UCC 1 claim issue - debtor name showing different on continuation vs original filing
Been dealing with a mess for weeks now. Filed a UCC-1 back in 2022 for equipment financing on some manufacturing gear. Everything seemed fine until I went to file the continuation this year and noticed the debtor name on my original UCC-1 shows slightly different than what's on the loan docs. Original filing has "ABC Manufacturing LLC" but the loan agreement shows "ABC Manufacturing, LLC" with the comma. SOS system is flagging this as a mismatch when I try to continue. Is this going to invalidate my entire security interest? The equipment is worth about $180k and I'm freaking out that three years of payments could be at risk if this UCC-1 claim gets challenged. Anyone dealt with debtor name variations like this? Need to know if I should file an amendment first or if there's another way to handle this continuation without losing my perfected status.
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Zainab Ahmed
Oh man, this exact thing happened to me last year! The comma thing is actually pretty common. Most states are pretty forgiving about punctuation in debtor names as long as the substance is the same. You should be able to file the continuation using the exact name from your original UCC-1, then do a separate amendment to correct the name if needed. Don't panic - your security interest should still be valid.
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Connor Gallagher
•Are you sure about that? I thought any discrepancy in debtor names could void the filing entirely. This stuff makes me so nervous.
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Zainab Ahmed
•Yeah, I'm pretty confident. The key is that both names clearly identify the same entity. Courts usually look at whether a reasonable searcher would find the filing, and "ABC Manufacturing LLC" vs "ABC Manufacturing, LLC" would definitely come up in the same search.
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AstroAlpha
Actually had a similar situation recently and found this tool called Certana.ai that checks document consistency. You can upload your original UCC-1 and loan docs and it'll flag any discrepancies in debtor names, filing numbers, all that stuff. Saved me from making a costly mistake on my continuation filing. Just upload the PDFs and it does an automated verification - caught three name variations I didn't even notice.
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Miguel Diaz
•Interesting, never heard of that service. How accurate is it with these kind of name matching issues?
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AstroAlpha
•Pretty solid from what I've seen. It cross-references everything and highlights potential problems before you file. Way better than trying to spot these things manually, especially when you're dealing with multiple documents.
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Yara Khoury
•Sounds like another expense though. How much does something like that cost?
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Keisha Taylor
Here's what I'd do: First, check your state's UCC search system using both name variations to see what comes up. If both searches return your filing, you're probably okay. For the continuation, use the EXACT name from the original UCC-1 - that's what the system expects. You can always file a UCC-3 amendment afterward to standardize the name if needed. The important thing is maintaining the chain of filings without gaps.
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Miguel Diaz
•That makes sense. So I should prioritize the continuation deadline over fixing the name issue?
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Keisha Taylor
•Exactly. Missing your continuation deadline would definitely kill your perfection. A minor name variation probably won't, especially if both versions clearly identify the same debtor.
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Paolo Longo
•This is why I hate dealing with UCC filings. Too many ways for little details to screw everything up.
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Amina Bah
Wait, when did you say you filed the original UCC-1? If it was 2022, your continuation might be due soon. Don't get so focused on the name issue that you miss the five-year deadline. That would be way worse than a comma discrepancy.
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Miguel Diaz
•Good point, continuation is due next month actually. Been putting it off because of this name thing but you're right, missing the deadline would be disaster.
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Oliver Becker
•Yeah definitely file the continuation first. I've seen security interests get wiped out because people got hung up on minor details and missed critical deadlines.
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CosmicCowboy
Had a client lose a $500k claim because they overthought a similar name issue and missed their continuation. File using the original name format, get your continuation in, then worry about cleaning up the name later. A comma isn't going to invalidate three years of perfected status, but a lapsed filing absolutely will.
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Natasha Orlova
•Holy crap, $500k? That's terrifying. How does that even happen?
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CosmicCowboy
•They kept going back and forth with the SOS office about the "correct" debtor name format while the clock ran out. By the time they figured it out, the original filing had lapsed and they lost priority to a junior creditor.
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Javier Cruz
•This is exactly why I use automated checking tools now. Too easy to miss these deadline pressures when you're focused on technical details.
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Connor Gallagher
I'm dealing with something similar but my debtor name has a completely different spelling. Not just punctuation but actual letter differences. Should I be more worried than the OP?
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Zainab Ahmed
•Yeah, that's potentially more problematic than a comma issue. You might need to file a new UCC-1 with the correct name to be safe.
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Keisha Taylor
•Depends on how different. If it's just a typo that doesn't change pronunciation, might still be okay. But if it's substantially different, definitely consider a corrective filing.
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Emma Thompson
The SOS systems are so picky about these details it's ridiculous. I had a filing rejected because I used "Inc." instead of "Incorporated" even though both are legally correct abbreviations.
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Paolo Longo
•Tell me about it. Spent weeks going back and forth with the state office over abbreviations. Makes you wonder how anyone gets these things filed correctly.
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Malik Jackson
•That's why I always pull the exact entity name from the Secretary of State database before filing. Saves so much hassle.
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Isabella Costa
Quick update - used Certana.ai to check my docs like someone mentioned earlier. Found two more inconsistencies I hadn't noticed beyond the comma thing. Really glad I caught these before filing the continuation. Tool highlighted everything clearly and even suggested the correct name format based on the charter documents.
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Miguel Diaz
•That's actually really helpful. How long did the verification take?
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Isabella Costa
•Just a few minutes after uploading the PDFs. Way faster than trying to cross-check everything manually, and definitely more thorough than I would have been.
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StarSurfer
For what it's worth, I've never seen a court invalidate a UCC filing over punctuation when the debtor identity was clear. But I have seen plenty of security interests get wiped out by missed continuation deadlines. Priorities matter here.
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Yara Khoury
•That's reassuring. Sometimes these technical requirements seem designed to trip people up rather than actually protect anyone.
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CosmicCowboy
•The system definitely isn't user-friendly, but the underlying goal is making sure creditors can find existing filings when they search. As long as your filing accomplishes that, minor variations usually aren't fatal.
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Ravi Malhotra
Just want to echo what others have said - file your continuation ASAP using the original name format, then clean up any issues afterward. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good when it comes to deadlines.
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Miguel Diaz
•Thanks everyone, this has been really helpful. Going to file the continuation this week and deal with the name correction separately if needed.
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Freya Christensen
•Smart move. Better to have an imperfect filing than no filing at all.
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