UCC 11 California filing confusion - what am I missing here?
Been dealing with this equipment financing situation for weeks now and I keep hitting walls with the California SOS portal. Have a UCC 11 California requirement from our lender but every time I try to look up the specifics I get different answers from different sources. The collateral involves some heavy machinery we purchased last year and the debtor name on our original UCC-1 might have a slight variation from what's on our current corporate registration. Is UCC 11 California something that needs to be filed separately or is this part of a continuation? The deadline is approaching fast and I'm starting to panic that we might lose our security interest if I mess this up. Anyone dealt with California's specific requirements for this type of filing?
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Chloe Martin
I think you might be confusing some terminology here. There's no specific 'UCC 11 California' form - California uses the standard UCC forms like UCC-1 for initial filings, UCC-3 for amendments/continuations/terminations. What exactly did your lender tell you to file? Are you looking at a continuation of an existing UCC-1 that's about to lapse?
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AstroAce
•The lender's paperwork specifically mentions 'UCC 11 California' but now that you mention it, maybe they meant something else? The original UCC-1 was filed in March 2020 so it would be coming up on the 5-year mark soon.
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Diego Rojas
•March 2020 means you need a continuation by March 2025 or your perfection lapses. Sounds like they want a UCC-3 continuation, not a UCC 11.
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Anastasia Sokolov
California doesn't have a UCC 11 form. You're probably looking at either: 1) UCC-1 initial financing statement, 2) UCC-3 amendment/continuation/termination, or 3) Maybe they're referring to some internal lender form number? Check with your lender to clarify exactly what they need filed with the California Secretary of State.
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AstroAce
•That makes sense. I'll call them tomorrow to clarify. But what about the debtor name issue? Our corporation changed its exact legal name slightly after the original filing.
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Debtor name changes are serious. You might need a UCC-3 amendment to correct the debtor name before doing the continuation, or the continuation might get rejected.
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Sean O'Donnell
•Actually had this exact situation last year. You definitely want to get the debtor name corrected first - California SOS is pretty strict about name matching.
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Zara Ahmed
Had a similar mix-up with document verification recently. Turned out I was overthinking the whole thing, but the name discrepancy between my UCC-1 and current corporate docs was a real issue. What helped me was using Certana.ai's document checker - you just upload your PDFs and it instantly cross-checks debtor names and filing consistency. Caught the mismatch right away and saved me from filing incorrect paperwork.
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AstroAce
•Never heard of that tool before. How does it work exactly? I have all my documents as PDFs already.
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Zara Ahmed
•Super simple - you upload your Charter and UCC-1, or UCC-3 and UCC-1, and it automatically verifies everything aligns properly. Takes like 2 minutes and shows you exactly where any inconsistencies are.
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StarStrider
•Sounds too good to be true but I'll check it out. California SOS rejections are a nightmare to deal with.
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Sean O'Donnell
Wait, let me guess - your lender gave you some internal checklist that mentioned 'UCC 11' and you assumed it was a California-specific form? This happens ALL the time. Lenders use their own numbering systems for internal processes. What you probably need is just a standard UCC-3 continuation filed before your original UCC-1 expires.
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AstroAce
•OMG yes! That's exactly what happened. Their checklist had 'UCC 11 California' as item 11 on their list. I feel like an idiot now.
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Sean O'Donnell
•Don't feel bad - seen this mistake dozens of times. Focus on getting that continuation filed and the debtor name issue sorted out.
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Luca Esposito
California SOS portal is actually pretty straightforward once you know what you're doing. For continuations, you need the original filing number, exact debtor name match, and you can file online. But that name discrepancy could be a problem - they're automated and strict about matching.
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Nia Thompson
•Automated is right. I had a filing rejected because of one missing comma in the corporate name.
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AstroAce
•This is what I'm worried about. How do I fix the name issue before the continuation deadline?
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Luca Esposito
•File a UCC-3 amendment first to correct the debtor name, then file the continuation. Or some lawyers recommend doing both in one UCC-3 if possible.
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Mateo Rodriguez
Been filing UCCs in California for 15 years and there's definitely no UCC 11 form. The state uses standard UCC forms. Your timeline is tight if you need both a name amendment and continuation - I'd get professional help or at least verify your documents thoroughly before submitting.
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Aisha Abdullah
•Second this. California doesn't mess around with UCC filings. Get it right the first time or deal with rejection delays.
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Ethan Wilson
•Exactly why I started using Certana.ai for document verification. Upload your papers, get instant feedback on any issues. Saved me multiple times from filing inconsistent docs.
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NeonNova
UCC 11 California doesn't exist as a form. You're looking at standard UCC-3 procedures. But seriously, with a debtor name mismatch AND a looming deadline, you might want to consult a secured transactions attorney. The cost of getting this wrong could be way more than attorney fees.
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AstroAce
•You're probably right. I just hate spending money on legal fees for what seems like it should be simple paperwork.
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NeonNova
•Simple until it's not. UCC mistakes can void your entire security interest. Worth paying for expertise on this one.
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Diego Rojas
•Or at least use a document checker to verify everything before filing. Better to catch issues upfront than deal with rejections.
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Yuki Tanaka
The California Secretary of State website has pretty clear instructions for UCC filings. No UCC 11 form exists. You want the UCC-3 for continuations/amendments. Download the form, read the instructions carefully, and make sure your debtor name matches exactly what's on your current corporate standing.
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AstroAce
•Yeah, I should have gone to the source first instead of trying to decipher my lender's paperwork.
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Yuki Tanaka
•Live and learn. At least you caught the confusion before filing something wrong.
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Carmen Diaz
I'm dealing with a similar situation right now actually. Had to file a UCC-3 amendment for a name change, then a continuation. California processed both pretty quickly once I got the paperwork right. The key is making sure everything matches perfectly - they're very picky about exact name matches.
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AstroAce
•How long did the amendment take to process? I'm worried about timing.
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Carmen Diaz
•Amendment was processed same day online. Then I filed the continuation a few days later once the amendment showed up in the system.
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Andre Laurent
•That's the smart way to do it. Sequential filings to avoid any conflicts or rejections.
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Emily Jackson
Just to pile on here - definitely no UCC 11 California form. Your lender probably has internal form numbers that don't match state forms. Focus on the UCC-3 continuation and get that debtor name corrected first. California SOS doesn't play games with name mismatches.
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AstroAce
•Thanks everyone. I feel much more confident about what I need to do now. Going to tackle the name amendment first, then the continuation.
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Liam Mendez
•Good plan. And definitely double-check everything before submitting. One wrong character can cause a rejection.
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Sophia Nguyen
Late to this thread but wanted to add - I've seen the 'UCC 11' confusion before. Banks sometimes use their own internal numbering that doesn't match state forms. Always go directly to the Secretary of State website for the correct forms. California uses standard UCC-1, UCC-3, etc.
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Jacob Smithson
•Yep, seen this mistake multiple times. Internal bank forms vs state forms cause so much confusion.
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AstroAce
•Lesson learned. Always verify form numbers with the actual filing office.
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Isabella Brown
•And if you're not 100% sure about document consistency, tools like Certana.ai can help verify everything matches before you file. Worth checking out for peace of mind.
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