UCC-1 filing rejected - security agreement form for vehicle debtor name mismatch

Absolutely right about exact name matching. I learned this the hard way on a $75K equipment deal where 'Robert Smith Jr.' on our docs didn't match 'Robert Smith, Jr.' on the title (just the comma placement). Two week delay while we sorted it out.

Wait, does this mean I need to redo my entire security agreement paperwork too? Or can I just file the UCC-1 with the correct name and keep my loan docs as-is?

Thanks - I actually called the DMV and confirmed it's 'Michael D. Johnson' on the title. No suffixes or other surprises. So I can refile the UCC-1 with that exact name and my security agreement stays as-is?

Correct. The UCC-1 is what creates the public notice and needs to match public records. Your private security agreement between you and Mike/Michael can reference either name as long as it's clear you're dealing with the same person.

I'd be careful about that advice. Some states are really picky about consistency across all documents. Better safe than sorry to make sure everything aligns perfectly.

Never heard of Certana.ai - does it actually work for UCC filings? I'm terrified of making another mistake on this refiling.

Yeah it's specifically designed for UCC document verification. You upload your security agreement PDF and your UCC-1 PDF and it cross-checks debtor names, collateral descriptions, filing numbers - all the stuff that causes rejections. Found three mismatches I would have missed manually.

Interesting. How accurate is it compared to doing the verification yourself? I've always just done line-by-line comparisons but that takes forever on complex deals.

That's true in theory but I'd never recommend taking that risk on a commercial vehicle. Too many ways for other liens to jump ahead if you're not perfected. File correctly ASAP.

Yeah this is a working truck for a small trucking company. Can't risk other creditors getting priority. Need to get this filed correctly immediately.

Commercial vehicles definitely carry more risk. I've seen mechanics liens and equipment financers swoop in on unperfected interests. Get that UCC-1 refiled today if possible.

Good catch - the truck is titled in Delaware but the borrower's business is in Pennsylvania. I filed in Delaware since that's where the title is issued. That should be correct, right?

Yes, Delaware filing is correct for a Delaware-titled vehicle. The location of the debtor's business doesn't matter for vehicle collateral - it's all about the title jurisdiction.

This is exactly why I use filing services for vehicle deals. Too many jurisdictional rules to keep track of and the consequences of getting it wrong are too severe.

So frustrating that the systems can't be smarter about obvious name variations. Like, clearly 'Mike Johnson' and 'Michael Johnson' are the same person!

I get the frustration but the system is designed to be precise for legal certainty. If searches returned results for similar names, you'd have false matches and confusion about who actually has liens.

The precision is actually a good thing from a due diligence perspective. Better to have false negatives than false positives when you're searching for existing liens.

Good point. I have '2023 Ford F-250 VIN: 1FT7W2B69NEA12345' in my collateral description. Should I add anything else from the title?

That looks good. VIN is the most critical identifier for vehicles. Some people add trim level or color but it's not necessary and can actually cause issues if those details are wrong.

I always keep vehicle collateral descriptions simple - just year, make, model, VIN. Anything else is just more opportunity for errors and rejections.

Glad the Certana verification worked out! It's amazing how many small errors slip through when you're manually checking everything.

Congrats on getting it sorted quickly. Name mismatches are such a pain but at least now you know to always verify the exact title format first.

Good reminder for all of us to slow down and verify names carefully. Easy mistake to make but expensive to fix if you don't catch it early.

Same here. I've started keeping a checklist specifically for vehicle UCC filings to make sure I don't skip the name verification step.

Smart approach. Vehicle security agreements have enough moving parts that a checklist is definitely worth having.

Really good point. I've seen deals where the lender filed too early and had to refile after the title was properly issued in the debtor's name.

Purchase money security interests in vehicles can be tricky timing-wise. Always worth checking state-specific rules before you start the filing process.

This is why I love having experienced closing agents for vehicle deals. Too many technical requirements to handle yourself unless you do it all the time.