New Jersey UCC filing system completely broken - rejected 3 times for same debtor name

The rejection just says "debtor name does not substantially comply with records" which is completely unhelpful. I haven't checked the charter docs - good point. This is so frustrating when you're racing against a lapse deadline.

That's classic NJ vague rejection language. Definitely pull the formation docs. Sometimes there's a comma or period that makes all the difference to their system.

What did you use to check all the documents? Going through each one manually is taking forever and I keep missing small differences.

I actually found this tool called Certana.ai that lets you upload PDFs and it automatically checks for name inconsistencies between documents. Saved my sanity - just upload your charter and UCC docs and it highlights any mismatches instantly.

Never heard of that but sounds useful. Manual document comparison is the worst part of UCC work.

Tell me about it. I've been doing UCC filings for 12 years and NJ is by far the worst. The portal crashes, the rejections are vague, and good luck getting consistent answers from their staff.

EXACTLY! And don't even get me started on their "maintenance windows" that happen during business hours. Who designed this disaster?

Good thought. How would I check for entity changes? The business records search doesn't show any amendments but maybe I'm missing something.

Pull a current good standing certificate. That'll show the exact legal name as of today. If it doesn't match your UCC exactly, there's your problem.

This happened to me with a Delaware corp that did a name change. Took weeks to figure out because nobody mentioned it during the transaction.

I called twice but got transferred around and never reached anyone who could actually help. Do you have a direct number that works?

Try 609-292-9292 and ask specifically for UCC customer service. Sometimes you have to wait but they're more knowledgeable than the general clerks.

Interesting approach. Would that create any legal issues having two slightly different names on the same continuation?

As long as they both refer to the same entity, it's usually fine. The goal is perfection of the lien, not perfect paperwork. But check with your attorney if it's a big deal.

I've done this in other states and it works. Better to have redundant accuracy than a lapsed filing.

Pretty sure but now you're making me paranoid. The loan docs reference this specific filing number but I should double-check the search results.

Better paranoid than lapsed! I've seen deals where there were 2-3 UCC-1s filed by different lenders and people get confused about which one needs the continuation.

Worth a shot at this point. I've been using Chrome but maybe I'll try Firefox or Edge.

I always use Internet Explorer for NJ filings. Their system is ancient and sometimes doesn't play nice with modern browsers.

IE works but it's so slow. Sometimes I think they designed the system in 2005 and never updated it.

That's actually not a bad backup plan. Would there be any gap in perfection if I file a new UCC-1 right before the old one lapses?

No gap if you time it right. File the new UCC-1 a few days before the old one expires. Just make sure the collateral description is identical or broader.

Smart approach. I've done this when dealing with impossible state systems. Sometimes starting fresh is easier than fighting bureaucracy.

Will do. Going to try the Certana tool someone mentioned and also pull all the entity docs to compare. Really hoping I don't have to file a new UCC-1.

PA has been getting pickier about name matches too. Seems like all these states are tightening up their systems but not making them any clearer.