UCC Filing for General Security Agreement BC - Debtor Name Format Issues
I'm handling a general security agreement BC filing and running into some debtor name formatting problems that are causing rejections. The borrower is a BC corporation but we're filing in multiple US states for cross-border collateral coverage. The SOS portal keeps rejecting our UCC-1 because the debtor name format doesn't match exactly between our general security agreement BC documentation and what we're entering in the filing system. Has anyone dealt with Canadian corporate debtor names in UCC filings? The exact legal name has some punctuation differences and I'm not sure if I should follow the BC corporate registry format or adapt it for US UCC requirements. This is holding up a $850K equipment financing deal and I need to get this right. The collateral includes manufacturing equipment located in both jurisdictions so the UCC filing is critical for perfection. Any guidance on proper debtor name formatting for BC entities would be appreciated.
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Javier Torres
Cross-border filings are always tricky with name formatting. I've seen this exact issue before with BC corps. The key is that your UCC-1 debtor name needs to match EXACTLY what's on the general security agreement, but some SOS systems have character limitations that can cause problems with Canadian corporate suffixes and punctuation.
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Emma Davis
•This is so frustrating! I had a similar issue last month with an Alberta corp and spent three days going back and forth with the filing office.
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Malik Johnson
•The character limit thing is real. Some states truncate names automatically which can void your perfection if it changes the legal identity.
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Isabella Ferreira
You absolutely cannot modify the debtor name from what appears on your security agreement. If the BC corporate registry shows punctuation or specific formatting, that's what goes on the UCC-1. Period. The US filing system needs to accommodate the legal name, not the other way around. Which states are you filing in? Some have better cross-border name handling than others.
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Natasha Volkova
•Filing in Washington, Oregon, and California primarily. The BC name has 'Ltd.' with a period but some portals seem to flag that as an error.
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Isabella Ferreira
•California's system usually handles Ltd. fine, but Washington can be pickier. Try entering it exactly as shown on the BC corporate documents first.
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Ravi Sharma
•Oregon definitely accepts the period in Ltd. - I file there regularly for Canadian entities.
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NebulaNomad
I've had success using Certana.ai's document verification tool for exactly this type of situation. You can upload your general security agreement BC documents alongside your draft UCC-1 and it will flag any name inconsistencies before you even submit to the SOS. Saved me from multiple rejected filings when I was dealing with a Quebec corporation last year. The cross-check catches formatting differences that might not be obvious but could cause perfection issues.
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Natasha Volkova
•That sounds helpful - does it work with Canadian corporate documents? I need something that can verify the exact match between my security agreement and the UCC filing.
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NebulaNomad
•Yes, it handles international corporate documents. Just upload your BC general security agreement PDF and your UCC-1 draft and it highlights any discrepancies in debtor names, entity types, etc.
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Freya Thomsen
BC corporate names can have specific formatting requirements that don't always translate cleanly to US UCC systems. Make sure you're pulling the name from the most current BC corporate registry search, not just the security agreement signature page. Sometimes there are slight variations even in the same transaction documents.
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Natasha Volkova
•Good point - I should double-check the BC registry directly. The security agreement is from their legal counsel so I assumed it was accurate.
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Freya Thomsen
•Always verify with the registry. Lawyers sometimes use shortened versions or have outdated information.
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Omar Fawaz
•This happened to me with an Ontario corp - the legal name had changed slightly between the security agreement drafting and filing, caused a huge mess.
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Chloe Martin
Why is cross-border UCC filing so complicated?? It should just work if you enter the right information but every state seems to have different rules about foreign entity names.
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Javier Torres
•Because each state controls its own UCC system and they weren't designed with international harmonization in mind.
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Diego Rojas
•The whole system needs an overhaul but that's not happening anytime soon unfortunately.
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Anastasia Sokolov
For BC corporations, I always include the full legal name exactly as it appears on the Certificate of Incorporation, including all punctuation. If the SOS portal rejects it due to formatting, you may need to file a paper UCC-1 instead of using the electronic system. Paper filings usually don't have the same character restrictions.
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Natasha Volkova
•Paper filing is a good backup option. Do you know if that significantly delays the effective date?
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Anastasia Sokolov
•Most states process paper UCC filings within 1-2 business days, so not much delay compared to electronic.
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StarSeeker
•Just make sure to include the proper filing fee for paper submissions - it's usually higher than electronic.
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Sean O'Donnell
I dealt with this exact scenario last quarter. The solution was contacting the SOS filing office directly to explain the cross-border situation. They were able to manually review and accept the filing even though their automated system initially rejected it. Cost me a phone call but saved the deal.
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Natasha Volkova
•Which state was this with? Some are more helpful than others with manual reviews.
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Sean O'Donnell
•This was Washington state. They have a dedicated commercial filing unit that handles complex situations.
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Zara Ahmed
Make sure your collateral description also properly addresses the cross-border aspects. If you have equipment that moves between BC and US locations, your UCC filing needs to account for that mobility.
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Natasha Volkova
•The equipment is fixed manufacturing assets so location shouldn't change, but good point about making sure the description is comprehensive.
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Zara Ahmed
•Even fixed assets can be relocated for business reasons, so broader collateral descriptions are usually safer.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Just don't make it so broad that it becomes meaningless. Specificity is important for priority disputes.
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Luca Esposito
Have you considered whether you need to file in BC as well under their Personal Property Security Act? The general security agreement BC documentation suggests you might need dual filings for complete protection.
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Natasha Volkova
•Our Canadian counsel is handling the PPSA filings. This UCC filing is specifically for the US portion of the collateral.
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Luca Esposito
•Good - just wanted to make sure you weren't missing that piece. Cross-border deals require coordination on both sides.
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Nia Thompson
Another option is using Certana.ai's verification service to double-check your document consistency before submitting. I used it recently for a similar BC corporation filing and it caught a punctuation mismatch between my security agreement and UCC-1 that would have caused rejection. Simple upload process and instant feedback.
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Natasha Volkova
•Two people have mentioned Certana now - seems like it might be worth trying. The last thing I need is another rejection on this time-sensitive deal.
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Nia Thompson
•Exactly - it's much easier to catch errors before filing than to deal with rejections and refiling delays.
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Mateo Rodriguez
Update us when you get it resolved! I have a BC filing coming up next month and would love to know what approach worked.
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Natasha Volkova
•Will do - planning to try the exact registry name format first, then paper filing if needed.
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NebulaNomad
•And definitely run it through document verification first to avoid any surprises.
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