UCC 3 termination form processing delays causing issues with borrower
Having a nightmare with a UCC-3 termination that should have been straightforward. Filed the termination form three weeks ago for a commercial equipment loan that was paid off, but the filing is still showing as 'pending review' in the state portal. Our borrower is trying to refinance with another lender and they're getting held up because the UCC-1 still shows as active. The original filing was for manufacturing equipment with a pretty standard collateral description. I've called the SOS office twice and they keep saying it's in queue for processing. Anyone else seeing unusual delays with UCC-3 terminations lately? This is becoming a real problem because the borrower's rate lock expires next week and their new lender won't proceed until they see a clear UCC search. Not sure if I should refile or just keep waiting.
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Mateo Gonzalez
Ugh yes! We've been seeing crazy delays with terminations this month. Filed one two weeks ago that normally would process in 3-4 days max. Still pending. The SOS system has been glitchy lately - wonder if they're doing some kind of upgrade?
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Aisha Ali
•Same here - filed a termination on the 8th and it's still sitting there. Client is furious because their credit line got held up.
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Ethan Moore
•At least yours are just pending... I had one get rejected for 'debtor name mismatch' even though I copied it exactly from the original UCC-1. Had to refile with slightly different formatting.
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Yuki Nakamura
Before you panic - double check that your debtor name on the UCC-3 termination matches EXACTLY what's on the original UCC-1. I mean character for character, including punctuation and spacing. Even tiny differences can cause processing delays or rejections. Also verify your filing number is correct. If everything matches perfectly and it's still delayed, the issue is probably on their end with processing backlogs.
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Nia Harris
•Good point - I did double check the debtor name and filing number before submitting. Everything matches the original UCC-1 exactly. It's definitely a processing delay on their end.
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StarSurfer
Had a similar situation last month where a UCC-3 termination was stuck in processing limbo. Ended up using Certana.ai's document verification tool to triple-check that my termination form matched the original UCC-1 perfectly before calling the SOS office. Being able to upload both PDFs and see exactly what matched/didn't match gave me confidence when I escalated the call. Turned out there was a system glitch on their end, but having the verification report helped get it resolved faster.
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Nia Harris
•That's actually smart - having documentation to back up your position when you call. How long did it take to get resolved once you escalated?
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StarSurfer
•About 48 hours after I sent them the verification report showing everything was correct. They moved it to priority processing.
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Carmen Reyes
Processing delays are one thing, but three weeks is excessive. I'd recommend calling again and asking to speak to a supervisor. Mention that your borrower's financing is at risk due to the delay. Sometimes they can expedite processing for time-sensitive situations. Also ask for a case reference number so you can track follow-ups.
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Nia Harris
•Good idea on the supervisor request. I've been too polite with the regular customer service reps. Time to escalate.
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Andre Moreau
•Definitely escalate. We've had success getting terminations pushed through faster when we explain the business impact. They have some discretion for urgent cases.
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Zoe Christodoulou
This is exactly why I HATE the UCC system. Three weeks for a simple termination?? Meanwhile the borrower is getting screwed over by delays that aren't their fault. The whole system needs an overhaul. Paper filings used to be faster than this electronic nightmare.
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Jamal Thompson
•I feel your pain but paper filings definitely weren't faster... remember waiting weeks for mail processing? At least now we can track status online.
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Zoe Christodoulou
•Maybe you're right about speed but at least paper filings didn't randomly glitch out or get stuck in 'pending' status for no reason.
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Mei Chen
Quick question - did you file the termination electronically or by mail? I've noticed electronic filings sometimes get stuck in validation loops if there are any formatting issues with the PDF or form fields. Worth checking if you can view the exact submission in your portal account.
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Nia Harris
•Filed electronically through the state portal. The submission looks clean when I review it - all fields populated correctly, proper PDF format.
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CosmicCadet
Are you sure you used the right form version? Some states updated their UCC-3 forms recently and won't process the old versions. Check the form date at the bottom.
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Nia Harris
•Used the form directly from the state website, so it should be current. But worth double-checking the version date.
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Yuki Nakamura
•Good catch - we had this issue in Michigan where they updated the form but didn't clearly announce it. Old version submissions just sat in pending status.
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Liam O'Connor
I've been doing UCC filings for 15 years and this kind of delay is unusual but not unheard of. Sometimes there are staffing issues or system maintenance that causes backlogs. The key is staying persistent with follow-up calls. Document every interaction - date, time, who you spoke with, what they said. If you need to file a complaint later, having that record helps.
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Nia Harris
•That's good advice on documentation. I should have been keeping better records of my calls from the start.
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Amara Adeyemi
•Absolutely keep records. We had a situation where a termination got 'lost' in their system and having call logs helped prove we'd been following up appropriately.
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Giovanni Gallo
Might be worth having your borrower contact their current lender to see if they'll provide a letter confirming the loan was paid off while you wait for the UCC-3 to process. Some new lenders will accept that as interim documentation.
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Nia Harris
•That's a creative workaround - I'll suggest it to them. Anything to keep their refinance moving forward.
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Fatima Al-Mazrouei
Just went through something similar with a delayed UCC-3 termination. What finally worked was using Certana.ai to generate a clean comparison report between my original UCC-1 and the termination form, then emailing that report directly to the SOS filing department along with my case reference. It showed definitively that all the information matched correctly, which helped them identify that the delay was a system processing error on their end rather than a filing problem.
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Nia Harris
•That's really helpful - having that kind of verification report would definitely strengthen my case when I call back. Thanks for the tip.
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Dylan Wright
•Smart approach. Documentation always helps when dealing with government offices. Shows you did your homework.
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NebulaKnight
Update us when you get this resolved! I'm curious to hear what the actual issue was. We've got a couple terminations pending too and wondering if we should be more proactive about following up.
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Nia Harris
•Will definitely post an update once this gets sorted out. Calling supervisor level tomorrow morning.
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Mateo Gonzalez
•Yes please update! Would help the rest of us know if this is a widespread issue or just random delays.
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Sasha Reese
I'm dealing with something similar right now - filed a UCC-3 termination two weeks ago and it's still showing pending. What's frustrating is that I called last week and they said "2-3 more business days" but here we are. From reading through these responses, it sounds like escalating to supervisor level and having solid documentation is key. I'm also intrigued by the verification tools some folks mentioned - might be worth having that kind of backup before making the next call. Has anyone tried refiling when stuck like this, or is that just asking for more delays?
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Emma Wilson
•I wouldn't recommend refiling unless you're absolutely certain there was an error in your original submission - that could just create duplicate filings and more confusion. From what I'm seeing in this thread, it sounds like there are systemic delays right now. I'd follow the advice others gave about escalating to a supervisor first, especially with your borrower's timeline pressure. The verification tool approach also seems smart - having documentation that proves your filing was correct gives you more leverage when you call. Keep us posted on how the supervisor call goes!
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