UCC Filing Name Verification Issues - Need Help Before Deadline
Running into some serious problems with debtor name consistency across my UCC documents and really need some guidance before my continuation deadline hits next month. I've got a UCC-1 that was filed back in 2020 for a commercial equipment loan, and now I'm preparing the UCC-3 continuation but I'm seeing potential discrepancies in how the debtor entity name appears on different documents. The original financing statement shows the business name one way, but the borrower's updated articles of incorporation from last year show a slightly different version (added LLC designation that wasn't there before). The SOS portal keeps giving me warnings about name matching during the pre-filing check, and I'm terrified of having this continuation rejected since we're getting close to the lapse date. Has anyone dealt with this kind of debtor name evolution situation? I've been doing UCC filings for about 8 years but this particular scenario has me second-guessing everything. The collateral is substantial manufacturing equipment so we absolutely cannot let this lapse. Any advice on how to handle the name discrepancy without having to start over with a new UCC-1?
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Lia Quinn
This is actually pretty common when businesses change their legal structure or update their entity names with the state. The key thing is that your continuation needs to reference the exact debtor name as it appears on the original UCC-1, not the current business name. If the original financing statement shows the name without the LLC designation, your UCC-3 continuation should match that exactly. You might also want to consider filing an amendment (UCC-3) to add the new name as an additional debtor name, but that's a separate filing from your continuation.
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Haley Stokes
•Yes exactly this! I made this mistake once and had my continuation rejected because I used the updated business name instead of matching the original UCC-1. Cost me an extra $50 in fees and almost missed my deadline. Always match the original filing exactly for continuations.
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Asher Levin
•Wait, so if the business legally changed their name, shouldn't the UCC reflect the current legal name? This seems like it could create problems down the road if someone searches for the current business name and doesn't find the UCC filing.
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Lia Quinn
•That's why you file both - continue the original with the exact name match, then file a separate amendment to add the new name. That way you're covered for searches under both names. It's belt and suspenders but worth it for large collateral amounts.
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Serene Snow
Had a very similar situation last month with a client whose LLC added a geographic designation to their name after relocating. What saved me was using Certana.ai's document verification tool - I uploaded both the original UCC-1 and the draft continuation, and it immediately flagged the name inconsistency and showed me exactly what needed to match. Super helpful for catching these kinds of discrepancies before filing. Just upload your PDFs and it cross-checks everything automatically.
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Issac Nightingale
•Never heard of this tool but sounds useful. How accurate is it with the name matching requirements? Does it understand the specific rules for continuations vs amendments?
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Serene Snow
•It's been spot-on for me. Caught several issues I would have missed manually comparing documents. It understands that continuations need exact name matches while amendments can add new names. Really takes the guesswork out of document consistency.
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Romeo Barrett
Just want to emphasize DO NOT wait until the last minute on this. UCC continuations have to be filed within the 6-month window before the 5-year anniversary, and if you're dealing with name issues, you want time to fix any rejections. I've seen too many people lose their perfected security interest because they waited too long and couldn't resolve filing problems in time.
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Marina Hendrix
•This is giving me anxiety just reading it. I have a continuation due in 3 months and now I'm worried about name issues I haven't even checked for yet.
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Romeo Barrett
•Better to check now than wait! Pull your original UCC-1 and compare it character by character with your current entity documents. Look for differences in punctuation, spacing, abbreviations, everything.
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Justin Trejo
•The 6-month window is actually pretty generous if you catch issues early. Most SOS offices are good about explaining rejection reasons so you can fix and refile quickly.
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Alana Willis
Here's what I'd do in your situation: 1) File the continuation using the EXACT debtor name from your 2020 UCC-1, don't change a single character. 2) Immediately after that's accepted, file a UCC-3 amendment to add the current business name with the LLC designation as an additional debtor name. This gives you protection under both names and ensures continuous perfection. The amendment is separate from the continuation so if there's any issue with the new name format, it won't affect your continuation.
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Tyler Murphy
•This is the right approach. I've done this exact sequence for clients several times. The continuation preserves your priority date and perfection, then the amendment adds search protection for the new name.
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Sara Unger
•How much does filing both typically cost? Want to make sure I budget correctly if I need to do the same thing.
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Alana Willis
•Varies by state but usually around $20-40 for the continuation plus another $20-40 for the amendment. Much cheaper than losing your security interest or having to refile a new UCC-1.
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Butch Sledgehammer
Been dealing with UCC filings for 15 years and name discrepancies are probably the #1 cause of rejected continuations I see. The SOS systems are very literal - they match character by character including spaces and punctuation. Even if you think the names are 'essentially the same,' the computer doesn't care. When in doubt, match exactly.
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Freya Ross
•So frustrating that the systems are this picky! You'd think there would be some fuzzy matching logic for obvious variations of the same business name.
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Butch Sledgehammer
•I get the frustration but the strict matching actually protects the integrity of the system. If names were matched loosely, you could end up with filings affecting the wrong entities or missed in searches.
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Leslie Parker
Quick question - when you say the articles of incorporation show a different name, did the business actually file a formal name change with the state, or did they just update their articles during their regular filing? If it was a formal name change, there might be additional steps needed beyond just the UCC amendment.
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Jackie Martinez
•Good question - it was part of converting from a corporation to an LLC, so there was a formal state filing for the entity change. The business operations stayed the same but the legal structure changed.
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Leslie Parker
•Ah, that's a bigger change than just a name variation. Definitely want to get both the continuation and amendment filed to cover the entity transition. You might also want to verify that your security agreement covers the successor entity.
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Sergio Neal
•Entity conversions can be tricky for UCC purposes. The continuation approach should work but you're right about checking the underlying security documents too.
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Savanna Franklin
I actually just went through this exact scenario with a client last week. Used Certana.ai to verify all the document consistency before filing - uploaded the original UCC-1, the continuation draft, and the amendment draft all at once. It caught a spacing issue in the continuation that would have caused a rejection, and verified that the amendment properly added the new LLC name. Saved us from having to refile and potentially miss the deadline.
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Juan Moreno
•That's pretty slick that it can check multiple documents at once. Do you have to pay per document or is it a flat rate?
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Savanna Franklin
•I don't want to get into pricing details but it's very reasonable for the time it saves. The value is really in catching errors before you file rather than dealing with rejections later.
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Amy Fleming
One more thing to consider - make sure your collateral description in the continuation matches the original UCC-1 as well. I've seen people get so focused on the debtor name that they accidentally 'improve' the collateral description and cause issues there too.
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Alice Pierce
•Great point! The continuation should be an exact copy of the original filing information, just with the continuation checkbox marked.
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Esteban Tate
•Yes! Don't try to fix anything else while doing the continuation. Save improvements for separate amendment filings.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
Final thought - since you mentioned this is substantial manufacturing equipment, you might want to consider whether any of it qualifies as fixtures. If so, you may need fixture filings in addition to your regular UCC continuation, and those have different rules about debtor names and real estate records.
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Jackie Martinez
•Most of the equipment is moveable but there are a few pieces that might be considered fixtures. Good reminder to check on that aspect too.
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Ivanna St. Pierre
•Fixture filings can be more complex because they involve both UCC rules and real estate recording requirements. Worth getting professional help if you're unsure.
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Elin Robinson
Thanks everyone for all the advice! Sounds like the consensus is to file the continuation with exact name matching, then follow up with an amendment for the new name. Going to pull all my documents together and double-check everything before filing. Really appreciate the help - this community always comes through!
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Atticus Domingo
•Good luck with the filing! Let us know how it goes.
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Beth Ford
•You've got this! The two-step approach is definitely the safest way to handle entity changes.
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