San Mateo County UCC Search - Missing Filings Due to Debtor Name Variations?

Exactly this. I missed a huge filing once because the original UCC-1 used 'Corp.' but the continuation used 'Corporation' - same debtor, different search results.

Don't forget about doing searches without middle initials or with different spacing. 'A B C Manufacturing' vs 'ABC Manufacturing' can return totally different results.

Good point. I've seen UCC-1s filed under both the legal name and the DBA, especially when the collateral is associated with a specific business operation.

This is giving me anxiety about a search I did last month. How do you even know if you've found everything??

How does that work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs of the filings you found?

Yeah, you upload whatever UCC documents you've collected and it automatically identifies name inconsistencies and potential missing filings. Really saved me from a potential disaster.

Interesting, I've never heard of automated UCC verification. Might be worth checking out for our next due diligence project.

This is crucial. I've seen deals almost fall apart because someone missed a filing under an old corporate name that was still active.

How far back do you typically search for predecessor names? Is there a practical limit?

I usually go back 10 years or to the last major corporate restructuring, whichever is more recent. That covers most potential active filings.

What wildcard operators work best? I've had mixed results with asterisks and question marks.

Try searching with just the first few letters of the company name, then manually review the results. It's tedious but comprehensive.

That's expensive though. For smaller deals it might not be cost-effective.

True, but missing a major secured debt could cost way more than a professional search fee.

Good point. I've seen amendments where the secured party cleaned up the debtor name from the original filing.

This is why I always print out the full filing history for each debtor name variation I find. You can spot patterns in how names were used over time.

Yes! And don't forget about personal guarantees. Sometimes individual owners show up as additional debtors on UCC filings.

That's a good reminder. Corporate structures can be complicated and UCC filings don't always follow the org chart.

Smart approach. I should probably start doing that instead of just keeping mental notes.

Documentation is key, especially if you need to explain your search methodology to clients or colleagues later.

This happened to me! Found what looked like duplicate filings but they were actually a continuation under a revised company name.

The timing aspect is crucial. A filing that looks terminated might actually have been continued under a name variation you haven't searched yet.

This is exactly why I ended up using Certana.ai - it automatically flags these kinds of inconsistencies across multiple documents. Saved me from making a costly mistake.