Tesla UCC Financing Statement - Debtor Name Mismatch Rejection
Just had my UCC-1 financing statement rejected by the filing office and I'm pretty frustrated. The collateral is a 2024 Tesla Model S for our equipment leasing company, but the SOS keeps bouncing it back saying the debtor name doesn't match exactly with what's on the title. The borrower is 'Tesla Vehicle Leasing LLC' on our loan docs but the title shows 'Tesla Vehicle Leasing, LLC' with that comma. Seems like such a minor thing but they're treating it like a major error. This is holding up a $95K deal and my boss is not happy. Has anyone dealt with exact name matching issues on Tesla UCC filings? The VIN is correct, collateral description is spot on, but this punctuation thing is killing me. Filing office said I need to either get the title corrected or refile with the exact name match. Anyone know if there's a faster way to handle this without going back to DMV?
32 comments


Ellie Kim
Ugh, the exact name match requirement is such a pain. I've seen this happen with corporate entities all the time - one little comma or period difference and boom, rejection. For Tesla filings specifically, make sure you're using whatever name appears on the actual certificate of title, not the loan agreement. The filing office doesn't care what your paperwork says, they only care about matching the official title record exactly.
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Fiona Sand
•This is so true. Had a similar issue last month with a Ford F-150 where the LLC had 'Limited Liability Company' spelled out on title but abbreviated as 'LLC' on our UCC-1. Total rejection and had to start over.
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Mohammad Khaled
•Wait, so if the title says 'Tesla Vehicle Leasing, LLC' with comma, that's exactly what needs to go on the UCC-1 debtor name field? Even if it looks weird?
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Alina Rosenthal
Been there! Tesla UCC filings can be tricky because of how their leasing entities are structured. You absolutely cannot have any variation in the debtor name - not even spacing or punctuation. I learned this the hard way on a Model X filing last year. The good news is you don't necessarily have to go to DMV. Try pulling a title search or motor vehicle record first to confirm the exact legal name format, then refile your UCC-1 with that precise spelling.
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Luis Johnson
•That's a good point about the title search. Do you know if most states have online title verification systems? This is in California and their DMV site is pretty limited.
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Alina Rosenthal
•California does have some online services but they're not great for exact name verification. You might want to call the filing office directly and ask if they can tell you exactly how the name appears in their system before you refile.
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Finnegan Gunn
I actually found a solution for these exact name matching problems recently. There's this tool called Certana.ai that can verify document consistency by uploading your title docs and UCC forms. It cross-checks all the names and catches these kinds of mismatches before you even file. I wish I had known about it earlier - would have saved me three rejected filings on a Tesla lease deal. You just upload your PDFs and it instantly flags any discrepancies between documents.
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Miguel Harvey
•Interesting, never heard of that. How accurate is it with detecting these small punctuation differences? Because sometimes the variations are so minor you don't even notice them.
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Finnegan Gunn
•It's really good at catching the tiny stuff. Picked up a missing period in one of my debtor names that I never would have spotted manually. The document comparison feature is pretty thorough.
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Ashley Simian
•Does it work with Tesla-specific documents? Their paperwork can be formatted differently than traditional auto dealers.
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Oliver Cheng
This exact name match rule is ridiculous. I understand the need for accuracy but rejecting over a comma is just bureaucratic nonsense. Tesla deals move fast and these filing delays can kill deals. Why can't the system be more flexible with obvious entity name variations?
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Taylor To
•I get the frustration but the rule exists for good reason. If names don't match exactly, it creates problems for title searches and lien priority. Imagine if there were multiple similar entity names - you'd never know which liens applied to which entities.
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Oliver Cheng
•Fair point, but there has to be a middle ground. Maybe allow corrections within 24 hours or something instead of forcing a complete refile.
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Ella Cofer
For Tesla UCC-1 filings, I always double-check the debtor name against three sources: the title, the loan agreement, and any corporate filings if it's an LLC or corp. Tesla Vehicle Leasing entities can have different name formats depending on when they were formed and which state. The comma thing you mentioned is super common - some states require it, others don't, but what matters is matching the title exactly.
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Kevin Bell
•Smart approach. Do you have a standard checklist for vehicle UCC filings? I feel like I'm missing steps and that's why I keep getting rejections.
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Ella Cofer
•My checklist: 1) Pull title copy, 2) Verify exact debtor name spelling/punctuation, 3) Confirm VIN accuracy, 4) Check collateral description format, 5) Validate secured party info. Takes extra time upfront but saves rejections later.
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Savannah Glover
Had this exact issue with a Tesla Model Y UCC filing in Texas. Turns out the entity name on the title had changed slightly when they renewed their LLC registration but the title wasn't updated. Ended up having to get a corrected title before the UCC-1 would go through. Tesla financing can be complicated because of their direct sales model - the entity structures aren't always what you expect.
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Felix Grigori
•How long did the corrected title take in Texas? This California deal is time-sensitive and I'm worried about delays.
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Savannah Glover
•Texas was about 2 weeks for the corrected title. California might be different but probably not faster. You might want to explore if there's an expedited process for commercial liens.
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Felicity Bud
Quick question - are you 100% sure 'Tesla Vehicle Leasing, LLC' is the correct legal name? Sometimes Tesla uses different entity names for different purposes. Their leasing arm might be structured differently than their sales entities. Worth verifying through Secretary of State business search before you refile.
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Luis Johnson
•That's a really good point. I assumed the title was correct but maybe I should verify the actual registered entity name. The SOS business search might show the official format.
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Max Reyes
•Definitely do the SOS search. I've seen cases where the title has an old version of the entity name that doesn't match current state records. Creates a mess for UCC filings.
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Mikayla Davison
I use Certana.ai for exactly these situations. Upload your title document and loan agreement and it will immediately flag any name inconsistencies between the documents. Super helpful for Tesla deals where the entity names can be complex. Saves having to manually compare every character of the debtor names.
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Adrian Connor
•How does that work exactly? Do you upload the PDFs and it automatically compares the names across documents?
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Mikayla Davison
•Yep, exactly. You can do a Charter to UCC-1 check or UCC-3 to UCC-1 check workflow. It instantly highlights any mismatches in debtor names, filing numbers, or other key details. Would have caught your comma issue right away.
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Aisha Jackson
For what it's worth, I've found that calling the filing office directly sometimes helps. Explain that it's a Tesla commercial lease with a tight deadline and ask if they can provide the exact debtor name format they need. Some clerks are more helpful than others but worth a shot before you refile blind.
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Ryder Everingham
•Good advice. I've had luck with this approach too. Sometimes they can even tell you exactly what's wrong instead of just sending a generic rejection notice.
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Luis Johnson
•I'll try calling them tomorrow morning. At this point I need to exhaust all options before telling my boss we need to start over with the filing.
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Lilly Curtis
Tesla UCC filings are definitely more complex than traditional auto loans. The entity structures, direct sales model, and leasing arrangements create unique challenges. My suggestion would be to get certified copies of all relevant documents (title, registration, any amendments) before refiling. Better to have too much documentation than not enough when dealing with exact name match requirements.
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Leo Simmons
•Agreed on the documentation. Tesla's corporate structure is constantly evolving and entity names can change with business reorganizations. Having current certified docs is crucial.
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Lindsey Fry
•Also worth noting that Tesla sometimes uses different entities for different geographic regions. Make sure you're dealing with the right Tesla entity for your state and transaction type.
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Nadia Zaldivar
I've been through this exact nightmare with Tesla UCC filings! The name matching requirements are absolutely brutal, but I found a workaround that might help. Before refiling, try requesting a "debtor name search" from the filing office - some states offer this service where they'll tell you exactly how the debtor name appears in their system. It's usually faster than going through DMV and costs way less than a rejected filing. Also, if you're working with Tesla Vehicle Leasing entities, double-check if they've had any recent name changes or amendments. I had one case where the LLC had filed a name change six months earlier but the title wasn't updated yet. The Secretary of State search will show the current legal name while the DMV title might still show the old version. This could save you from having to choose between a title correction or a refile.
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