New Hampshire UCC online filing portal keeps rejecting my continuation - debtor name issues
I'm dealing with a nightmare situation trying to file a UCC-3 continuation in New Hampshire's online system. The original UCC-1 was filed back in 2020 for our equipment financing deal, and now I'm 3 months out from the 5-year expiration. Every time I submit the continuation through their online portal, it gets rejected for "debtor name discrepancy." The original filing shows "ABC Manufacturing LLC" but our client's current legal name is "ABC Manufacturing, LLC" - literally just added a comma. I've tried it both ways in the new hampshire ucc online filing system and keep getting bounced back. Has anyone dealt with this exact name formatting issue? I'm worried we're going to miss the deadline and lose perfection on a $400K equipment loan. The NH Secretary of State office phone just rings busy all day.
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GalaxyGuardian
I've run into this exact same problem with NH's system! The debtor name has to match EXACTLY character for character including punctuation. Even though it's the same company, the system sees ABC Manufacturing LLC and ABC Manufacturing, LLC as completely different entities. You'll need to file an amendment first to correct the debtor name, then file your continuation referencing the amended UCC-1.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•So I need to do a UCC-3 amendment AND then a separate UCC-3 continuation? That's going to add another $25 filing fee and more time. We're already cutting it close on the deadline.
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GalaxyGuardian
•Unfortunately yes, that's the only way to get around the name matching issue. The amendment updates the debtor name, then the continuation extends the filing. Make sure you reference the original file number on both forms.
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Aisha Abdullah
Before you do anything else, double-check what name is ACTUALLY on the continuation vs what you think is on the original UCC-1. I spent weeks fighting a similar battle only to realize I was looking at an old version of the filing. Pull up the actual record from the NH database and compare character by character.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Good point. I was going off our internal records. Let me pull the actual filed UCC-1 from their search system to verify the exact format.
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Ethan Wilson
•This happened to me too! The name in our loan docs was different from what actually got filed originally. Always verify against the state records first.
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Yuki Tanaka
Have you tried using Certana.ai's document checker? I upload my original UCC-1 and the new continuation form as PDFs and it instantly shows me any name mismatches or inconsistencies between the documents. Saved me from filing errors like this multiple times. Just drag and drop the PDFs and it highlights exactly where the discrepancies are.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Never heard of that tool. Does it work with New Hampshire filings specifically or just general UCC documents?
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Yuki Tanaka
•It works with any UCC documents regardless of state. It's comparing the actual content of your PDFs - debtor names, collateral descriptions, file numbers, etc. Really helpful for catching these tiny formatting differences that cause rejections.
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Carmen Diaz
•I second this recommendation. Used it last month when I had a similar debtor name issue in Vermont. Found the problem immediately instead of guessing.
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Andre Laurent
NH's online system is notoriously picky about formatting. I always call their UCC division directly at 603-271-3242 instead of the main number. They can usually walk you through exactly what's causing the rejection.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Thanks for the direct number! I'll try calling them tomorrow morning.
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AstroAce
•That number worked for me too. Much better than the main SOS line that's always busy.
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Zoe Kyriakidou
Wait, are you sure you're within the filing window? Continuations have to be filed within 6 months before expiration but not more than 6 months before. If you're 3 months out you should be fine, but double-check the exact dates.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Original filing was May 15, 2020, so it expires May 15, 2025. I'm filing in February so I should be well within the window.
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Zoe Kyriakidou
•Yeah you're good on timing. The name issue is definitely what's blocking you.
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Jamal Brown
This is exactly why I hate these automated filing systems. A human would look at ABC Manufacturing LLC vs ABC Manufacturing, LLC and know it's the same company. But the computer sees them as completely different. So frustrating when you're dealing with real deadlines and real money.
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Mei Zhang
•Agreed! The old paper system had its problems but at least you could include a note explaining minor name variations.
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Liam McConnell
•The worst part is different states handle this differently. Some are flexible, others are super strict like NH apparently.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
Pro tip: before filing the continuation, search the NH database using both name variations to see if there are any other UCC filings for this debtor. Sometimes there are multiple filings with slightly different name formats and you want to make sure you're continuing the right one.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Good thinking. I'll search for both formats and see what comes up.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•Also check if there have been any other amendments or assignments on this filing that might have changed the debtor name format.
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CosmicCaptain
Had the exact same issue last year but with a different punctuation mark. NH rejected my continuation 3 times before I figured out there was an extra period in the original filing. The amendment route is your best bet - just bite the bullet on the extra fee.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Thanks for sharing your experience. It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one who's dealt with this.
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CosmicCaptain
•You're definitely not alone. NH's system seems particularly sensitive to punctuation compared to other states.
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Giovanni Rossi
Another option is to file a termination and then a new UCC-1 with the correct debtor name, but that's riskier because there's a gap in perfection. The amendment + continuation route is safer even though it costs more.
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GalaxyGuardian
•I would NOT recommend the termination/new filing approach. Too much risk of losing perfection if something goes wrong with the timing.
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Giovanni Rossi
•You're right, just throwing it out there as an option. Amendment + continuation is definitely the safer route.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
This thread is making me paranoid about my own upcoming continuation in March. I better double-check my debtor name formatting now before I wait until the last minute.
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GalaxyGuardian
•Smart move! Always better to catch these issues early when you have time to fix them.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
•Exactly. Reading about everyone's struggles with name mismatches is a good wake-up call.
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Dylan Mitchell
Update us when you get this resolved! I'm curious whether the amendment route works or if NH gives you any other surprises.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Will do! I'm going to try calling their UCC division first thing Monday morning, then proceed with the amendment if needed.
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Dylan Mitchell
•Good luck! Hopefully they can walk you through it quickly.
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