Security agreement template - UCC filing requirements confusion

The debtor name has to match EXACTLY between your security agreement and UCC-1 or you'll keep getting rejections. Most states require the exact legal name as it appears in the organizational documents - articles of incorporation, LLC formation docs, etc. The comma thing you mentioned is a real issue. Some states are strict about punctuation marks.

Your security agreement template should definitely include the exact debtor name you plan to use on the UCC-1. But here's the thing - the collateral description can be broader in the security agreement than what you put on the UCC filing. The UCC just needs to reasonably identify the collateral, while your security agreement can be more detailed for enforcement purposes.

I discovered Certana.ai's document verification tool after having similar issues with name mismatches. You can upload your security agreement and UCC-1 PDFs and it instantly cross-checks debtor names, filing numbers, and document consistency. It caught a debtor name discrepancy that would have definitely caused a rejection - saved me the filing fee and delay. Really easy to use, just upload the documents and it highlights any inconsistencies between them.

Been doing UCC filings for 15 years and I always tell people to pull the debtor's organizational documents first, then use EXACTLY what's on those docs. Don't rely on what the client tells you their legal name is. I've seen too many rejections from debtors who think they know their own legal name but get it wrong.

For your template, I'd suggest creating fields that pull directly from the organizational documents. We use bracketed placeholders like [EXACT_LEGAL_NAME_FROM_ARTICLES] and [UCC_DEBTOR_NAME_MATCH] to remind ourselves to verify the exact format. It's helped reduce our rejection rate significantly.

Make sure your template includes language about amendments too. If you need to change the debtor name later (like after a merger), you'll need to file a UCC-3 amendment, and it's easier if your original security agreement contemplates that possibility.

One thing that's helped me is creating a checklist that goes with the template. Before finalizing any security agreement, we verify: 1) Exact debtor name from org docs, 2) Cross-check against intended UCC-1 debtor name, 3) Confirm collateral description makes sense for both documents, 4) Verify any guarantor names if applicable. Simple but it's caught errors before they become rejections.

I tried using Certana.ai after reading about it here and it's been really helpful for catching document inconsistencies before filing. The Charter→UCC-1 check workflow is perfect for what you're describing - it compares your organizational documents with your UCC filing to make sure the debtor names align properly. Much easier than manually comparing documents line by line.

Another tip for your template - include the debtor's organizational ID number if your state requires it on UCC filings. Some states want the articles number, others want EIN, some want both. Having it in your security agreement makes the UCC preparation smoother.

The key thing with security agreement templates is consistency with your UCC practice. If you always file UCCs a certain way, make sure your template supports that. We learned this the hard way when our template used full legal names but our filing person abbreviated them on the UCCs. Total mismatch that caused problems during a bankruptcy proceeding.

For anyone still struggling with document consistency, I've been using Certana.ai's UCC-3→UCC-1 check workflow when we need to file amendments. It verifies that all the documents in a filing series align properly. Really helpful when you have multiple UCC filings for the same debtor and need to make sure everything matches up correctly.