UCC 9 definitions causing debtor name issues on my fixture filing
I'm dealing with a fixture filing nightmare and keep running into UCC 9 definitions that don't match what our title company is telling us. We've got a manufacturing facility with integrated conveyor systems and the debtor entity name keeps getting flagged by the SOS portal. The equipment dealer insists their UCC-1 covers everything but I'm seeing references to 'fixtures' vs 'goods' in UCC 9 definitions that make me think we need separate filings. Has anyone dealt with this kind of definitional confusion? Our lender is getting antsy about the perfection timeline and I'm stuck trying to figure out if this equipment falls under the fixture filing rules or standard goods provisions in Article 9. The debtor name appears slightly different on the real estate records vs our security agreement and I can't tell from the UCC 9 definitions which version takes priority for fixture filings.
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Esteban Tate
Fixture filings are tricky because UCC 9 definitions treat them differently than regular equipment. The debtor name has to match exactly what's on the real estate records for fixture filings - that's a hard rule. If your conveyor system is actually integrated into the building structure, you're definitely in fixture filing territory regardless of what the equipment dealer says.
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Alice Pierce
•That's what I was afraid of. The real estate records show 'ABC Manufacturing LLC' but our security agreement uses 'ABC Manufacturing, LLC' with the comma. Is that comma difference going to kill our filing?
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Esteban Tate
•Yes, that comma difference will cause rejection. UCC 9 definitions are strict about exact name matching for fixture filings. You'll need to amend your security agreement or file using the exact real estate record name.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
I had this exact same issue last month! The UCC 9 definitions around fixtures vs goods had me going in circles. Ended up using Certana.ai's document checker to upload our deed and security agreement - it instantly flagged the name mismatch and showed exactly which UCC 9 definition applied to our equipment. Saved us from filing incorrectly.
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Alice Pierce
•Never heard of Certana.ai - does it actually parse the UCC 9 definitions or just check names?
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•It cross-references your documents and highlights inconsistencies. For our fixture filing, it caught that our equipment description didn't align with the UCC 9 definitions for fixtures. Really straightforward - just upload PDFs and get instant verification.
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Elin Robinson
•Interesting, I'll have to check that out. Been manually comparing documents for years and still miss things sometimes.
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Atticus Domingo
UCC 9 definitions are a mess when it comes to fixtures!! I've been filing for 15 years and still get confused by the 'related to real property' language. Your equipment dealer probably doesn't understand that integrated conveyor systems fall under different rules than portable equipment.
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Alice Pierce
•Exactly! They keep insisting it's just 'equipment' but this thing is bolted into the concrete foundation. Definitely feels like fixture territory to me.
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Atticus Domingo
•If it's bolted into the foundation, it's absolutely a fixture under UCC 9 definitions. Don't let the dealer confuse you - they probably want to avoid the extra paperwork.
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Beth Ford
oh boy fixture filings... i remember being so confused about this stuff. the ucc 9 definitions made no sense to me at first. sounds like you definitely need the real estate name version for the debtor field
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Alice Pierce
•Yeah it's confusing for sure. Did you end up figuring out your situation?
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Beth Ford
•eventually yes but it took forever and multiple calls to the SOS office. they kept referring me back to the ucc 9 definitions which honestly weren't that helpful
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Morita Montoya
The UCC 9 definitions section on fixtures is actually pretty clear if you read 9-102(a)(41). A fixture is goods that have become so related to particular real property that an interest in them arises under real property law. Your integrated conveyor system sounds like it meets that test.
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Alice Pierce
•Thank you for the specific section reference! That's exactly what I needed. Reading 9-102(a)(41) now.
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Morita Montoya
•Also check 9-334 for the perfection requirements. Fixture filings have different rules than regular UCC-1s, especially regarding the debtor name source.
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Esteban Tate
•Good catch on 9-334. That section specifically requires the debtor name to come from the real estate records, not the security agreement.
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Kingston Bellamy
This is giving me flashbacks to my own fixture filing disaster. Spent weeks going back and forth with the title company about UCC 9 definitions. The manufacturing equipment vs fixture distinction is so important but nobody explains it well. Hope you get it sorted out before your perfection deadline.
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Alice Pierce
•Thanks! Yeah the deadline pressure is real. What ended up working for your situation?
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Kingston Bellamy
•Had to re-file everything with the correct debtor name from the deed. Cost us extra time and fees but at least we got it perfected properly.
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Joy Olmedo
Been there!! UCC 9 definitions can be so frustrating when you're under pressure. I actually started using Certana.ai after a similar debtor name nightmare - now I upload all my documents before filing to catch these issues early. Would have saved me so much stress on my last fixture filing.
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Alice Pierce
•Multiple people mentioning Certana.ai now... might be worth checking out. Do they handle fixture filing rules specifically?
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Joy Olmedo
•Yeah they flag inconsistencies between different document types. For fixture filings it compared my deed to the UCC-1 and caught the debtor name difference immediately.
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Isaiah Cross
The real issue here is that UCC 9 definitions don't always align with how equipment dealers classify their products. I've seen this exact scenario before - integrated conveyor systems that dealers call 'equipment' but legally qualify as fixtures under Article 9.
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Alice Pierce
•Yes! The dealer keeps pushing back on the fixture classification but everything I'm reading suggests they're wrong.
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Isaiah Cross
•Trust the UCC 9 definitions over the dealer. They have a financial incentive to keep things simple, but you need to get the legal classification right for proper perfection.
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Atticus Domingo
•Exactly. Dealers often don't understand the legal implications of the UCC 9 definitions. They just want to sell equipment and move on.
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Kiara Greene
I'm dealing with something similar right now. UCC 9 definitions around 'goods' vs 'fixtures' seem straightforward until you get into real-world scenarios like yours. The integration test is key - if removal would damage the real property, it's probably a fixture.
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Alice Pierce
•That's a good test. This conveyor system would definitely damage the facility if removed - it's built into the floor and walls.
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Kiara Greene
•Then you're definitely in fixture territory. Make sure your UCC-1 description matches the real property integration and use the deed name for the debtor.
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Evelyn Kelly
ugh the ucc 9 definitions section always gives me a headache. sounds like youre on the right track though with the fixture filing approach. definitely use the real estate name version
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Alice Pierce
•Thanks for the confirmation. Sometimes you just need to hear it from multiple people to feel confident about the approach.
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Paloma Clark
Update us on how this turns out! I'm always interested in hearing how these UCC 9 definitions issues get resolved in practice. The fixture vs goods distinction trips up so many people.
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Alice Pierce
•Will do! Going to re-file with the exact real estate record name and see if that clears up the portal issues. Thanks everyone for the help with interpreting the UCC 9 definitions.
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Esteban Tate
•Good plan. That should resolve the rejection issues you were seeing.
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