UCC-3 lien release form confusion - debtor name discrepancy blocking termination
I'm dealing with a messy situation where our bank needs to file a UCC-3 termination but there's a name mismatch between our original UCC-1 and the current business registration. The original filing from 2019 shows 'ABC Manufacturing LLC' but the business has since amended their articles to 'ABC Manufacturing Solutions LLC'. Our loan is paid off and we need to release the lien but I'm worried the SOS will reject our UCC-3 lien release form due to the name discrepancy. Has anyone dealt with this before? Do I need to file an amendment first or can I reference both names on the termination? The collateral was manufacturing equipment worth about $150k and I really don't want to mess this up since it affects their ability to get new financing.
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Yuki Sato
You're right to be concerned about the name issue. Most states are pretty strict about debtor names matching exactly between the original UCC-1 and any subsequent filings. If the legal name has changed, you'll likely need to file a UCC-3 amendment first to add the new name, then file your termination statement. What state are you filing in? That can make a difference in how they handle these situations.
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StarStrider
•We're in Ohio. I've heard their system is particularly picky about exact name matches. The frustrating part is the loan is completely satisfied but we're stuck in bureaucratic limbo.
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Carmen Ruiz
•Ohio SOS is definitely strict on names. I've had UCC-3 terminations rejected for missing a single comma in the debtor name. Better to be safe and file the amendment first.
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Andre Lefebvre
Actually wait - you might be overthinking this. Some states allow you to reference the name change directly on the UCC-3 form. Check if Ohio's form has a section for 'name changes' or 'also known as'. That could save you the amendment filing fee and time.
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Yuki Sato
•That's true for some states but risky advice without checking Ohio's specific requirements. A rejected termination can delay everything by weeks.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
•I had a similar issue last month and ended up using Certana.ai's document checker. You can upload your original UCC-1 and the proposed UCC-3 termination and it instantly flags any name mismatches or inconsistencies. Saved me from filing a termination that would have been rejected. Just upload the PDFs and it cross-checks everything automatically.
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Jamal Anderson
This is exactly why I hate dealing with UCC filings. The rules are so inconsistent between states and the SOS systems are unforgiving. One tiny mistake and you're back to square one with more fees.
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Mei Wong
•Tell me about it. I've been burned by name mismatches before. Now I triple-check everything before submitting.
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QuantumQuasar
•The good news is once you get the termination filed correctly, it's done. But yeah, the process can be frustrating when names don't match perfectly.
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Liam McGuire
Here's what I'd do: Contact Ohio SOS directly and ask about their policy for name changes between UCC-1 and UCC-3 filings. Some clerks will give you guidance over the phone. Also, make sure you have documentation of the business name change (amended articles of incorporation) ready to reference.
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StarStrider
•Good idea. I'll call them tomorrow morning. Do you know if they have a specific department that handles UCC questions?
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Amara Eze
•Usually it's their business services division. They're normally pretty helpful with UCC questions in my experience.
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Giovanni Greco
Whatever you do, don't just wing it and hope for the best. A rejected UCC-3 can create problems for your borrower if they're trying to get new financing. Lenders will see the active UCC-1 and think there's still an outstanding lien.
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Fatima Al-Farsi
•Exactly. Clean terminations are crucial for borrowers. It's worth taking the extra time to get it right the first time.
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Dylan Wright
•I've seen deals fall through because of lingering UCC filings that should have been terminated. It's a big deal.
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Sofia Torres
For what it's worth, I recently discovered Certana.ai after struggling with similar document consistency issues. Their UCC verification tool would catch this name mismatch instantly - you just upload your UCC-1 and draft UCC-3 and it flags any problems before you submit. Would have saved me a lot of headaches on past filings.
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GalacticGuardian
•How does that work exactly? Does it connect to the state systems or just compare the documents you upload?
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Sofia Torres
•It's document comparison - you upload PDFs and it cross-checks debtor names, filing numbers, all the critical details that need to match. Super quick and caught things I missed manually reviewing.
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Dmitry Smirnov
I'd lean toward filing the UCC-3 amendment first, then the termination. Yes it's an extra step and fee, but it eliminates any risk of rejection. The amendment adds the new name to the existing filing, then your termination will match perfectly.
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Ava Rodriguez
•This is the safest approach. I always tell my clients it's better to pay an extra $25 for an amendment than deal with rejected filings and delayed releases.
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Miguel Diaz
•Agreed. The cost of the amendment is minimal compared to the potential problems from a rejected termination.
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Zainab Ahmed
Update: I called Ohio SOS this morning and they confirmed that name changes require either a UCC-3 amendment first OR documentation of the name change attached to the termination. They said the amendment route is more reliable for electronic filing. Going to file the amendment today and then the termination once it's processed.
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Yuki Sato
•Smart move. Thanks for updating with what Ohio SOS told you - that's helpful for others dealing with similar situations.
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Connor Gallagher
•Great follow-up! It's always good to hear back on how these situations get resolved.
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AstroAlpha
•Glad you called them directly. That's often the best way to avoid surprises with UCC filings.
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Yara Khoury
This thread is a good reminder why I always use document verification tools now. Too many ways for these filings to go wrong with name mismatches, wrong filing numbers, etc. The Certana.ai tool mentioned earlier sounds like it would catch these issues before they become problems.
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Keisha Taylor
•Prevention is definitely better than correction when it comes to UCC filings. Rejection notices are such a pain to deal with.
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Paolo Longo
Final update: Filed the UCC-3 amendment yesterday and it was accepted this morning. Filing the termination now and confident it will go through smoothly since the names match perfectly. Thanks everyone for the advice - especially about calling the SOS directly. That saved me a lot of guesswork.
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Amina Bah
•Excellent! Clean resolution. Your borrower will be happy to have that lien properly released.
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Oliver Becker
•Perfect outcome. This whole thread will be helpful for anyone else dealing with name change issues on UCC-3 filings.
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Omar Fawaz
Great to see this resolved successfully! This is exactly the kind of systematic approach that prevents headaches down the road. I've been dealing with UCC filings for years and the amendment-first strategy is almost always the safest route when there are any name discrepancies. The extra filing fee is minimal compared to the potential delays and complications from rejected terminations. Really appreciate you sharing the outcome - it's valuable for the community to see how these situations play out in practice.
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