Need help with UCC lookup PA - debtor name variations causing search issues
Having a nightmare trying to do proper UCC lookup PA searches for a client acquisition. We're acquiring a manufacturing company and need to verify all existing liens before closing. The problem is the target company has operated under several name variations over the years - sometimes 'ABC Manufacturing Inc' sometimes 'ABC Manufacturing Incorporated' and even 'ABC Mfg Inc' on some older docs. When I search the Pennsylvania UCC database, I'm getting different results depending on which name variation I use. Some searches show 3 active filings, others show 5, and one variation showed 7 results. This is making it impossible to get a complete picture of what liens are actually out there. The closing is in two weeks and our lender is demanding a comprehensive lien search report. Has anyone dealt with similar debtor name variation issues when doing UCC searches in PA? How do you ensure you're catching everything without missing filings that might use slightly different business name formats?
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Mei Wong
This is exactly why PA UCC searches can be so tricky. The system is pretty literal about name matching. You need to search every possible variation of the company name that might appear on filings. I usually start with the exact legal name from the articles of incorporation, then try common abbreviations like 'Inc' vs 'Incorporated', 'Corp' vs 'Corporation', 'LLC' vs 'Limited Liability Company'. Also check if they ever filed DBAs or trade names.
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Jamal Anderson
•Good point about the articles of incorporation. I pulled those but the company has amended their name twice since formation. Should I be searching under the historical names too?
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Mei Wong
•Absolutely yes. Lenders could have filed under any name the company was using at the time of the original loan. Historical names are crucial for comprehensive searches.
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QuantumQuasar
PA's UCC search system doesn't have great fuzzy matching like some other states. You really have to be methodical. Try searching with and without punctuation too - commas, periods, ampersands vs 'and'. I've seen filings where the same company appears as 'Smith & Jones Inc' and 'Smith and Jones Inc.' Both are technically correct but yield different search results.
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Jamal Anderson
•Ugh that's what I was afraid of. So basically I need to try every conceivable variation manually?
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QuantumQuasar
•Pretty much, unless you have access to professional search tools. The free PA UCC portal is limited but that's what most of us work with.
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Liam McGuire
•Actually, I found a tool that helps with this exact problem. Certana.ai has a UCC verification feature where you can upload multiple documents and it cross-checks debtor names across all variations. It caught name inconsistencies I completely missed doing manual searches.
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Amara Eze
Don't forget about middle initials and suffix variations too! I once missed a filing because the original UCC-1 listed 'John A Smith' but I was searching for 'John Smith'. The lender used the middle initial from the loan docs even though the borrower commonly went by the shorter version.
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Jamal Anderson
•This is getting overwhelming. Are there any shortcuts or do I literally have to think of every possible way someone might have typed this company's name?
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Amara Eze
•Unfortunately it's pretty manual in PA. Some commercial search services exist but they're expensive. The thoroughness is worth it though - missing a lien could kill your deal.
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Giovanni Greco
Here's a systematic approach that works for me: 1) Start with exact corporate name from current filing status 2) Remove all punctuation and search again 3) Try common abbreviations 4) Search historical names from corporate records 5) Check if company ever used trade names or DBAs 6) Look for typos in the original filings (yes, clerks make mistakes). Document every search variation you tried.
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Jamal Anderson
•This is super helpful. How do you document all the variations for the lender? Do you just list every search term you used?
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Giovanni Greco
•I create a search log showing each variation attempted and results found. Lenders appreciate the thoroughness and it covers you if questions come up later.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•Smart approach. I do something similar but also screenshot the 'no records found' results for variations that came up empty. Proves due diligence.
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Dylan Wright
PA UCC database search is honestly terrible compared to other states. The interface is clunky and the name matching is too rigid. I've complained to the Secretary of State office multiple times but nothing changes. You're basically forced to do detective work for what should be a simple database query.
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Sofia Torres
•Totally agree. Other states have much better search functionality. PA seems stuck in the 90s with their system.
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Dylan Wright
•Right? And god forbid you need to search on a Friday afternoon when half the system seems to be down for 'maintenance'.
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Liam McGuire
Since you're under time pressure, I'd seriously consider using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your corporate docs and any UCC filings you've found, and it automatically flags name inconsistencies and potential missing variations. I was skeptical at first but it saved me hours of manual cross-checking on a similar acquisition deal. The automated name variation detection caught things I never would have thought to search for.
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Jamal Anderson
•How does it work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs of the filings?
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Liam McGuire
•Yeah, super simple. Upload your corporate charter documents and any UCC filings you've located. It runs comparisons and highlights discrepancies. Much faster than manual verification and catches subtle variations you might miss.
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GalacticGuardian
•Interesting. Does it integrate with the PA UCC database directly or is it just for document comparison?
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Liam McGuire
•It's primarily for document verification and name consistency checking. Still need to do the actual searches yourself, but it helps ensure you're not missing obvious variations.
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Dmitry Smirnov
One trick I learned from a commercial lender - check the company's bank loan documents and credit agreements. Lenders often copy the exact debtor name format from loan docs onto the UCC-1 filing. If you can get copies of existing loan agreements, that shows you exactly how other lenders have been listing the company name on their filings.
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Jamal Anderson
•That's brilliant! I do have access to some of their existing loan docs through the due diligence process.
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Dmitry Smirnov
•Perfect. Look at how the borrower name appears in the signature blocks and definitions section - that's usually what ends up on the UCC filing.
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Ava Rodriguez
Also don't forget about successor liability issues. If the company acquired other businesses or merged with anyone, there could be UCC filings under the predecessor entity names that still encumber the current company's assets. PA doesn't automatically update filings when companies change names or merge.
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Jamal Anderson
•Oh wow, I hadn't even thought about that. How do I find out about previous acquisitions or mergers?
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Ava Rodriguez
•Check the corporate history with PA Department of State. Look for merger documents, name changes, or dissolution/revival filings. Also ask the company directly - they should know their own corporate history.
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Miguel Diaz
•This is getting really complex. Maybe just hire a professional UCC search company? Might be worth the cost for a major acquisition.
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Zainab Ahmed
Quick tip - PA allows wildcard searches using asterisks in some cases. Try searching 'ABC*' which might catch 'ABC Manufacturing', 'ABC Mfg', 'ABC Corp' etc. Not perfect but can help identify variations you missed.
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Jamal Anderson
•Wait really? I didn't know PA supported wildcard searches. That could save me tons of time!
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Zainab Ahmed
•Yeah but it's not well documented. Sometimes works, sometimes doesn't. Worth trying though - just don't rely on it as your only search method.
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Connor Gallagher
For what it's worth, I just went through this exact scenario last month with a PA company acquisition. Ended up finding 2 additional UCC filings I had missed on my initial searches because the lender had abbreviated 'Manufacturing' as 'Mfg' on one filing and 'Manuf' on another. The lesson is you really can't be too thorough with name variations. Better to over-search than miss something critical.
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Jamal Anderson
•That's exactly what I'm worried about. Did you end up using any tools to help with the verification process?
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Connor Gallagher
•I actually used Certana.ai after finding those missed filings. Uploaded all the docs I had found and it flagged a few more potential name conflicts I should search for. Wish I had used it from the beginning - would have saved me from having to explain to the client why my 'comprehensive' search missed two liens.
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