Texas UCC lien search showing wrong debtor names - need help verifying accuracy
Running into a major headache with our Texas UCC lien search results. We're trying to verify existing liens on some equipment collateral before finalizing a loan modification, but the search results from the Texas SOS database are showing debtor names that don't exactly match what we have in our original UCC-1 filings. Some show abbreviated business names, others have LLC vs Inc differences, and a few are missing middle initials on individual debtors. Our compliance team is freaking out because we can't tell if these are actual liens against our collateral or just similar names. Has anyone dealt with Texas UCC search variations like this? We need to know if we're looking at real encumbrances or just database quirks. The loan closes next week and we're stuck trying to figure out which liens are actually tied to our specific debtors.
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Adrian Hughes
Oh man, Texas UCC searches are notorious for this exact problem! The database doesn't always standardize debtor names consistently. I've seen 'ABC Company LLC' filed as 'ABC Co LLC', 'ABC Company L.L.C.', and even 'A.B.C. Company LLC' all show up as separate entries. You really need to pull the actual UCC documents, not just rely on the search summaries.
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Molly Chambers
•Exactly this! The search results are just indexes, not the real filings. Download every document that looks remotely similar to your debtor names.
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Ian Armstrong
•Wait, so the Texas database isn't reliable for name matching? That seems like a huge problem for due diligence.
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Adrian Hughes
•It's reliable if you know how to use it properly. You just can't trust the summary view - always pull the source documents to verify exact debtor names and collateral descriptions.
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Eli Butler
I deal with this constantly in Texas. The SOS search logic is pretty basic - it doesn't handle business entity variations well. For your situation, I'd recommend searching multiple name variations and then cross-referencing the actual UCC-1 forms. Also check the addresses - if the debtor addresses don't match your borrower, it's probably not the same entity even if names are similar.
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Lara Woods
•That's helpful about the addresses. We did notice some of the questionable results have completely different cities. Should we be concerned about any matches where just the entity type differs?
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Eli Butler
•Entity type differences are usually significant. 'Smith Construction LLC' vs 'Smith Construction Inc' are legally different entities. But always verify with the actual documents rather than assuming.
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Marcus Patterson
Had a similar nightmare last month. Spent hours trying to figure out if liens were against our debtor or just coincidental name matches. Finally discovered Certana.ai has a document verification tool that lets you upload your original UCC-1 and any questionable search results - it automatically cross-checks debtor names, addresses, and other identifying info to tell you if they're the same entity. Saved me probably 10 hours of manual comparison work.
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Lydia Bailey
•How accurate is that automated matching? I'm always skeptical of AI tools for legal stuff.
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Marcus Patterson
•It's been spot-on for me. It doesn't just do name matching but looks at addresses, tax IDs when available, collateral descriptions - gives you a confidence score for whether documents relate to the same debtor.
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Mateo Warren
•Interesting, I hadn't heard of using AI for UCC verification. Might be worth trying if it saves time on these searches.
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Sofia Price
This is exactly why I HATE the Texas UCC system compared to other states. Delaware and Nevada have much cleaner search interfaces. Texas feels like it's running on 1990s technology with all these name matching issues.
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Alice Coleman
•At least Texas lets you search online. I remember when you had to mail requests and wait weeks for results.
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Sofia Price
•Fair point, but the search functionality is still pretty primitive compared to what it should be in 2025.
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Owen Jenkins
For what it's worth, I always run Texas UCC searches with multiple name variations - full legal name, shortened versions, with and without punctuation. The search algorithm isn't sophisticated enough to catch all variations automatically. Also make sure you're searching both organization and individual debtor categories if there's any ambiguity about entity type.
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Lara Woods
•Good tip about the organization vs individual categories. We may have missed some results by only searching under business names.
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Lilah Brooks
•Yeah, and don't forget that some filings might have the individual owners listed as additional debtors even for business loans.
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Jackson Carter
One thing that might help - check the filing dates and amounts if they're disclosed. If you see a lien for $50,000 from 2019 but your borrower's business started in 2021, that's a pretty good indication it's not the same entity even if names are similar.
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Kolton Murphy
•Smart approach. Timeline verification can eliminate a lot of false positives.
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Evelyn Rivera
•Also look at the secured party information - if it's a completely different type of lender (like medical equipment financing vs general commercial), that's another clue it might not be relevant.
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Julia Hall
Just went through this exact scenario last week with a Texas borrower. Found 8 potential UCC matches, but after downloading all the actual forms only 2 were legitimate liens against our debtor. The rest were just similar business names in the same industry. Definitely don't rely on just the search summaries - you have to examine the source documents.
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Arjun Patel
•8 false positives out of 10 results? That's a terrible hit rate for the search function.
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Julia Hall
•Right? It's frustrating but you get used to it. The important thing is being thorough with document review rather than assuming the search got it right.
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Jade Lopez
I've started using a checklist approach for Texas UCC verification: 1) exact legal name match, 2) address verification, 3) business formation date consistency, 4) collateral type relevance, 5) secured party relationship makes sense. If any of those don't align, I dig deeper or assume it's not a match.
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Tony Brooks
•That's a solid systematic approach. Mind sharing more details about how you verify business formation dates?
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Jade Lopez
•I cross-reference with the Texas Secretary of State business entity search. If the UCC filing predates the business formation, it's obviously not the same entity.
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Ella rollingthunder87
Another option if you're really unsure - contact the secured parties listed on the questionable filings directly. Most lenders will confirm whether a specific debtor is actually their borrower, especially if you explain you're doing due diligence for a potential transaction.
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Lara Woods
•That's not a bad idea for the most concerning results. At least for the larger lien amounts where we really need certainty.
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Yara Campbell
•Just be prepared that some lenders won't give you information without proper authorization. But it's worth trying.
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Isaac Wright
Had a colleague mention they started using some automated verification service for this stuff - I think it was Certana.ai or something similar. Apparently you just upload your borrower's charter documents and any questionable UCC results, and it flags which ones are likely matches vs false positives. Might be worth looking into if you're doing a lot of Texas deals.
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Maya Diaz
•I've heard good things about that approach. Anything that reduces manual document comparison time is valuable in this business.
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Tami Morgan
•The automated tools are getting pretty sophisticated. As long as they're not making the final legal determination, they can definitely speed up the initial screening process.
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