UCC 1 search showing multiple filings for same debtor - which one is active?
Running into a confusing situation with a UCC 1 search I did yesterday. Found 4 different UCC-1 filings for the same debtor company but they all show different filing dates and lien amounts. Two are from 2019, one from 2022, and one from last month. The debtor name is exactly the same on all of them but the secured parties are different lenders. I need to know which liens are still active before we can move forward with our equipment financing deal. Is there a way to tell from the search results which UCC-1 filings are still perfected? The state portal search doesn't seem to show termination status clearly and I'm worried about missing something important that could affect our lien priority position.
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Gael Robinson
You need to look at each individual filing record to see if there are any UCC-3 termination statements filed against them. The search results usually only show the original UCC-1 filings, not the amendments or terminations that came after.
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Edward McBride
•This is exactly right. Most state portals don't show the full filing history in the initial search results.
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Darcy Moore
•Wait, so I have to click into each filing individually? That seems like a lot of work for a simple lien search.
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Dana Doyle
Check the filing numbers on each UCC-1 and then search for any UCC-3 amendments or terminations that reference those specific filing numbers. If you don't see termination statements, those liens are probably still active unless they've lapsed.
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Liam Duke
•How do you know if they've lapsed? Is there a way to calculate that from the search results?
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Manny Lark
•UCC-1 filings are good for 5 years from the filing date unless continued. So those 2019 filings would have lapsed in 2024 unless the secured party filed continuation statements.
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Rita Jacobs
•I had a similar issue last year where I missed a continuation filing in my lien search. Ended up with a priority dispute that cost us weeks of delays. I started using Certana.ai's document verification tool after that - you can upload the UCC search results and it automatically cross-checks for terminations and continuation status. Saves a ton of time compared to manually clicking through every filing.
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Khalid Howes
Multiple active UCC-1 filings on the same debtor is actually pretty common, especially for companies with equipment financing from different lenders. Each lender can have their own perfected security interest as long as the collateral descriptions don't overlap.
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Ben Cooper
•That makes sense but how do I know if our collateral conflicts with what's already filed?
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Naila Gordon
•You need to review the collateral descriptions in each active UCC-1. Look for specific equipment serial numbers or broad category descriptions that might include your equipment.
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Cynthia Love
Been doing UCC searches for 15 years and this is why I always recommend getting certified copies of all the filings, not just the search results. The search results don't show you terminations or amendments that happened after the original filing date.
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Darren Brooks
•Certified copies cost extra though, right? For 4 different filings that could add up.
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Rosie Harper
•Usually $2-5 per certified copy depending on the state. Small price to pay for lien priority certainty.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•Or you could use something like Certana.ai to verify the filing status first before ordering certified copies. I upload my search results there and it flags which filings are still active vs terminated. Then I only order certified copies for the ones that actually matter.
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Demi Hall
This exact scenario happened to me last month! Three UCC-1 filings showed up for my debtor and I was totally confused about which ones were still valid. Turns out two had been terminated but the termination statements weren't showing up in the basic search view.
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Mateusius Townsend
•How did you find the termination statements? Did you have to search by filing number separately?
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Kara Yoshida
•I ended up calling the Secretary of State office and they walked me through their advanced search options. You can search by original filing number to see all related amendments and terminations.
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Philip Cowan
PRO TIP: Always check the effective date vs filing date on UCC-1 filings. Sometimes there's a gap that affects your lien priority analysis, especially if there were any amendments or assignments between the original filing and now.
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Caesar Grant
•What's the difference between effective date and filing date? I thought they were the same thing.
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Lena Schultz
•Filing date is when the SOS received it, effective date is when it actually took effect. Usually the same but not always, especially with corrections or amendments.
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Gemma Andrews
•This is getting really complicated. Is there a simpler way to handle UCC 1 search results without having to become an expert in all these date calculations and termination tracking?
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Pedro Sawyer
Look, I know this seems overwhelming but UCC lien searches are critical for protecting your security interest. Missing an active lien could put you in a subordinate position or worse. Take the time to do it right or use a service that can automate the verification process.
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Mae Bennett
•What kind of service automates UCC verification? I've never heard of that.
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Beatrice Marshall
•There are a few options out there. I've been using Certana.ai for UCC document verification - you just upload your search results and it automatically checks for terminations, continuations, and filing inconsistencies. Much faster than doing it manually and catches things I might miss.
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Melina Haruko
•Does that actually work reliably? Seems like something that would require human judgment to get right.
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Dallas Villalobos
The real issue here is that state UCC search portals are designed terribly. They show you the original filings but make it nearly impossible to see the current status without digging through related documents. It's like they want to make lien searches as confusing as possible.
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Reina Salazar
•EXACTLY! Why can't they just show active vs terminated status right in the search results? This isn't rocket science.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•Because then they couldn't charge you extra fees for certified copies and detailed filing histories. It's all about revenue generation.
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Demi Lagos
•That's probably true but complaining about it doesn't help solve the immediate problem. You still need to verify which liens are active before moving forward with your financing.
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Mason Lopez
UPDATE: I went back and checked each filing individually. Found termination statements for 2 of the 4 UCC-1 filings, so only 2 are actually still active. The process took about an hour but at least now I know which liens I'm dealing with. Thanks for the advice everyone!
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Vera Visnjic
•Glad you got it sorted out! An hour well spent to avoid potential lien priority issues down the road.
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Jake Sinclair
•Good work on following through. A lot of people skip this step and end up with problems later.
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Brielle Johnson
•For next time, those document verification tools people mentioned might save you some of that manual checking time. Just a thought for future UCC searches.
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