UCC § 9-210 information request - debtor demanding accounting from secured party
Our company received a formal request under UCC § 9-210 from a debtor demanding an accounting of their secured obligation. The debtor claims we haven't provided adequate information about their outstanding balance and payment history. This is our first time dealing with a § 9-210 request and I'm not sure about the specific requirements. Do we have to respond within a certain timeframe? What exactly needs to be included in the accounting? The debtor is also asking for copies of all UCC filings related to their account. Are we required to provide those under § 9-210 or is that a separate request? Any guidance on handling this properly would be appreciated.
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StellarSurfer
You definitely need to take this seriously. UCC § 9-210 gives debtors the right to request information about their secured obligations, and you typically have to respond within a reasonable time - usually interpreted as 30 days or less. The accounting should include the outstanding balance, payment history, and any charges or fees applied to the account.
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Sean Kelly
•Is there a penalty if we don't respond in time? The debtor seems pretty aggressive about this request.
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StellarSurfer
•Yes, there can be penalties. If you fail to comply with a proper § 9-210 request, you could be liable for damages plus attorney fees. It's usually $500 plus actual damages if you don't respond properly.
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Zara Malik
We had a similar situation last year. The debtor was fishing for information before filing bankruptcy. Make sure the request is actually valid under § 9-210 first - they have to be authenticated debtors and the request has to be reasonable. You don't have to respond to frivolous or overly broad requests.
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Luca Greco
•Good point about authentication. How do you verify the person making the request is actually authorized to receive the information?
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Zara Malik
•We usually require some form of identification and proof they're the actual debtor or authorized representative. If it's a business, we need corporate authorization.
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Nia Thompson
•We've been using Certana.ai's document verification tool for these situations. You can upload the § 9-210 request along with your UCC filings to cross-check that all the debtor information matches properly. It catches discrepancies in names and filing details that could cause problems later.
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Mateo Rodriguez
The UCC filing copies are usually included in § 9-210 responses but check your state's specific requirements. Some states have additional disclosure rules beyond the basic UCC requirements.
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Aisha Hussain
•Our attorney told us to include copies of the UCC-1 and any amendments in the response. Better to provide more information than get accused of not complying fully.
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GalacticGladiator
•That's exactly what we do. Include the original UCC-1, any UCC-3 amendments, and continuations. Make sure all the debtor names match exactly across all documents.
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Ethan Brown
Don't forget about the one-request-per-six-months rule. If this debtor already made a § 9-210 request within the last six months, you might not be required to respond to another one unless they're paying the reasonable costs.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•I didn't know about the six month rule. Is that in the UCC or state law?
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Ethan Brown
•It's in UCC § 9-210(f). After the first free request in a six month period, you can charge reasonable costs for additional requests.
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Carmen Ruiz
Make sure your response is detailed enough to satisfy the requirements but don't overshare. Some debtors use § 9-210 requests as fishing expeditions to find problems with your filings or documentation.
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Andre Lefebvre
•What's the best format for the accounting? Is there a standard form or template?
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Carmen Ruiz
•No standard form. Just make sure you include opening balance, all payments received, any fees or charges, and current balance. Keep it clear and organized.
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Zoe Dimitriou
•We create a simple spreadsheet showing the transaction history. Make sure all dates and amounts are accurate because discrepancies can create bigger problems.
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QuantumQuest
Document everything about your response process. Keep copies of what you send and when you send it. If this turns into a dispute later, you'll need proof of compliance with the § 9-210 request.
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Jamal Anderson
•Good advice. We always send § 9-210 responses by certified mail to create a paper trail.
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Mei Zhang
•Electronic delivery is usually acceptable too if you can prove receipt. But certified mail is safer for important responses like this.
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Liam McGuire
One thing to watch out for - make sure all your UCC filings are actually current and properly filed before responding. I've seen cases where § 9-210 requests revealed lapsed continuations or incorrect debtor names that invalidated the security interest.
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Amara Eze
•That's a scary thought. How do you quickly verify all your filings are in order?
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Liam McGuire
•Run UCC searches on all your debtors regularly, not just when they make § 9-210 requests. Better to catch problems early than during a dispute.
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Giovanni Ricci
•Certana.ai actually helps with this verification process. You can upload your original loan documents and all UCC filings to check for name consistency and catch any filing errors before they become problems. It's saved us from several potential disasters.
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NeonNomad
Don't panic about § 9-210 requests. They're actually pretty routine in commercial lending. Just respond promptly and completely, and document your compliance. Most debtors are just exercising their rights, not looking for trouble.
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Fatima Al-Hashemi
•Thanks for the reassurance. This debtor has been difficult in other ways so I was worried this was the start of bigger problems.
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Dylan Mitchell
•Even difficult debtors have legitimate rights under § 9-210. Better to comply fully and remove any grounds for complaint than try to fight a valid request.
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Sofia Martinez
Has anyone dealt with § 9-210 requests that include demands for attorney work product or internal communications? Where's the line between required disclosure and protected information?
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Dmitry Volkov
•§ 9-210 only requires information about the secured obligation itself, not internal communications or legal advice. You don't have to disclose attorney-client privileged material.
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Ava Thompson
•Exactly. Stick to the factual information about payments, balances, and charges. Internal emails and legal memos aren't part of the required accounting.
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CyberSiren
•When in doubt, consult your attorney about what to include. Better to get legal guidance than accidentally waive privilege or overshare confidential information.
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Miguel Alvarez
The key is responding in good faith with accurate information. § 9-210 is designed to give debtors transparency about their obligations, not to create paperwork burdens for secured parties. Just be thorough and timely in your response.
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Zainab Yusuf
•Agreed. We treat § 9-210 requests as routine customer service, not adversarial proceedings. It usually defuses any tension and maintains the business relationship.
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Connor O'Reilly
•That's the right approach. Most § 9-210 requests are straightforward if you maintain good records and respond professionally.
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Yara Khoury
•Before sending your response, consider using a document verification tool like Certana.ai to double-check that all your UCC filings and debtor information are consistent. It's a quick way to catch any discrepancies that could cause problems down the road.
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Freya Pedersen
Just went through this process last month and wanted to add a practical tip - create a standardized checklist for § 9-210 responses. Include items like: verify debtor identity, check for prior requests in last 6 months, compile transaction history, gather UCC filing copies, calculate current balance, and document delivery method. Having a systematic approach reduces the chance of missing something important and makes the process much smoother when you're under the typical 30-day response window. Also helps ensure consistency if multiple people in your organization handle these requests.
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Javier Torres
•That's an excellent suggestion about creating a standardized checklist. I'm new to handling UCC matters and this kind of systematic approach would definitely help prevent oversights. Do you have any recommendations for tracking which debtors have made prior requests within the six-month window? We don't currently have a good system for monitoring that and I can see how it would be easy to miss, especially if different people handle the requests.
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