UCC Format Requirements - Getting Rejections on Debtor Name Structure
I keep getting UCC-1 rejections from our state filing office and I'm pretty sure it's related to UCC format issues with how I'm entering the debtor information. The business name is 'Henderson & Associates Construction LLC' and I've tried it multiple ways - with the ampersand, spelling out 'and', with periods after LLC, without periods. Each time it gets kicked back with a generic 'debtor name format error' message. I've been doing secured lending for 8 years and never had this many rejections on what should be straightforward filings. The collateral is standard construction equipment, nothing complex there. Is there some new UCC format requirement I'm missing? This is holding up a $340K equipment loan and my borrower is getting anxious. Any insights on proper UCC format for business names with special characters?
34 comments
Join the conversation
Lena Müller
Had similar issues last month. The ampersand is usually the culprit - most state systems want it spelled out as 'and' for UCC format compliance. Try 'Henderson and Associates Construction LLC' exactly like that. Also make sure you're not adding extra spaces.
0 coins
Raj Gupta
•Tried that variation twice already, still rejected. Starting to think it's something else in the UCC format requirements.
0 coins
TechNinja
•Could be the LLC part - some states want it as 'L.L.C.' with periods, others want no periods. Check your secretary of state database for how they have it registered.
0 coins
Keisha Thompson
UCC format rules vary by state but there's usually a pattern. What state are you filing in? Some have very specific punctuation requirements that aren't obvious from the error messages.
0 coins
Raj Gupta
•Pennsylvania. Their portal gives the most unhelpful error messages I've ever seen.
0 coins
Paolo Bianchi
•PA is notorious for this! Their UCC format requirements are stricter than most states. You need to match their corporate database exactly - spacing, punctuation, everything.
0 coins
Keisha Thompson
•That explains it. PA's system is very rigid about UCC format matching. Pull up their business entity search and copy the name character for character.
0 coins
Yara Assad
I had something similar happen with a client filing and ended up using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your corporate charter and your draft UCC-1 and it instantly flags any name discrepancies or UCC format issues before you submit. Saved me from three more rejection cycles on a time-sensitive filing.
0 coins
Olivia Clark
•Never heard of that tool - does it actually check against state databases or just compare documents?
0 coins
Yara Assad
•It cross-references your documents to catch inconsistencies in debtor names, addresses, and UCC format requirements. Really helpful for avoiding those frustrating rejection loops.
0 coins
Raj Gupta
•Might have to try that. These rejections are killing my timeline.
0 coins
Javier Morales
Check if there are any hidden characters or extra spaces in your entry. Sometimes when you copy from other documents it brings along formatting that breaks UCC format rules even though it looks fine visually.
0 coins
Natasha Petrov
•This! I've had filings rejected because of a random space at the end of the debtor name that I couldn't even see.
0 coins
Connor O'Brien
•UCC format is so picky about this stuff. One extra space and boom - rejection.
0 coins
Amina Diallo
Are you entering it in all caps? Some states require UCC format to be all uppercase for debtor names. Worth trying 'HENDERSON AND ASSOCIATES CONSTRUCTION LLC' if you haven't already.
0 coins
Raj Gupta
•Haven't tried all caps yet - good suggestion. PA doesn't specify this in their UCC format guidelines but maybe that's the issue.
0 coins
GamerGirl99
•PA definitely accepts mixed case, but all caps might help if there are character encoding issues with their system.
0 coins
Hiroshi Nakamura
This is exactly why I hate UCC format requirements - they're never standardized and the error messages tell you nothing useful. Last week I had a filing rejected 4 times before figuring out they wanted 'Corporation' instead of 'Corp' even though both appeared in their database.
0 coins
Isabella Costa
•The inconsistency between states is maddening. What works in Ohio gets rejected in Michigan for no apparent reason.
0 coins
Malik Jenkins
•At least some states are starting to give more specific error codes, but PA isn't one of them unfortunately.
0 coins
Freya Andersen
Have you tried calling PA's UCC office directly? Sometimes they can tell you exactly what UCC format they're expecting for that specific entity name.
0 coins
Raj Gupta
•Their phone system is a nightmare but might be worth the wait at this point.
0 coins
Eduardo Silva
•PA UCC office is actually pretty helpful once you get through. They'll usually tell you the exact UCC format they need.
0 coins
Leila Haddad
•Just be prepared to wait on hold for 45+ minutes. Bring coffee.
0 coins
Emma Johnson
Quick update - tried another Certana.ai check comparing my UCC-1 draft against the client's articles of incorporation. Found the issue: there was an extra comma in the original corporate name that I missed. 'Henderson, & Associates Construction LLC' vs 'Henderson & Associates Construction LLC'. UCC format has to match exactly including punctuation.
0 coins
Raj Gupta
•That's probably exactly my issue! Going to double-check the corporate documents right now.
0 coins
Ravi Patel
•Those tiny punctuation differences are so easy to miss but they'll kill your filing every time with UCC format requirements.
0 coins
Astrid Bergström
For future reference, most states have moved to electronic UCC format validation that's very literal about matching their corporate database. Manual review is rare now so you really need perfect character matching.
0 coins
PixelPrincess
•Which makes sense from an efficiency standpoint but creates these frustrating rejection cycles when the UCC format requirements aren't clear.
0 coins
Omar Farouk
•True, but at least it's consistent. Better than having different clerks apply different standards to UCC format.
0 coins
Raj Gupta
SUCCESS! Found the issue - there was indeed an extra comma in the corporate name that I was missing. 'Henderson, & Associates Construction LLC' was the correct UCC format per their articles of incorporation. Filed this morning and got immediate acceptance. Thanks everyone for the help, especially the suggestion about document comparison tools. Definitely using Certana.ai for future filings to catch these details upfront.
0 coins
Chloe Martin
•Glad you got it sorted! Those punctuation issues are so common with UCC format requirements.
0 coins
Diego Fernández
•Great outcome! UCC format can be such a pain but once you know the exact requirements it's smooth sailing.
0 coins
Yara Assad
•Perfect example of why document verification is so valuable. Saves time and stress on these UCC format issues.
0 coins