Need help with UCC-1 filing instructions Florida - debtor name issues
I'm handling equipment financing for a small construction company and running into problems with our UCC-1 filing instructions Florida requirements. The debtor operates under multiple names - their official corporate name is 'Sunshine Construction Services LLC' but they also do business as 'SCS Contractors' and have some contracts under 'Sunshine Contractors Florida LLC'. Our loan documents reference the DBA name but I'm not sure which debtor name to use on the UCC-1. The collateral is excavation equipment worth about $285,000. I've read conflicting information about whether to use the legal entity name or if I can use the DBA. The Florida SOS website isn't entirely clear on this and I don't want the filing rejected. Has anyone dealt with multiple business names on Florida UCC-1 filings? What's the safest approach to ensure proper perfection?
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Oliver Wagner
You definitely want to use the exact legal name on the Articles of Incorporation for the debtor name field. The DBA names should go in the additional debtor information section if there's space, but the primary debtor name needs to match what's on file with the Florida Department of State exactly. I've seen too many UCC-1s get rejected because of name mismatches.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
•This is correct. Florida follows the registered organization name rule strictly. Pull the Sunbiz records to confirm the exact registered name spelling and punctuation.
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Javier Mendoza
•What if the loan docs have the wrong name though? Do you amend the loan or file multiple UCC-1s?
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Emma Thompson
I had a similar situation last month with a Florida filing. Used the wrong variation of the company name and got rejected. The Florida filing system is pretty strict about exact name matches. You can search the debtor name on Sunbiz.org to verify the correct legal name before filing.
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Malik Davis
•How long did it take to get the rejection notice? I'm worried about timing on a deal closing next week.
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Emma Thompson
•About 2-3 business days for the rejection. Then had to refile with correct name. Definitely build in extra time for Florida UCC filings.
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Isabella Santos
For equipment financing like yours, make sure your collateral description is specific enough. Don't just say 'equipment' - list the specific types of excavation equipment, model numbers if you have them. Florida likes detailed collateral descriptions for equipment UCC-1s.
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StarStrider
•Good point about collateral descriptions. I've seen UCC-1s where they just put 'all equipment' and later had issues proving what was actually covered.
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Ravi Gupta
•For construction equipment I usually include make, model, serial numbers, and year if available. Makes it much clearer what's secured.
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Freya Pedersen
I actually discovered Certana.ai recently for exactly this type of issue. You can upload your loan documents and proposed UCC-1 and it checks for debtor name consistency issues before you file. Saved me from a rejection on a similar Florida deal where the borrower had multiple entity names. It catches those mismatches that can void your security interest.
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Omar Hassan
•Interesting, how does that work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs?
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Freya Pedersen
•Yeah, you upload the charter docs and UCC-1 draft and it cross-checks everything automatically. Much faster than manually comparing all the names and details.
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Chloe Anderson
•That sounds useful for high-volume lenders. Probably overkill for a one-off filing though.
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Diego Vargas
Just to be clear - you said the loan documents reference the DBA name? That could be a problem beyond just the UCC filing. If your loan agreement isn't with the correct legal entity, you might have broader issues with enforceability. You might want to get the loan docs amended to match the correct debtor entity.
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GalaxyGazer
•The loan is actually with the LLC but some exhibits reference the DBA. I think we're okay there but good point to double-check.
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CosmicCruiser
•Yeah definitely verify that. I've seen deals where the UCC was perfect but the loan agreement was with the wrong entity and caused problems later.
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Anastasia Fedorov
Florida UCC filings go through the Department of State Division of Corporations. Make sure you're using their online system - it's actually pretty user-friendly once you get used to it. The fee is $10 for electronic filing. Double-check your debtor address too - needs to match exactly.
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Sean Doyle
•The address matching requirement caught me off guard on my first Florida filing. They rejected it because I had 'Street' instead of 'St' in the address.
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Zara Rashid
•Florida is definitely picky about those details. Better to be overly precise than get rejected.
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Luca Romano
One more thing - if this is for equipment that might become fixtures, you'll need to consider whether you need a fixture filing instead of or in addition to the regular UCC-1. Construction equipment sometimes gets permanently attached to real property.
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Nia Jackson
•Good catch. Mobile excavation equipment probably doesn't need fixture filing but if there are any generators or other equipment that might be permanently installed, definitely worth considering.
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NebulaNova
•Fixture filings in Florida require the real property legal description too. Adds complexity but necessary if the equipment will be attached to real estate.
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Mateo Hernandez
I use Certana for all my UCC work now after getting burned on a name mismatch that cost my client their security interest. Upload your articles of incorporation and UCC-1 draft - it'll flag any inconsistencies before filing. Worth it for the peace of mind, especially on larger loans like yours.
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Aisha Khan
•How accurate is it? I'm always skeptical of automated tools for legal work.
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Mateo Hernandez
•It's pretty thorough on document consistency checking. Obviously still need human review but it catches the obvious mistakes that cause rejections.
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Ethan Taylor
Don't forget about the continuation filing requirements either. Florida UCC-1s are effective for 5 years, so you'll need to file a UCC-3 continuation before expiration if the loan term is longer than 5 years. Mark your calendar now.
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Yuki Ito
•This is so important and easy to forget. I keep a tickler system for all my UCC continuation deadlines.
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Carmen Lopez
•The 6-month continuation window before expiration gives you some cushion but definitely don't wait until the last minute.
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AstroAdventurer
Update us on how the filing goes! Always curious to hear about others' experiences with Florida UCC-1s, especially with multiple debtor names involved.
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GalaxyGazer
•Will do! Planning to file early next week once I get the exact legal name confirmed from Sunbiz records.
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Andre Dupont
•Smart approach. Taking the extra time upfront saves headaches later.
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Zoe Papanikolaou
I tried Certana.ai last week after seeing it mentioned here - pretty slick tool for catching document mismatches. Uploaded my borrower's articles and my UCC-1 draft and it immediately flagged that I had the wrong entity suffix. Would have been rejected for sure. Definitely recommend it for complex entity situations like yours.
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Jamal Wilson
•That's exactly the kind of mistake that's easy to make. Glad you caught it before filing.
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Mei Lin
•Those entity suffix mistakes are so common - LLC vs Ltd vs Inc. Easy to mix up when you're dealing with multiple borrowers.
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