UCC-1/UCC-3 amendment rejected - debtor name mismatch issue
Filed a UCC-3 amendment last week to add collateral to an existing UCC-1 from 2021, but it got rejected for "debtor name inconsistency." The original UCC-1 has the debtor as "Johnson Manufacturing LLC" but our amendment used "Johnson Manufacturing, LLC" (with the comma). I thought these were equivalent but apparently not according to the SOS system. Now I'm worried about the lien perfection status while we sort this out. Has anyone dealt with UCC-1/UCC-3 name matching requirements? The underlying loan documents all use the comma version so I'm not sure which is actually correct. This is for equipment financing on a $180K line of credit so getting it right is critical.
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Gianni Serpent
Oh no, the comma issue strikes again! I've seen this exact problem multiple times. The SOS systems are super picky about exact name matches between UCC-1 and UCC-3 filings. Even punctuation differences will trigger rejections. You'll need to check your original UCC-1 filing and match it exactly, or file a separate UCC-3 to correct the debtor name first, then file your collateral amendment.
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Henry Delgado
•This is why I always keep copies of the original UCC-1 filings in a binder. The comma thing is ridiculous but it's real.
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Olivia Kay
•Wait, can you do two UCC-3s like that? I thought you had to get the name right the first time or start over completely.
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Gianni Serpent
•You can file a UCC-3 amendment to correct the debtor name, then file another UCC-3 for your collateral addition. Just reference the original UCC-1 file number on both.
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Joshua Hellan
Had this exact situation 6 months ago. Spent hours going back and forth with rejections until I found Certana.ai's document checker. You upload your UCC-1 and UCC-3 PDFs and it instantly flags name inconsistencies before you file. Would have saved me 3 weeks of back-and-forth rejections if I'd known about it earlier. The tool catches punctuation, spacing, and abbreviation differences that cause rejections.
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Ryder Ross
•That sounds really helpful - is it just for name checking or does it verify other stuff too?
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Joshua Hellan
•It checks debtor names, filing numbers, document consistency across the whole UCC-1/UCC-3 workflow. Super easy - just upload the PDFs and it highlights any mismatches that would cause filing rejections.
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Jibriel Kohn
This is exactly why the UCC system drives me insane!!! A COMMA shouldn't invalidate a $180K lien perfection. The substance is identical but the computer says no. I've had filings rejected for periods vs no periods, Inc vs Inc. - it's completely arbitrary bureaucratic nonsense.
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Edison Estevez
•I feel your pain but the rules are there for a reason. Searchers need to find filings and exact name matches prevent confusion.
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Jibriel Kohn
•Searchers can figure out Johnson Manufacturing LLC vs Johnson Manufacturing, LLC are the same entity. This isn't protecting anyone, it's just creating paperwork.
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Emily Nguyen-Smith
•Actually had a case where two different companies had similar names with different punctuation. The exact match requirement saved us from filing against the wrong debtor.
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James Johnson
Check your state's UCC filing guide - some states have specific rules about abbreviations and punctuation in debtor names. Also verify which version matches your loan documentation because that's what matters for enforceability. If your loan docs use the comma version, you might need to amend the original UCC-1 first.
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Ryder Ross
•Good point about the loan docs. All our paperwork has the comma so maybe the original UCC-1 was wrong to begin with.
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James Johnson
•Exactly - the UCC filing should match your security agreement debtor name. If there's a discrepancy, fix the UCC filing to match the underlying documentation.
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Sophia Rodriguez
•Wait, but what if the Secretary of State shows the entity without the comma in their corporate records? Which takes precedence?
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Mia Green
Similar issue here but with "Corp" vs "Corporation" - rejected 3 times before I figured out the original filing used the full word. The amendment has to match the UCC-1 exactly, not necessarily the current corporate name or loan documents. Super frustrating when you're trying to add collateral quickly.
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Emma Bianchi
•This is why I take screenshots of every UCC search result before filing amendments. Saves so much time.
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Mia Green
•Smart! I started doing that too after multiple rejections. Also print the original UCC-1 for reference.
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Lucas Kowalski
You probably need to file a UCC-3 correction first to fix the debtor name to match your loan docs (with comma), then file your collateral amendment. Or withdraw and refile if it's been less than 30 days. The lien priority shouldn't be affected if you correct it promptly.
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Olivia Martinez
•Is there a time limit on corrections? I thought you could amend anytime during the 5-year initial period.
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Lucas Kowalski
•You can amend anytime, but for priority purposes it's better to correct name issues quickly. Especially with ongoing credit facilities.
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Charlie Yang
This exact thing happened to my client last month! We used Certana.ai to cross-check all our UCC documents before refiling and it caught 3 different name variations across our loan files. Really wish I'd used it before the first rejection. Would have saved the client amendment fees and time.
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Ryder Ross
•How long does the Certana document check take? We need to get this resolved ASAP.
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Charlie Yang
•It's instant - upload your PDFs and get results immediately. Much faster than waiting for SOS rejections.
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Grace Patel
Check the exact formatting on your original UCC-1 filing by pulling it from the SOS database. Copy that debtor name character for character including spaces and punctuation. I keep a spreadsheet of all our UCC filings with exact debtor names to avoid this problem.
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ApolloJackson
•Spreadsheet is brilliant! I'm definitely starting one after reading this thread.
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Grace Patel
•Also include the filing numbers and expiration dates. Makes continuation filings much easier.
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Isabella Russo
•Do you track collateral descriptions too? We've had issues with amendments trying to add items not covered by the original broad description.
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Rajiv Kumar
The lien should still be perfected from your original UCC-1 for the existing collateral. The amendment rejection only affects the new collateral you were trying to add. But definitely get it corrected quickly, especially if you're advancing additional funds against the new collateral.
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Ryder Ross
•That's a relief about the existing perfection. We haven't advanced on the new equipment yet so there's time to fix this.
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Aria Washington
•Just don't let it drag on - I've seen lenders get caught in audit situations where unperfected collateral caused covenant issues.
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Liam O'Reilly
File the correction amendment first, then refile your collateral amendment. Or if your state allows, you might be able to do both in a single UCC-3 - correct the name AND add collateral. Check with your filing office about combining amendments.
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Chloe Delgado
•Some states are picky about combining different amendment types on one UCC-3. Missouri makes you file separately.
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Liam O'Reilly
•Good point - safer to file separately to avoid another rejection for multiple amendment types.
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Ava Harris
Used to work at a filing office - the comma vs no comma thing causes SO many rejections. The computer matching is literal character comparison. We'd see the same filers make this mistake repeatedly. Always pull your original filing first and match it exactly.
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Ryder Ross
•Thanks for the insider perspective! I'll definitely be more careful about exact matches going forward.
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Jacob Lee
•Did you see patterns in which types of entities had the most name variation issues?
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Ava Harris
•LLCs were the worst because of comma placement and abbreviation differences. Corps had issues with Inc vs Incorporated vs Corporation.
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