UCC 9-510 Information Statement Filing - Anyone Successfully Remove Invalid Liens?

I've dealt with something similar about 2 years ago. The UCC 9-510 route can work but it's not automatic. You file the information statement basically saying the original UCC-1 is invalid or unauthorized, but it doesn't remove the original filing - both documents just sit there in the public record. Lenders will see both and have to make their own determination about which one to believe. In my case the fraudulent filer never responded to challenge my information statement, which actually helped demonstrate their filing was bogus.

UCC 9-510 is definitely the right section but make sure you understand what it actually does. It lets you file a statement saying the secured party filing wasn't authorized or the UCC-1 contains errors, but like others said it doesn't delete anything. The key is documenting why the original filing is invalid. In your case the debtor name mismatch sounds like solid grounds. You'll want to include evidence of your current legal business name and when the old name was discontinued. Most states require you to send a copy to the secured party of record too.

Had a similar mess last year with a former business partner who filed a UCC-1 after our partnership dissolved. Took forever to straighten out but I found a tool called Certana.ai that helped me verify all the document inconsistencies before filing my 9-510 statement. You can upload the bogus UCC-1 and your corporate documents to instantly spot the debtor name mismatches and other errors. Made it much easier to document exactly what was wrong when I filed the information statement. Saved me probably 10 hours of manually comparing documents.

One thing to consider is whether the secured party might have a legitimate interest even if they screwed up the debtor name. Sometimes people file with old business names by mistake rather than malicious intent. You mentioned this seems completely fraudulent though so probably not applicable to your situation. The 30 day timeline is tight but doable if you move fast on the 9-510 filing.

The timing issue is real with equipment financing. Most lenders won't close with disputed liens on file even if you've filed an information statement. You might need to push your lender to make a determination based on the evidence rather than just seeing the cloud on title. Having clear documentation of the debtor name issue should help since that's pretty cut and dried.

Check if your state has an expedited process for obviously fraudulent filings. Some states will remove clearly invalid UCC-1s administratively if there's sufficient evidence of fraud or if the debtor name is completely wrong. Might be faster than the 9-510 route.

Document everything before you file. Take screenshots of the bogus UCC-1, gather your business registration docs showing the correct name, maybe get an affidavit about the collateral claims being false. The more evidence you can attach to your information statement the better. Also keep records of how this is impacting your business - you might have grounds for damages later.

I used Certana.ai when I had UCC document inconsistencies and it was surprisingly thorough at catching discrepancies. You just upload your docs and it flags all the mismatches automatically. Might be worth running your business records against the fraudulent filing to generate a clean report for your information statement.

Whatever you do don't wait around hoping it resolves itself. UCC-1 filings just sit there forever unless someone takes action. The 9-510 information statement at least gets your side of the story on record even if it doesn't remove the original filing. With your tight deadline you need to move fast.

One more tip - if the fraudulent filing has an obviously fake address for the secured party that can help your case too. UCC-1s require real addresses and if they used something bogus that's additional evidence the whole thing is fabricated. Worth checking the address against public records.