verification.
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