UCC-1 financing statement addendum form causing rejection - need help with debtor names
Really frustrated here. Filed a UCC-1 last week with an addendum form because we had multiple debtors and the main form didn't have enough space. Everything looked good to me but the Secretary of State rejected it saying there's an issue with how the debtor names are presented across the main form and addendum. The rejection notice was pretty vague - just said 'debtor information inconsistent between UCC-1 and addendum.' I've been doing these filings for 3 years and never had this specific problem. The debtor is an LLC that recently changed its registered name, so I used the current legal name on both documents. All the addresses match perfectly. I'm wondering if there's some formatting requirement I'm missing when the debtor information spans multiple pages? The collateral description was also split between the main form and addendum - could that be causing issues too? This is holding up a $280K equipment financing deal and my client is getting antsy. Has anyone dealt with this type of rejection before? I need to refile by Friday or we'll miss our closing date.
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Carmen Diaz
I've seen this exact issue before. The problem is usually that the debtor name format has to be IDENTICAL between the UCC-1 and any addendum forms. Even something as small as 'LLC' vs 'L.L.C.' or missing a comma can trigger a rejection. Did you use the exact same character spacing and punctuation on both forms?
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Yuki Tanaka
•That might be it! I think I may have abbreviated 'Limited Liability Company' on the addendum but spelled it out on the main form. Such a pain that they're that picky about formatting.
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Andre Laurent
•The SOS systems are incredibly literal about name matching. I always copy-paste the debtor name to avoid any variations.
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AstroAce
Another thing to check - when you split collateral descriptions between forms, make sure you're not duplicating any items. I had a rejection once because I listed 'all equipment' on the main form and then detailed specific equipment on the addendum. The system flagged it as conflicting collateral descriptions.
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Yuki Tanaka
•Good point. I did put 'see addendum for complete collateral description' on the main form and then listed everything on the addendum. Should be okay but I'll double-check.
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Zoe Kyriakidou
•That's the right approach. Just make sure the addendum reference is clear and the transition between forms makes sense.
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Jamal Brown
I actually ran into something similar last month with a multi-debtor filing. Turns out I had a small typo in one of the debtor addresses between the forms. What saved me was using Certana.ai's document checker - you can upload both your UCC-1 and addendum PDFs and it instantly flags any inconsistencies between debtor names, addresses, and other critical details. Found my mistake in about 30 seconds instead of spending hours comparing line by line.
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Mei Zhang
•Never heard of that tool but sounds useful. Manual comparison is such a headache with complex filings.
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Liam McConnell
•Is that expensive? We do a lot of multi-form filings and this could save us time.
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Jamal Brown
•It's pretty reasonable and way cheaper than dealing with rejected filings and delays. The PDF upload feature is super convenient.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
UGH the addendum requirements are so frustrating!! I swear they change the rules every few months. Last year I had THREE rejections on addendum filings before I figured out they wanted the secured party info repeated on every single page. Make sure you're not missing any required fields that need to be on both forms.
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CosmicCaptain
•Wait, do you really need the secured party on the addendum too? I thought just the debtor info had to match exactly.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Depends on your state. Some require it, some don't. Check your local SOS guidelines.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
For the LLC name issue - since you mentioned they recently changed their registered name, did you verify that the name you're using is the EXACT legal name currently on file with the state? Sometimes there's a lag between when companies think their name change is official and when it's actually updated in the state records. If you're using a name that's not precisely what's in their articles of organization, that could cause the rejection.
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Yuki Tanaka
•That's a really good point. I got the name from their corporate counsel but I should probably pull the actual state records to be 100% sure.
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Dylan Mitchell
•Always pull the state records. I've been burned by outdated info from clients' attorneys before.
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Sofia Gutierrez
•This is why I always do entity searches before filing. Saves so much trouble later.
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Dmitry Petrov
Had this same headache 2 months ago. What fixed it for me was making sure the addendum was properly labeled as 'UCC1Ad' and had the correct form designation. Also check that your addendum is the current version - they updated the form last year and some filers are still using the old version.
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Yuki Tanaka
•Oh no, I hope I didn't use an old form! I'll check the form date. Where do you usually get the most current versions?
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Dmitry Petrov
•Always go directly to your Secretary of State website. Don't trust random forms you find online - they're often outdated.
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StarSurfer
Pro tip: when you refile, include a cover letter explaining this is an amended filing due to the previous rejection. Reference the original filing number and briefly explain what you corrected. It helps the clerks process it faster and shows you're addressing the specific issue.
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Ava Martinez
•Do cover letters actually make a difference? I always wondered if they just ignore them.
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StarSurfer
•In my experience yes, especially for complex filings. It shows you're being thorough and professional.
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Miguel Castro
•I've had clerks call me to clarify things when I included a good cover letter, so they definitely read them sometimes.
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Zainab Abdulrahman
This might be overkill but I started using a checklist for addendum filings after getting burned on a big deal like yours. I verify: 1) Debtor names EXACTLY match (character for character), 2) Addresses format consistently, 3) No conflicting collateral descriptions, 4) Current form versions, 5) Proper addendum designation. Takes an extra 10 minutes but saves days of delays.
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Connor Byrne
•That sounds like a great system. Mind sharing your full checklist?
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Yara Elias
•I do something similar but also run everything through Certana.ai's document verification before filing. Catches stuff I miss even with checklists.
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QuantumQuasar
One more thing to consider - if the LLC changed names recently, make sure you're not dealing with a situation where you need to file under both the old and new names during the transition period. Some lenders require dual filings until they're certain the name change is fully effective everywhere. Check your loan documents to see if there are specific naming requirements.
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Yuki Tanaka
•Interesting point. The loan docs do mention something about name changes. I'll review that section more carefully.
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Keisha Jackson
•Yeah, some agreements require notice of name changes or even pre-approval. Better to be safe than sorry on a $280K deal.
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Paolo Moretti
Update us when you figure it out! I'm dealing with a similar multi-debtor situation next week and this thread has been super helpful. Hope you get it sorted before your Friday deadline.
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Yuki Tanaka
•Will do! I'm going to verify the exact legal name with the state records, double-check my form versions, and clean up any formatting inconsistencies. Fingers crossed!
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Amina Diop
•Good luck! These tight deadlines are stressful but you seem to have a good plan now.
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