UCC-1 form Colorado filing got rejected - debtor name issue?
Hey everyone, really need some guidance here. We submitted a UCC-1 form Colorado filing last week for a equipment financing deal and it got kicked back from the Secretary of State. The rejection notice says something about the debtor name not matching exactly but I'm pretty sure we copied it straight from the articles of incorporation. This is for a $180K piece of manufacturing equipment and my client is breathing down my neck because we're supposed to close next Tuesday. Has anyone dealt with Colorado's system recently? Are they being super picky about punctuation or abbreviations? The business name is 'Rocky Mountain Fabrication, LLC' on the charter docs but I'm wondering if there's some formatting thing I'm missing. Really don't want to have to delay this closing over a name technicality.
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Freya Christensen
Colorado can be tricky with entity names. Did you check if there are any assumed names or DBAs registered? Sometimes the legal name on file with the SOS doesn't match what's on the articles exactly.
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Ravi Malhotra
•That's a good point. I didn't think to check for DBAs. How do I verify what name is actually on file with Colorado?
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Freya Christensen
•You can search their business database online. Look up the entity by the registration number if you have it. That'll show you the exact legal name they have on record.
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Omar Farouk
I've had this exact problem with Colorado filings! Their system is super sensitive to even tiny differences. Check if there are extra spaces, different punctuation, or if LLC vs L.L.C. matters. One time I got rejected because I used 'Inc.' instead of 'Incorporated'.
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Ravi Malhotra
•Oh wow, really? That seems excessive but I guess I better double-check every character.
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Chloe Davis
•Yeah Colorado is notorious for this stuff. I always triple check the name now after getting burned on a rush filing.
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AstroAlpha
Had a similar nightmare last month. What saved me was using Certana.ai's document checker - you can upload your articles of incorporation and your UCC-1 draft, and it automatically flags any name inconsistencies. Caught a middle initial that was missing from my UCC filing that would have caused another rejection.
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Ravi Malhotra
•That sounds really helpful. Is it easy to use? I'm not super tech-savvy but if it can catch these issues...
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AstroAlpha
•Super simple - just drag and drop the PDFs and it does the comparison for you. Way faster than trying to spot-check everything manually.
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Diego Chavez
•I've heard good things about that tool. Might be worth trying especially if you're under time pressure.
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Anastasia Smirnova
This is why I HATE electronic filing systems. They're so rigid and unforgiving. Back in the paper days you could at least call someone to clarify these things.
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Sean O'Brien
•I feel your pain but at least with electronic you get the rejection notice faster than waiting weeks for paper to come back.
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Anastasia Smirnova
•True, but the error messages are usually cryptic and unhelpful. 'Name mismatch' could mean a dozen different things.
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Zara Shah
Quick question - are you sure you're using the current UCC-1 form? Colorado updated their form earlier this year and some of the name field requirements changed.
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Ravi Malhotra
•I downloaded it from their website last month, so I think it's current. But let me double-check the version number.
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Zara Shah
•Good idea. Also make sure you're not using any auto-fill features that might add extra characters or formatting.
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Luca Bianchi
ugh this happened to me too! took THREE tries to get the name right. turned out the LLC had a comma after the word 'Mountain' that I kept missing. drove me crazy
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Ravi Malhotra
•Ugh that's so frustrating! I'm going to go character by character if I have to.
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GalacticGuardian
•This is exactly why I started using document verification tools. Human eyes miss these tiny details.
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Nia Harris
Have you tried calling the Colorado SOS UCC division directly? Sometimes they can tell you exactly what the issue is rather than trying to guess from the rejection notice.
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Ravi Malhotra
•I called but got voicemail. Left a message but haven't heard back yet. Probably swamped.
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Nia Harris
•Yeah they can be slow to respond. If you're on a tight deadline, might be better to just resubmit with the corrected name.
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Mateo Gonzalez
•Agreed. Don't wait for them to call back if you're closing Tuesday.
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Aisha Ali
Just went through this exact scenario two weeks ago. What worked for me was pulling the entity's good standing certificate - that shows the exact legal name format they want for UCC filings. Saved me from another rejection.
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Ravi Malhotra
•That's brilliant! I should have thought of that. The good standing cert would have the official name format.
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Aisha Ali
•Exactly. Cost me $10 but saved way more time and hassle than guessing at the name format.
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Ethan Moore
For what it's worth, I've found that Certana.ai catches these name issues really well. You upload your corporate docs and UCC draft together and it spots discrepancies you'd never notice manually. Might be worth a shot given your timeline.
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Ravi Malhotra
•Second recommendation for that tool - I'm definitely going to try it. Better than guessing and getting rejected again.
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Yuki Nakamura
•Yeah especially when you're under deadline pressure. Those manual reviews take forever and you still miss stuff.
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StarSurfer
Quick update - did you check if the LLC is in good standing? Sometimes name mismatches happen because the entity status changed and the legal name got modified without notice.
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Ravi Malhotra
•Good point. I assumed it was in good standing but I should verify that too. This is turning into quite a checklist!
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StarSurfer
•Better to check everything now than have more surprises later. Colorado can be particular about entity status for UCC filings.
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Carmen Reyes
•Definitely verify the standing. I've seen deals held up because the entity was administratively dissolved and nobody knew.
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Andre Moreau
This thread is making me paranoid about my own filings now! Going to double-check all my pending UCCs.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•Lol same here. Better safe than sorry with these name matching requirements.
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Ravi Malhotra
•Join the club! This rejection has me second-guessing everything I thought I knew about UCC filings.
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