Need help to register UCC filing - debtor name keeps getting rejected
I'm trying to register UCC filing for our equipment loan but the state keeps rejecting it for debtor name issues. We've submitted the UCC-1 three times now and each time it comes back with "debtor name does not match exactly." The borrower's legal name on their articles of incorporation is "Midwest Manufacturing Solutions, LLC" but I'm not sure if I should include the comma or not. The loan documents sometimes show it with and sometimes without. Has anyone dealt with this exact name formatting issue when trying to register UCC filings? I'm worried we're going to miss our perfection window if this keeps getting bounced back. The collateral is manufacturing equipment worth about $180K so we really can't afford to mess this up.
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Luca Russo
UCC debtor names are super picky about exact matches. You need to pull the exact legal name from the Secretary of State records where the LLC was formed. Don't guess - go to their business entity search and copy it character for character including punctuation.
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Zara Mirza
•Thanks, I'll check the SOS database. Should I be looking at the current active status or the original filing date name?
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Luca Russo
•Current active status - if they've amended their name since formation, you want whatever shows as the current legal name on file.
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Nia Harris
Been there! The comma thing trips up so many people. I've seen filings rejected for missing a single comma or having an extra space. What state are you filing in? Some states are more forgiving than others but most are pretty strict about exact matches.
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Zara Mirza
•Filing in Ohio. From what I've read they're pretty strict about name matching.
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Nia Harris
•Ohio is definitely strict. Make sure you're also checking if there are any trade names or DBAs that might complicate things.
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GalaxyGazer
I had this exact problem last month and found Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your articles of incorporation and your draft UCC-1 and it instantly checks if the debtor names match exactly. Saved me from another rejection - caught that I had missed a period after 'Inc' that would have caused problems.
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Zara Mirza
•That sounds really helpful. Does it work with LLC names too or just corporations?
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GalaxyGazer
•Works with any entity type. Just upload the formation documents and your UCC filing PDFs and it cross-checks everything automatically.
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Mateo Sanchez
•How accurate is it? I'm always nervous about automated tools for legal documents.
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GalaxyGazer
•It's been spot-on for me. Much better than trying to manually compare documents and missing small details.
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Aisha Mahmood
This is why I HATE the UCC system. Why can't they just accept reasonable variations of names? A missing comma shouldn't invalidate a filing when it's obviously the same company. The whole system is designed to create gotcha moments.
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Ethan Moore
•I get the frustration but there's a good reason for the strict matching. It prevents confusion when there are similar company names and protects the integrity of the search system.
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Aisha Mahmood
•I suppose, but it sure makes life difficult for the rest of us who just want to perfect our security interests without jumping through hoops.
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Yuki Kobayashi
Check your loan agreement too. Sometimes the way the debtor name is written in the loan docs doesn't match their actual legal name. I've seen this happen when someone uses a shortened version in contracts but the UCC needs the full legal name.
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Zara Mirza
•Good point. Our loan docs have some inconsistency which is probably where the confusion started.
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Yuki Kobayashi
•Yeah, always go back to the source - the state formation documents. That's your gold standard for UCC filings.
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Carmen Vega
Pro tip: if you're still not sure after checking the SOS records, call the filing office and ask them to verify the exact name formatting before you submit again. Most states will do a preliminary check over the phone.
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Zara Mirza
•Didn't know they'd do that! That could save me another rejection.
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Carmen Vega
•Not all states advertise it but most will help if you ask nicely. Better to spend 10 minutes on the phone than deal with another rejection.
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QuantumQuester
•Some states even have online name verification tools now. Worth checking their website before calling.
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Andre Moreau
Had similar issues with punctuation marks in company names. What I learned is that you need to match EXACTLY what's in the state database - not what's on business cards or letterhead or even what's in your loan documents. The UCC system is very literal.
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Zara Mirza
•That's what I'm starting to realize. Going to pull the official records today and start fresh.
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Andre Moreau
•Smart move. And keep a copy of the SOS search results with your filing for documentation.
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Zoe Stavros
Quick question - are you sure you're filing against the right entity? Sometimes companies have parent companies or subsidiaries and you need to make sure you're filing against whoever actually owns the collateral.
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Zara Mirza
•Pretty sure it's the right entity but that's worth double-checking. The equipment is titled to Midwest Manufacturing Solutions.
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Zoe Stavros
•Good. Just wanted to make sure since I've seen people file against the wrong entity entirely and not realize until later.
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Nia Harris
•That's a nightmare scenario. Always verify the debtor is the actual owner of the collateral.
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Jamal Harris
Another option is to use one of those document checking services. I tried Certana.ai recently and it caught a mismatch between my UCC-1 and the corporate charter that I never would have noticed. Prevents the rejection before it happens.
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Zara Mirza
•Second mention of Certana - might be worth trying. How does it work exactly?
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Jamal Harris
•Just upload your documents as PDFs and it automatically compares debtor names, filing numbers, dates, everything. Takes like 30 seconds.
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Mei Chen
Update us when you get it sorted out! I'm curious to know what the exact issue was with the name formatting.
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Zara Mirza
•Will do! Hoping to get this resolved by end of week.
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Mei Chen
•Fingers crossed. Name issues are so frustrating but usually easy to fix once you know exactly what's wrong.
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Liam Sullivan
Just remember you need to refile the UCC-1 entirely, not just submit a correction. Some people think they can just send in the corrected name but you need a whole new filing.
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Zara Mirza
•Good to know. I was wondering about that.
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Liam Sullivan
•Yeah, UCC-3 amendments are for changes after acceptance. Rejections require completely new UCC-1 filings.
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Luca Russo
•Exactly right. Don't confuse a rejection with an accepted filing that needs amendment later.
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