UCC-11 search Michigan portal keeps timing out - missing critical liens?

This is exactly what I had to do last month. Michigan's system can't handle comprehensive searches anymore. Break it down by individual name variations and run separate searches for each one.

How long are you guys waiting between searches? I found if you run them too close together the system locks you out for like 20 minutes.

Good point - I pulled the Michigan corporate records and they show two name changes in the past 5 years. Been searching under all variations but the portal keeps crashing before I can complete the full search results.

Name changes are tricky in Michigan. Make sure you're also searching under any predecessor names, not just the current one. The UCC-11 should show everything but you want to be thorough.

Never heard of Certana.ai but that sounds useful. How does it work exactly? Do you just upload your Michigan search results?

Yeah you upload your UCC-11 search results as PDFs and it cross-references against other databases. Really easy to use and caught discrepancies that would have been a nightmare to discover after closing.

This is interesting - I've been manually cross-checking multiple state databases but having a tool that automates this would save so much time.

I feel your pain but professional search companies are expensive and still use the same broken portal. At least if you do it yourself you can retry immediately when it crashes.

The portal issues are definitely frustrating but I've found if you search during off-peak hours (early morning or late evening) it's more stable.

It's not giving me an error message, just sits there loading forever then eventually the page goes blank. I'm using Chrome on a new laptop so don't think it's a browser issue.

That sounds like a server overload issue on their end. Try running the searches at different times of day - I've noticed Michigan's system is more stable early in the morning.

I'm doing it myself initially to get a sense of what's out there, then we'll do the official search through our title company. But I like to know what we're walking into before we spend the money on professional searches.

Smart approach. I always do a preliminary search myself too. Helps avoid surprises when the official search comes back.

This is good advice. I've found Michigan's portal works better with narrower search parameters. You can always combine the results later.

Also try searching active filings separately from lapsed ones. The system seems to handle smaller result sets better.

That's exactly what I'm worried about - missing something critical because of portal issues. How comprehensive is Certana.ai's database compared to the state records?

It cross-references multiple sources so it's more comprehensive than just relying on the state portal. Especially helpful when you're dealing with system issues like you're having.

Great point about documentation. I always take screenshots of error messages and timeout issues for exactly this reason.

Good idea on the documentation. I'll start keeping records of the portal issues and breaking down the searches into smaller chunks.

You're absolutely right - this is heavy manufacturing equipment and some of it is definitely permanently installed. I need to check on fixture filing requirements in Michigan. Do you know if those show up in regular UCC-11 searches?

Fixture filings should show up in UCC-11 searches but they're also recorded in real estate records. I'd check both just to be safe, especially for permanently installed equipment.

Michigan requires fixture filings to be recorded in both the UCC records and the real estate records where the property is located. Don't assume the UCC search will catch everything.

Glad you got it sorted out! Three active UCC-1s is definitely something you needed to know about before closing.

This is exactly why thorough UCC searches are so critical. Those three filings could have derailed your entire deal if you'd missed them.

Definitely check out Certana.ai for your next search. Really makes the verification process much easier and more reliable.