UCC 1 filing Michigan - debtor name exactly as on articles?

That's what I was afraid of. So even though all our equipment leases and supplier contracts use the shorter name, the UCC has to use the full legal name from the articles?

Exactly. The UCC-1 debtor name has to match the legal entity name as filed with the state. Michigan will reject it if there's a mismatch.

Ugh, that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. Did you have to pay the filing fee twice?

Yeah, had to pay again for the corrected filing. Michigan doesn't refund rejected filings. Cost us an extra $20 plus the time delay.

This is why I always triple check the debtor name against the secretary of state records before filing. One typo can mess up the whole perfection.

Never heard of that service. Does it work with Michigan filings specifically?

Works with any state. It's basically a document comparison tool that cross-checks your entity documents against your UCC forms. Really helpful for catching debtor name issues before you file.

How accurate is it? I've tried other document checkers that missed obvious problems.

It's been spot on for me. Picks up punctuation differences, extra spaces, abbreviation mismatches - stuff that's easy to miss manually.

Good tip. I'd rather spend 10 minutes on the phone than deal with a rejection and refiling.

Exactly. They're usually pretty helpful about debtor name questions. Just have your entity number ready.

Didn't think about that. Our annual report is current but I should verify everything's clean before filing.

Yeah, you can check entity status on the Michigan business portal. Better safe than sorry.

I've seen UCC-1s get rejected for that reason. The entity was administratively dissolved and the filer didn't know.

Three rejections?? That must have been so frustrating. What finally worked?

Had to get a certified copy of our articles and literally copy the name character by character. Even spaces matter.

This is why I always pull a current good standing certificate when doing UCC filings. Shows the exact legal name format.

The lender gave me a collateral schedule with serial numbers and everything. Should I include all that detail on the UCC-1?

You can, but usually 'CNC machining equipment per schedule attached' is sufficient. The schedule becomes part of the filing.

Just make sure the schedule is properly attached when you file. I've seen UCC-1s where the attachment didn't upload correctly.

Good to know. I'll make sure to have everything ready before I start the online filing.

Yeah, have your documents ready and double-check everything before you hit submit. No going back once it's filed.

That's exactly the kind of thing I'm worried about missing. These small details can really trip you up.

Definitely. It's worth using a verification tool for important filings like this. The cost of getting it wrong is way higher than the cost of double-checking.

Yes, it's PMSI. The equipment delivery is scheduled for next week so I need to get this filed ASAP.

Then definitely get it right the first time. You don't want to lose your PMSI priority because of a rejected filing.

For PMSI timing, the UCC-1 needs to be filed before or within 20 days after the debtor receives possession. Don't cut it close.

Will do! Planning to file tomorrow morning after I verify the debtor name one more time. Thanks everyone for the advice.

Good luck! Double-checking everything is definitely the way to go with Michigan.