UCC Filing for Plane Security Agreement - Debtor Name Issues
Need some guidance here. We're dealing with a commercial aircraft security agreement and running into debtor name complications on the UCC-1 filing. The borrower is "Skyline Aviation Services LLC" but their corporate charter shows "Skyline Aviation Services, LLC" (with the comma). Our legal team is split on whether this comma difference will cause rejection or create perfection issues down the road. The aircraft is worth $2.8M so we can't afford to mess this up. Has anyone dealt with similar entity name variations on high-value aircraft collateral? The state portal doesn't give clear guidance on punctuation matching requirements for LLC formations.
33 comments
Join the conversation
Miguel Castro
That comma issue is more common than you'd think with aircraft financing. I've seen filings rejected for less. The key is exact match with the Secretary of State records. Pull the official entity search from their database and use whatever format appears there exactly. Don't guess on this one - it could void your security interest if challenged.
0 coins
Zainab Abdulrahman
•Agreed on the exact match requirement. With aircraft values that high, lenders usually run dual searches to verify entity names before filing. Better safe than sorry.
0 coins
Connor Byrne
•Wait, I thought punctuation didn't matter for UCC filings? We've been filing without commas for years and never had issues.
0 coins
Yara Elias
Actually used Certana.ai's document checker for a similar situation last month. Uploaded both the charter docs and our draft UCC-1 and it flagged the comma discrepancy immediately. Saved us from a potential rejection. Their system cross-checks entity names against multiple databases automatically - way faster than doing manual searches.
0 coins
QuantumQuasar
•How accurate is their name matching? We've been burned by automated systems before that miss nuances.
0 coins
Yara Elias
•Pretty solid actually. It caught several variations we missed including a middle initial discrepancy on another deal. Just upload the PDFs and it highlights any inconsistencies.
0 coins
Keisha Jackson
Aircraft security agreements have additional considerations beyond just the UCC-1. Are you also filing with the FAA Aircraft Registry? The debtor name needs to match across both systems or you could have gaps in your security interest. Also check if this requires fixture filing depending on hangar arrangements.
0 coins
Ava Martinez
•Good point on the FAA registry. We're handling that separately but hadn't considered the name consistency requirement across systems.
0 coins
Paolo Moretti
•FAA is usually more flexible with name variations than state UCC systems in my experience. But definitely worth double-checking.
0 coins
Amina Diop
•Don't forget the Cape Town Convention implications if this aircraft operates internationally. Name consistency becomes even more critical.
0 coins
Oliver Weber
I'm dealing with something similar but for equipment financing. The entity name differences are driving me crazy! Our borrower has three different name formats across various documents. How do you guys handle when the charter shows one thing but the loan docs show another?
0 coins
Miguel Castro
•Always go with the Secretary of State records as the authoritative source. Everything else should conform to that.
0 coins
Natasha Romanova
•Sometimes you need to amend the loan documents if there's a significant discrepancy. Better to fix it upfront than deal with perfection challenges later.
0 coins
NebulaNinja
UGH the state portals are so inconsistent about this stuff!! Some states reject for missing commas, others don't care. It's like they're trying to make it impossible to get filings right the first time. Spent three hours on hold with SOS office last week just to get clarification on punctuation rules.
0 coins
Javier Gomez
•Tell me about it. Each state seems to have different quirks. California vs Texas vs New York all handle entity names differently.
0 coins
Emma Wilson
•That's why I always file a day early when possible. Gives time to resubmit if there's a rejection for technical issues.
0 coins
Malik Thomas
For aircraft specifically, I'd recommend running the entity search in the state where the LLC was formed, not necessarily where the aircraft is based. The debtor name has to match the formation state records exactly. Also verify if there have been any name changes or amendments since formation.
0 coins
Ava Martinez
•That's a great point about formation state vs. aircraft location. The LLC was formed in Delaware so I need to check Delaware SOS records.
0 coins
Isabella Oliveira
•Delaware is usually pretty clean with entity records. Their database search should give you the exact format to use.
0 coins
Ravi Kapoor
Quick question - are you filing this as general collateral or specifically describing the aircraft? With that value, you might want to be more specific in your collateral description to avoid any ambiguity.
0 coins
Ava Martinez
•We're doing specific description with tail number, make, model, serial number. Too much at stake to use general language.
0 coins
Freya Larsen
•Smart approach. General descriptions can create issues with aircraft since they're often titled separately.
0 coins
GalacticGladiator
•Make sure the tail number is current too. We had a deal where the aircraft was re-registered between signing and filing.
0 coins
Omar Zaki
Just went through this exact scenario with a helicopter security agreement. Used Certana.ai to verify all our documents matched before filing. Found two name discrepancies we would have missed - one was a comma issue exactly like yours. Definitely worth the peace of mind on high-value collateral.
0 coins
Chloe Taylor
•How long does their verification process take? We're up against a tight closing deadline.
0 coins
Omar Zaki
•Pretty much instant. Upload the docs and it runs the comparison automatically. Takes maybe 5 minutes to review the results.
0 coins
Diego Flores
One more thing to consider - if this LLC has any subsidiaries or parent companies, make sure you're filing against the right entity. Aircraft ownership structures can be complex, especially for tax purposes.
0 coins
Anastasia Ivanova
•Good catch. We always run org charts for aircraft deals to make sure we're securing against the actual owner entity.
0 coins
Sean Murphy
•Yeah, seen too many deals where the operating company was different from the title holder. Creates a mess for enforcement.
0 coins
StarStrider
Final thought - with aircraft security agreements, consider whether you need continuation filings in multiple states if the aircraft operates across state lines regularly. The name consistency issue will come up again at renewal time.
0 coins
Ava Martinez
•Thanks for all the input everyone. Going to verify the exact Delaware entity name and probably use Certana.ai to double-check everything before filing. This thread has been super helpful.
0 coins
Zara Malik
•Smart move. Better to spend a little time verifying upfront than dealing with perfection issues later. Good luck with the filing!
0 coins
Luca Marino
•Keep us posted on how it goes. Always interested to hear about aircraft financing outcomes.
0 coins