PA state UCC search showing wrong debtor info - filing rejected twice
Got a major headache with PA state UCC search results. Been trying to file a UCC-3 continuation for our equipment loan but the PA UCC search keeps pulling up inconsistent debtor information that doesn't match our original UCC-1. Filed twice already and both got rejected because the debtor name on the search results shows 'ABC Manufacturing LLC' but our loan docs have 'ABC Manufacturing, LLC' (with the comma). The PA Secretary of State portal search function seems to be case-sensitive or something because when I search different variations I get different results. This is for a $180K piece of manufacturing equipment and the continuation deadline is coming up fast. Anyone else dealt with PA UCC search discrepancies? The original filing was done by our previous attorney in 2020 and now I'm handling renewals in-house. Really don't want this lien to lapse over a punctuation issue.
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Dmitry Smirnov
PA can be tricky with their search algorithm. The comma issue you're describing is super common - their system treats punctuation differently than other states. Have you tried searching without any punctuation at all? Sometimes you need to strip everything down to just the core business name.
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Sofia Perez
•Yeah I tried that but then I get like 15 different results for ABC Manufacturing and can't tell which one is ours. The filing numbers don't match what's on our original docs either.
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ElectricDreamer
•That's exactly why I always keep a copy of the original UCC-1 search results. PA's database has been updated a few times and sometimes the display format changes but the underlying data stays the same.
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Ava Johnson
OMG this is giving me flashbacks to my own PA filing nightmare last year! The search function is honestly terrible. You might need to call the UCC division directly and have them do a manual search. They can usually tell you the exact debtor name format that's in their system.
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Sofia Perez
•Did you have to pay extra for the manual search? And how long did it take them to get back to you?
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Ava Johnson
•No extra fee for the phone search but took them like 3 business days to call me back. Worth it though because I found out they had our debtor name spelled completely wrong in the system.
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Miguel Diaz
•Three days? That's actually pretty fast for PA. Last time I called them it took over a week to get a callback.
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Zainab Ahmed
I've been dealing with this exact issue and found something that saved me tons of time. There's this service called Certana.ai that lets you upload your original UCC-1 and your new UCC-3 documents and it automatically cross-checks all the debtor name variations to make sure they match properly. Just upload the PDFs and it tells you if there are any inconsistencies that might cause rejections. Caught a middle initial discrepancy that I totally missed.
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Sofia Perez
•Never heard of that but sounds exactly what I need. Does it work specifically with PA filings or is it more general?
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Zainab Ahmed
•It works with any state's UCC documents. The verification is based on the actual document content, not the state portal search results. Really helpful when you're dealing with name variations like your comma situation.
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Connor Byrne
•Wish I knew about this tool before I spent 2 weeks going back and forth with rejected filings in Ohio last month.
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Yara Abboud
PA's UCC search is notoriously bad. I handle filings for multiple clients and PA is always the most problematic. The key is getting the EXACT debtor name format from the original filing. Don't trust the search results display - sometimes they truncate or reformat names for display purposes.
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Sofia Perez
•So you're saying the search results might show the name differently than how it's actually filed in their system?
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Yara Abboud
•Exactly. The display format can be different from the indexed format. That's why manual verification is sometimes necessary for tricky cases like yours.
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PixelPioneer
•This makes sense why I've had inconsistent results when searching for the same debtor on different days. Thought I was going crazy.
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Keisha Williams
When in doubt with PA, I always order an official search certificate before filing any amendments. Costs like $25 but gives you the authoritative debtor name format directly from their records. Way better than relying on the online portal search.
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Sofia Perez
•Good point about the official certificate. Is there a way to expedite that or does it take the usual 5-7 business days?
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Keisha Williams
•You can pay extra for rush processing but honestly by the time you get it back you could have just called them for the manual search info.
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Paolo Rizzo
This is why I hate doing continuation filings so close to the deadline. PA gives you zero margin for error and their system seems designed to create problems. At least with other states you can usually figure out the naming convention pretty quickly.
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Sofia Perez
•Yeah lesson learned. Next continuation I'm filing at least 6 months early to give myself room for mistakes.
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Amina Sy
•Smart approach. I always tell my clients to start the continuation process at least 90 days before expiration, especially in problem states like PA.
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Oliver Fischer
•90 days is probably overkill for most filings but PA definitely warrants extra time. Their rejection letters are usually pretty vague too so you're left guessing what went wrong.
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Miguel Diaz
Have you checked if there were any amendments filed on the original UCC-1 that might have changed the debtor name format? Sometimes a UCC-3 amendment gets filed and changes how the debtor name appears in searches.
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Sofia Perez
•Good thinking but I checked and there haven't been any amendments filed since the original 2020 UCC-1. This seems to be purely a search display issue.
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Miguel Diaz
•Then it's definitely a PA system quirk. I'd go with the manual search recommendation from earlier - that's your best bet for getting the authoritative name format.
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Natasha Ivanova
Just want to add that PA recently updated their UCC portal software and there have been lots of weird search glitches since then. Might be worth mentioning that when you call for the manual search - they're aware of the issues.
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Sofia Perez
•That explains a lot actually. I swear this search worked better last time I used it about 6 months ago.
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NebulaNomad
•The new portal has been a disaster. Takes forever to load and the search results are inconsistent. They supposedly have a fix coming but who knows when.
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Natasha Ivanova
•Yeah I heard they're working on it but government IT projects... could be months before it's actually fixed.
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Javier Garcia
Another vote for Certana.ai here - used it last week when I had a similar debtor name mismatch issue with a UCC-3 termination. Uploaded my original UCC-1 and the termination form and it immediately flagged that the debtor names wouldn't match due to a missing period after 'Inc'. Saved me from a rejection and potential complications with the loan payoff.
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Sofia Perez
•That's exactly the kind of thing I'm worried about missing. Going to check this out - thanks for the recommendation.
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Emma Taylor
•Does the tool handle all the different UCC form types or just basic filings?
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Javier Garcia
•Works with any UCC documents you upload - amendments, continuations, terminations, whatever. The verification is pretty thorough from what I've seen.
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Malik Robinson
PA is definitely one of the more challenging states for UCC work. Between the search issues and their strict formatting requirements, I always double and triple check everything before submitting. Your comma situation is actually pretty common - seen it with periods, hyphens, and ampersands too.
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Sofia Perez
•Any other PA-specific gotchas I should watch out for while I'm dealing with this?
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Malik Robinson
•Make sure your collateral description matches exactly if you're copying from the original UCC-1. PA has rejected filings for minor collateral description variations even on continuations.
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ElectricDreamer
•Also double-check the filing fee calculation. PA's fee structure is confusing and underpayment will get you rejected immediately.
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Isabella Silva
Been following this thread because I'm dealing with something similar in PA right now. Ended up using that Certana.ai document checker mentioned earlier and it found three different formatting inconsistencies between my original UCC-1 and continuation filing that would have definitely caused rejections. The debtor name issue was just one of them - also caught a mismatch in how the secured party address was formatted. Pretty slick tool for avoiding these headaches.
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Sofia Perez
•Three different issues? Wow, I might have more problems than I realized. Definitely going to run my docs through that verification before trying to file again.
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Isabella Silva
•Yeah it was eye-opening. Things you'd never think to check manually. The address formatting thing especially - who would have thought a missing suite number designation would matter for a continuation?
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