Texas UCC search showing confusing results - need help interpreting what I found
I'm trying to understand what I'm seeing in my Texas UCC search results and honestly getting more confused the deeper I dig. We're acquiring a small manufacturing company and our attorney asked me to run preliminary UCC searches before we finalize due diligence. I used the Texas SOS business search portal and found three different UCC-1 filings against our target company, but the debtor names don't exactly match what's on their current charter documents. One shows 'ABC Manufacturing LLC' (filed 2019), another shows 'ABC Manufacturing, LLC' with the comma (filed 2021), and a third shows 'ABC Mfg LLC' (filed 2023). The business told us they've only had one name change since 2018, but these filings suggest either multiple lenders or some serious naming inconsistencies. The collateral descriptions are also wildly different - one mentions 'all equipment and fixtures,' another lists specific machinery serial numbers, and the third just says 'all business assets.' Should I be concerned that we're missing liens because of these name variations? How do I know if I've found everything that's actually enforceable against this company? The amounts seem significant but I can't tell which filings might be duplicates or amendments versus separate obligations.
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Freya Christensen
You're smart to dig into this early in your due diligence. Texas UCC searches can be tricky because the system is very literal about debtor names. Even small differences like commas, periods, or abbreviations can cause filings to show up as separate results. The three filings you found could represent different lenders, or they could be the same lender who filed multiple times due to name changes or amendments. First step: get copies of the actual UCC-1 forms, not just the search results summary. The filing numbers and dates will tell you if any are continuations or amendments of earlier filings.
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Ravi Malhotra
•That makes sense about getting the actual forms. I was just looking at the summary results which don't show much detail. How do I request the full documents from Texas SOS?
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Freya Christensen
•You can order certified copies through the Texas SOS website or call their UCC division directly. Usually costs around $1 per page plus a small processing fee. Takes 2-3 business days if you order online.
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Omar Farouk
Those name variations are definitely red flags for your due diligence. I've seen deals fall apart because buyers missed active liens due to debtor name discrepancies. The 'ABC Mfg LLC' filing from 2023 is especially concerning - that abbreviation might indicate the company changed their legal name without properly updating earlier lenders. You need to cross-reference these UCC filings with the company's corporate history and loan documents.
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Ravi Malhotra
•How do I cross-reference properly? Should I be asking the seller for all their loan agreements to match against these UCC filings?
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Omar Farouk
•Absolutely. Request copies of all financing agreements, security agreements, and loan modifications since 2018. Match the lender names and collateral descriptions against your UCC search results.
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Chloe Davis
•Also check if they filed any UCC-3 terminations. Sometimes companies pay off loans but the lender never files the termination statement, leaving old liens on record.
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AstroAlpha
I ran into something similar last year with a client acquisition. We found multiple UCC filings with slight name variations and couldn't figure out which were still active. I ended up using Certana.ai's document verification tool - you can upload the UCC search results along with the company's charter documents and it instantly flags name mismatches and potential duplicate filings. Really saved us time compared to manually comparing every filing detail.
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Ravi Malhotra
•That sounds helpful. Does it work with Texas SOS results specifically?
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AstroAlpha
•Yes, works with any state's UCC search results. You just upload the PDFs and it cross-checks everything automatically. Caught two filings we almost missed due to punctuation differences.
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Diego Chavez
Been doing UCC searches in Texas for 15 years and those name variations are totally normal. Companies change their legal names, add or remove LLC designations, use abbreviations in different filings. The key is understanding which filings are still enforceable. A UCC-1 filed under 'ABC Manufacturing LLC' in 2019 would still be valid against 'ABC Manufacturing, LLC' if it's the same legal entity. Texas follows the 'seriously misleading' standard for debtor names.
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Anastasia Smirnova
•What exactly does 'seriously misleading' mean in practice? I always wondered about that standard.
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Diego Chavez
•Basically means small variations like punctuation or common abbreviations don't invalidate a filing. But if the name change is so different that a reasonable searcher wouldn't find it, then the filing might not perfect the security interest for collateral acquired after the name change.
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Ravi Malhotra
•So these three filings could all be valid liens against the same company? That's what I was afraid of.
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Sean O'Brien
Don't panic yet. Get the actual UCC forms and look at the filing dates and amendment history. If the 2021 and 2023 filings are continuations or amendments of the 2019 filing, you might be looking at one lender relationship that's been properly maintained over time. If they're separate lenders, you need to know which loans are still outstanding.
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Ravi Malhotra
•How can I tell if a filing is a continuation versus a new loan?
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Sean O'Brien
•Continuation statements will reference the original filing number and extend the perfection period. New loans will have different financing statement numbers and secured party information.
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Zara Shah
The collateral descriptions you mentioned are another important clue. If one filing covers 'all equipment and fixtures' and another lists specific serial numbers, they might be securing different loans or the lender might have amended their collateral coverage over time. Equipment financing often starts broad then gets specific as assets are acquired.
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Luca Bianchi
•Good point about collateral evolution. I've seen SBA loans that started with general descriptions then added specific equipment as the business expanded.
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Zara Shah
•Exactly. The 'all business assets' description from 2023 could be a blanket lien from a new working capital facility.
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GalacticGuardian
ugh texas ucc system is so annoying with name matches. i spent hours last month trying to figure out if 'XYZ Corp' and 'XYZ Corporation' filings were the same company. ended up having to get their lawyer involved to sort it out. definitely get professional help on this one.
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Ravi Malhotra
•Yeah I'm starting to think this is beyond what I can handle on my own. The stakes are too high to guess wrong.
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GalacticGuardian
•smart move. better to spend money upfront on proper due diligence than get surprised by hidden liens after closing.
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Nia Harris
Before you spend a fortune on legal fees, try running broader searches using wildcards and partial names. Texas SOS allows 'ABC*' searches that might catch variations you missed. Also search under any former names or DBA registrations the company might have used.
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Ravi Malhotra
•I didn't know about wildcard searches. That could help me make sure I'm not missing anything obvious.
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Mateo Gonzalez
•Be careful with wildcards though. You'll get a lot of false matches that waste time. Better to get the company's complete naming history first.
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Aisha Ali
From a lender's perspective, those multiple filings could indicate the company has been refinancing or adding credit facilities over the years. The 2019 filing might be their original equipment loan, 2021 could be a refinance with name correction, and 2023 might be additional working capital. You really need to see the underlying loan documents to understand the current debt structure.
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Ravi Malhotra
•That's a good way to think about it. Instead of assuming the worst, maybe there's a logical progression that explains all three filings.
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Aisha Ali
•Exactly. Most businesses don't have three separate major lenders. More likely it's one primary relationship that evolved over time.
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Ethan Moore
I'd also recommend checking if any UCC-3 amendments were filed to update debtor names. When companies change names, good lenders file amendments to ensure continuous perfection. If you see UCC-3 filings between your UCC-1 dates, that might explain the name variations and confirm they're all related to the same security interest.
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Ravi Malhotra
•Great point. I was so focused on the UCC-1 filings that I didn't think to look for amendments. That could be the missing piece.
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Ethan Moore
•UCC-3 amendments are often overlooked but they're crucial for understanding the filing history. They'll show name changes, collateral modifications, and partial releases.
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AstroAlpha
•This is another area where Certana.ai really helps - it automatically checks for related UCC-3 filings when you upload the UCC-1 documents. Saves having to manually search for every possible amendment type.
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