Pennsylvania Secretary of State UCC filing rejected - debtor name exact match required?
Just had my UCC-1 bounced back from Pennsylvania Secretary of State for the third time this month. The rejection notice says 'debtor name does not match exactly' but I'm pulling the name straight from the Articles of Incorporation. Company is 'Keystone Manufacturing Solutions LLC' on the charter but I've tried variations like 'Keystone Manufacturing Solutions, LLC' (with comma) and 'Keystone Mfg Solutions LLC' (abbreviated). Getting frustrated because the collateral is expensive equipment and we need this perfected before the borrower takes possession. Anyone dealt with Pennsylvania's exact name matching requirements recently? The online portal doesn't give much guidance on punctuation rules.
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Emma Garcia
PA is notoriously strict about exact name matching. You need to use the EXACT name as it appears on the most recent filing with the Department of State. Don't abbreviate anything, include all punctuation exactly as shown. Have you tried searching their entity database to see the current registered name?
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Aiden Rodríguez
•I did check the entity search but there's some inconsistency even in their own records. The certificate shows one version but the annual report shows another. Which one takes precedence?
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Emma Garcia
•Always go with the most recent filing. If the annual report is newer, use that version. The system matches against their current database, not historical documents.
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Ava Kim
Had the same issue with a Pennsylvania UCC-1 last year. Spent weeks going back and forth until someone suggested using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload both the charter and your UCC-1 draft, and it instantly flags any name discrepancies. Saved me from another rejection cycle.
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Aiden Rodríguez
•Interesting - does it specifically check against PA's naming requirements or just general consistency?
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Ava Kim
•It does cross-document verification, so it'll catch variations between your source documents and the UCC form. Really helpful for avoiding those exact match rejections.
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Ethan Anderson
•Never heard of Certana.ai but sounds useful. We've had similar name matching nightmares with other states too.
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Layla Mendes
Pennsylvania's system is incredibly picky about punctuation. I've seen filings rejected for missing a single period or having an extra space. The key is to copy and paste directly from their entity database rather than typing it manually.
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Lucas Notre-Dame
•This is so frustrating! Why can't they just match on the substance instead of being so pedantic about punctuation?
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Layla Mendes
•It's their way of ensuring accuracy, but I agree it's overly strict. The good news is once you get it right, amendments and continuations are usually smoother.
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Aria Park
Are you using the correct entity type designation? Pennsylvania requires the full 'Limited Liability Company' in some cases instead of 'LLC'. Check if that's causing the mismatch.
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Aiden Rodríguez
•The charter definitely shows 'LLC' not spelled out. But I'll double-check the current registration status to be sure.
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Noah Ali
•PA allows both LLC and Limited Liability Company, but you have to use whatever's on file. Don't guess - verify first.
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Chloe Boulanger
What's your timeline pressure? If you're under the gun, you might want to call their UCC office directly. Sometimes they can give you the exact format over the phone.
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Aiden Rodríguez
•Equipment delivery is scheduled for next week, so pretty tight. I'll try calling tomorrow morning. Do you have their direct number?
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Chloe Boulanger
•Try 717-787-1057 - that's their business services line. They usually transfer you to someone who can help with UCC questions.
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James Martinez
•Good luck with that. Last time I called it took 45 minutes on hold just to get transferred three times.
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Olivia Harris
Just a thought - have you checked if there are any pending amendments to the company's charter? Sometimes there's a lag between filing and the database update, which can cause these mismatches.
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Aiden Rodríguez
•That's a good point. The company did mention some paperwork changes recently. I'll verify no amendments are pending.
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Alexander Zeus
•Yes! I got burned by this exact scenario. Company had filed a name change that wasn't reflected in the UCC database yet.
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Alicia Stern
Another option is to use the document verification approach mentioned earlier. I've started using Certana.ai for all my UCC prep work because it catches these issues before filing. Upload your charter and UCC-1, and it'll flag any inconsistencies immediately.
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Gabriel Graham
•How accurate is their name matching? Does it account for state-specific requirements?
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Alicia Stern
•It's really thorough with document consistency checks. Won't replace knowing the state rules, but it prevents a lot of basic errors.
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Drake
I've dealt with PA rejections before. Sometimes it's not just the name - check your collateral description too. They're picky about everything being precise.
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Aiden Rodríguez
•Collateral description is pretty standard equipment language. But you're right, they probably scrutinize every field.
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Sarah Jones
•PA is definitely one of the more demanding states for UCC filings. Everything has to be letter-perfect.
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Sebastian Scott
Have you tried searching for the company name in their database exactly as you're entering it on the UCC? Sometimes that reveals formatting issues you wouldn't notice otherwise.
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Aiden Rodríguez
•Good suggestion. I'll do a test search with each variation to see which one returns results.
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Emily Sanjay
•That's actually a really smart verification method. If it doesn't find the company, your UCC probably won't either.
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Jordan Walker
Update us when you get this resolved! Always interested to hear what the actual issue was with these name matching problems.
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Aiden Rodríguez
•Will do. Hopefully I can get this sorted out tomorrow and avoid another rejection cycle.
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Natalie Adams
•Fingers crossed! PA can be such a pain with their exact matching requirements.
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