UCC Filing Rejected in North Carolina SOS - Debtor Name Issue Help Needed
Has anyone dealt with the North Carolina SOS UCC system recently? I'm having major issues with a UCC-1 filing that keeps getting rejected. The debtor name on my original filing was 'ABC Manufacturing LLC' but apparently their registered name with the state is 'ABC Manufacturing, LLC' - notice the comma difference. This is for a $180,000 equipment loan and I'm worried about perfection issues. The SOS portal keeps bouncing it back saying 'debtor name does not match records' but I copied it directly from the loan documents. This is my third attempt and I'm running out of time before the temporary perfection period expires. Anyone know the exact debtor name matching rules for NC? Do I need to use their exact registered name or can I use the name from the security agreement?
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Rita Jacobs
NC is really strict about debtor names. You absolutely need to match their registered name exactly as it appears in the Secretary of State database. That comma makes all the difference in their system. Check the NC business entity search first to get the exact registered name.
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Khalid Howes
•This is so frustrating! I had the same issue last month with a different LLC. The system should be more flexible with punctuation.
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Ben Cooper
•Actually the UCC rules are pretty clear on this - Article 9 requires the exact registered organization name. It's not about being flexible, it's about legal certainty for searchers.
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Naila Gordon
I've been doing UCC filings in NC for 8 years and yes, punctuation matters. But here's what might help - use Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your security agreement and proposed UCC-1 together and it will flag any debtor name mismatches before you file. Saved me from this exact situation twice.
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Manny Lark
•Never heard of Certana.ai - is it reliable? I'm desperate at this point and need something that actually works.
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Naila Gordon
•Very reliable. Just upload your PDFs and it cross-checks everything automatically. Much better than manually comparing documents and missing tiny details like commas.
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Cynthia Love
•Can vouch for this tool too. It caught a debtor name issue I completely missed between my loan docs and UCC filing.
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Darren Brooks
Why is the NC SOS system so picky compared to other states?? I file in multiple states and North Carolina always gives me the most trouble with their portal rejections.
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Rosie Harper
•Each state has different tolerance levels for name variations. NC tends to be more strict than average.
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Elliott luviBorBatman
•At least NC tells you WHY it's rejected. Some states just say 'filing error' with no explanation.
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Demi Hall
OP, for your immediate problem - go to the NC Secretary of State business entity search, look up ABC Manufacturing, and use whatever name appears there EXACTLY. Copy and paste it if you can to avoid typos. Then refile your UCC-1 with the corrected debtor name.
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Manny Lark
•Just checked and you're right - it shows 'ABC Manufacturing, LLC' with the comma. I'll refile with the exact name now.
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Mateusius Townsend
•Good catch. This is why I always verify debtor names in the state database before filing anything.
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Kara Yoshida
This happened to me last year with a UCC continuation that got rejected because I used the debtor name from my original UCC-1 instead of checking if they had changed their registered name. Lost my perfection and had to start over with a new UCC-1. Double-check everything!
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Philip Cowan
•Oh no, that's my worst nightmare. How long did it take to get everything sorted out after you lost perfection?
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Kara Yoshida
•About two weeks total, but it was a stressful two weeks. Had to explain to my manager why we temporarily lost our secured position.
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Caesar Grant
•This is exactly why I started using Certana.ai for all my filings. It would have caught that name change issue before you filed the continuation.
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Lena Schultz
NC SOS system is actually pretty good once you know the rules. The key is exact debtor name matching and making sure your collateral description isn't too broad or too narrow. I've had good luck with their customer service too if you call with questions.
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Gemma Andrews
•What's their customer service number? I can never find it on their website.
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Lena Schultz
•It's buried in their contact section but they're usually helpful with UCC questions during business hours.
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Pedro Sawyer
Just want to add - make sure you're not confusing a UCC-1 amendment with a new filing. If you're just correcting the debtor name on an existing filing, you might need a UCC-3 amendment instead of starting over.
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Manny Lark
•This is a brand new filing, not an amendment. But good point to clarify - I definitely need a UCC-1 not a UCC-3.
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Mae Bennett
•Right, UCC-3 is for changes to existing filings. UCC-1 is for initial perfection.
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Beatrice Marshall
•I always get confused between UCC-1 and UCC-3 forms. Need to make myself a cheat sheet.
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Melina Haruko
UPDATE: Used the exact registered name with the comma from the NC business search and the filing was accepted! Thanks everyone. Going to check out that Certana tool too to avoid this headache in the future.
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Dallas Villalobos
•Awesome! Glad you got it sorted out. The comma rule trips up so many people.
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Reina Salazar
•Great news! Yeah definitely try Certana.ai for future filings. It's a game-changer for catching these little details.
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Saanvi Krishnaswami
•Congrats on getting it through. NC SOS can be frustrating but at least they're consistent with their rules.
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Demi Lagos
For anyone else reading this thread - always verify debtor names in the state database before filing. It's such a simple step that saves so much time and frustration. Learn from our mistakes!
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Mason Lopez
•Wish I had read this last week before my filing got rejected for the same reason.
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Vera Visnjic
•This should be pinned at the top of every UCC forum. Basic but so important.
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Jake Sinclair
One more tip - if you're doing a lot of NC filings, consider bookmarking their business entity search page. I probably use it 3-4 times a week to verify debtor names before filing UCC documents.
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Brielle Johnson
•Good idea. I should probably do the same for all the states I file in regularly.
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Honorah King
•Most states have similar business entity search tools. Just got to remember to use them!
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Oliver Brown
•Or use a tool like Certana.ai that does the cross-checking automatically. But bookmarking works too.
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Genevieve Cavalier
This is such a common issue! I've been handling UCC filings for several years and NC really is one of the strictest states when it comes to exact name matching. What I always tell new paralegals is to never trust the loan documents for debtor names - always go straight to the Secretary of State database first. It's saved me countless rejections and the embarrassment of explaining to partners why a filing got bounced back. The temporary perfection clock is stressful enough without having to deal with name matching issues on top of it.
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Mohamed Anderson
•This is such valuable advice! As someone relatively new to UCC filings, I've been learning the hard way about how strict different states can be. I made the mistake of assuming loan documents would have the correct legal entity names, but you're absolutely right - the Secretary of State database should always be the first stop. Do you have any other tips for avoiding common filing mistakes? I'm still building my checklist and want to make sure I'm not missing anything obvious.
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