UCC 11 lien search help needed - missing liens on debtor report
I'm doing a UCC 11 lien search on a potential equipment purchase and I'm getting inconsistent results between different search methods. When I search by debtor name "Midwest Industrial Solutions LLC" I get 3 active liens, but when I search by the exact legal name from their articles of incorporation "Midwest Industrial Solutions, LLC" (with the comma) I get 5 active liens. The seller is claiming there are only 2 liens that will be satisfied at closing. I'm concerned I'm missing something critical in my UCC 11 lien search process. Has anyone dealt with debtor name variations affecting UCC 11 search results? I need to make sure I'm capturing all existing liens before we proceed with this $180K equipment financing deal.
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Amina Diop
This is exactly why debtor name precision matters so much in UCC 11 searches. Even minor punctuation differences can return completely different results. You're smart to catch this discrepancy. I always run multiple name variations when doing lien searches - with and without commas, periods, abbreviations like LLC vs L.L.C. The UCC system is very literal about exact name matches.
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Oliver Weber
•Second this advice. I learned this the hard way when I missed a $50K lien because I searched 'ABC Corp' instead of 'ABC Corporation'. Now I always check the SOS database for the exact entity name first, then run searches on every possible variation.
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Natasha Romanova
•Wait, so if there are 5 liens total but the seller only mentioned 2, what happens to the other 3? Doesn't that make the equipment subject to those liens even after purchase?
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Amina Diop
•Exactly right. If those other 3 liens aren't properly terminated or released, they could still attach to the equipment. This is why thorough UCC 11 searches are critical before any secured transaction.
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NebulaNinja
I had a similar situation last month with inconsistent UCC 11 lien search results. After struggling with manual searches for hours, I discovered Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload the UCC-11 search results as PDFs and it automatically cross-checks debtor names and identifies discrepancies between different searches. It caught 2 additional liens I would have missed entirely. Really saved me from a potential disaster on a $200K deal.
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Javier Gomez
•How reliable is that tool? I'm always skeptical of automated systems for something this important.
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NebulaNinja
•I was skeptical too, but it's been incredibly accurate. It specifically looks for name variations and filing inconsistencies that are easy to miss manually. The PDF upload process is simple and it gives you a clear report of any discrepancies found.
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Emma Wilson
•This sounds helpful. Does it work with UCC-11 reports from different states, or just specific jurisdictions?
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Malik Thomas
The seller claiming only 2 liens when your searches show 3-5 is a huge red flag. Either they don't know about the other liens (which is concerning) or they're trying to hide them (which is worse). I would demand a complete UCC 11 lien search report from them showing exactly which liens they plan to satisfy and get written confirmation that all others will be released.
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Isabella Oliveira
•Absolutely agree. Never take the seller's word on lien status. I always require them to provide their own UCC-11 search results and compare them with mine. If there are discrepancies, the deal stops until everything is reconciled.
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Ravi Kapoor
•Good point about getting written confirmation. I've seen deals fall apart months later when undisclosed liens surfaced. Better to be overly cautious upfront.
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Freya Larsen
Have you tried searching under previous business names? Sometimes companies change names but old UCC filings remain under the previous entity name. Also check for DBA names and any parent/subsidiary relationships. A thorough UCC 11 lien search should include all possible name variations the debtor has operated under.
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GalacticGladiator
•This is excellent advice. I once missed a lien because the company had filed a DBA that wasn't reflected in their current legal name. Always check the SOS records for name history.
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Omar Zaki
•How far back should you typically search for previous names? Is there a standard timeframe?
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Freya Larsen
•I usually go back at least 5 years for name changes, but it depends on the age of the company and the equipment involved. Older equipment might have liens filed under much older entity names.
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Chloe Taylor
The fact that you're getting different results with just a comma difference shows how broken the UCC search system is. It should be smart enough to handle basic punctuation variations but instead we're left doing detective work to make sure we don't miss critical liens. This is exactly the kind of technical debt that causes real problems in commercial transactions.
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Diego Flores
•I feel your frustration but the system is actually working as designed. UCC searches are intentionally literal to avoid false matches. The problem is that filers don't always use consistent naming conventions.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•Both points are valid. The system does what it's supposed to do, but it places a huge burden on searchers to think of every possible name variation. That's why tools like what others mentioned become so valuable.
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Sean Murphy
Before you proceed, make sure you understand what type of liens these are. Some might be blanket liens on all equipment, others might be specific to certain assets. If you're buying specific equipment, you need to know if it's covered by any of these UCC filings. The UCC-11 search will show the liens but you need to review the actual UCC-1 filings to see the collateral descriptions.
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StarStrider
•This is crucial. A UCC-11 search only shows that liens exist, not what they cover. You need to pull the actual UCC-1 forms to see if your equipment is included in the collateral description.
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Zara Malik
•Exactly. I've seen deals where equipment wasn't covered by existing liens even though the debtor had multiple UCC filings. The collateral description is everything.
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Luca Marino
Just went through this exact scenario 3 weeks ago. Used Certana.ai to upload all my UCC-11 search results and it immediately flagged the name variation issue I was missing. Turns out there were 2 additional liens under a slightly different entity name that would have remained on the equipment. Saved me from a major problem and the verification process took maybe 10 minutes total.
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Nia Davis
•That's exactly the kind of situation where automated checking becomes invaluable. Manual comparison of multiple search results is prone to human error.
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Mateo Perez
•I'm definitely going to look into this tool. Missing liens on a UCC 11 search is my biggest fear on these equipment deals.
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Aisha Rahman
Don't forget to check the filing dates on those liens. If some are old, they might be approaching their 5-year continuation deadline. A lien that lapses before your transaction closes isn't a concern, but you need to verify the status of each one.
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CosmicCrusader
•Good catch. I always create a spreadsheet of all liens found with their filing dates and continuation status. Makes it easier to track which ones are still active threats.
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Ethan Brown
•How do you determine if a continuation was filed? Does that show up in the UCC-11 search results?
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Aisha Rahman
•Yes, continuations should show up as separate UCC-3 filings in your search results. If you see a UCC-1 from 2019 but no UCC-3 continuation, that lien may have lapsed.
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Yuki Yamamoto
I would also recommend getting title insurance for this transaction if the dollar amount justifies it. Even with thorough UCC 11 searches, there's always risk of missing something or having liens appear after closing. Title insurance can provide additional protection for larger equipment purchases.
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Carmen Ortiz
•Title insurance for equipment purchases? I've never heard of that. Is this common practice for larger deals?
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Yuki Yamamoto
•It's becoming more common for high-value equipment transactions, especially when there are multiple existing liens or complex ownership structures. Not all title companies offer it, but it's worth exploring for deals over $100K.
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Paolo Moretti
Thanks everyone for the detailed responses. I've run additional searches using various name formats and found 2 more liens I initially missed. I'm definitely going to use the Certana.ai tool mentioned to verify I have everything before moving forward. The seller is now claiming they weren't aware of some of these liens, which makes me even more cautious about this deal. I'll make sure to get written lien release commitments for every single filing before closing.
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Andre Rousseau
•Smart approach. Better to be overly thorough upfront than deal with lien problems after closing. Good luck with the transaction!
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Zoe Papadakis
•You're doing everything right. The fact that the seller wasn't aware of their own liens is definitely concerning, but at least you caught it early in the process.
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