UCC filed but debtor name shows different format - will this cause issues?
So I finally got my UCC-1 filed last week after dealing with some collateral description issues, but now I'm looking at the filed copy and noticed something that's got me worried. The debtor name on the UCC shows as 'MIDWEST INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS LLC' but on the original loan docs and Articles of Incorporation it's listed as 'Midwest Industrial Solutions, LLC' (with the comma). The SOS portal accepted it and everything, but I'm reading horror stories about filings being voided because of name mismatches. This is for a $180k equipment loan and I really can't afford to have the security interest be unperfected. Has anyone dealt with this kind of situation? The filing number is good and everything else looks correct, but that name difference is keeping me up at night. Should I file a UCC-3 amendment to correct it or am I overthinking this?
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QuantumQuest
Name variations like that are actually pretty common and usually not a huge issue, but it depends on your state's exact name requirements. Most states follow the 'seriously misleading' standard which means minor punctuation differences typically don't void the filing. That said, for a loan that size I'd probably want to be 100% certain. What state are you in? Some are more strict than others about exact name matches.
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Paolo Rizzo
•This is in Illinois. The articles show the comma but the UCC doesn't have it. Everything else matches perfectly - same address, same entity type, just that punctuation difference.
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Amina Sy
•Illinois generally follows UCC Article 9 standards pretty closely. The comma thing probably won't kill you but you might want to double-check against the Secretary of State's entity database to see how they have the name listed officially.
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Oliver Fischer
I had almost the exact same thing happen with a client filing in Michigan last year. Name was 'ABC Manufacturing Inc' on the UCC but 'ABC Manufacturing, Inc.' on the corp docs. Filed an amendment anyway just to be safe and sleep better at night. Cost like $15 and took 2 days. Sometimes peace of mind is worth more than the filing fee, especially when you're talking about six figures.
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Natasha Petrova
•This is solid advice. Better to spend the small amendment fee than worry about it for the next 5 years or have it come back to bite you during a bankruptcy or foreclosure.
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Javier Morales
•Agreed! I've seen too many deals go sideways because someone thought 'close enough' was good enough on the debtor name. File the UCC-3 and be done with it.
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Emma Davis
Actually ran into something similar recently and found this tool called Certana.ai that checks document consistency. You can upload your Articles of Incorporation and the filed UCC-1 and it'll flag any discrepancies automatically. Saved me hours of manual comparison and caught a middle initial that was missing that I hadn't even noticed. Might be worth running your docs through it before deciding whether to amend.
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Paolo Rizzo
•Interesting, hadn't heard of that. Does it actually understand UCC naming requirements or is it just a basic document comparison?
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Emma Davis
•It's specifically designed for UCC filings so it knows the naming rules and what variations are typically acceptable vs. problematic. Pretty handy for avoiding exactly this kind of uncertainty.
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QuantumQuest
•That actually sounds really useful. I spend way too much time manually cross-checking names between corporate docs and UCC filings.
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GalaxyGlider
Look, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but punctuation CAN matter depending on how picky the courts get. I've seen cases where seemingly minor name differences caused major headaches down the road. The 'seriously misleading' test is supposed to protect you but it's not foolproof. If this were my deal I'd file the amendment tomorrow.
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Malik Robinson
•Can you give examples of cases where punctuation made a difference? I'm curious how often this actually becomes an issue in practice.
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GalaxyGlider
•There was a case in Texas a few years back where the absence of a comma in a corporate name caused the UCC to be ruled ineffective against a trustee in bankruptcy. Court said the name difference was seriously misleading to searchers.
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Isabella Silva
Honestly this is exactly why I always triple-check the debtor name before filing. But what's done is done. For $180k I wouldn't take any chances - file the UCC-3 amendment and correct the name to match exactly what's on the Articles. Better safe than sorry when you're talking about that kind of money.
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Paolo Rizzo
•Yeah, you're probably right. The amendment fee is nothing compared to the potential risk. I'll get the UCC-3 filed this week.
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Ravi Choudhury
•Smart move. Sleep will be much better once you know the name matches exactly.
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Freya Andersen
Wait, before you file an amendment, have you actually checked what name format is in the state's corporate database? Sometimes the 'official' name on file with the Secretary of State doesn't match what's on the Articles exactly. If the SOS database shows it without the comma, then your UCC might actually be correct as filed.
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Paolo Rizzo
•Good point, I should check that first. Will look it up on the Illinois SOS website and see what name format they have on record.
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Omar Farouk
•This is actually really important - the 'correct' name for UCC purposes is usually whatever the state has in their official records, not necessarily what's on the original incorporation docs.
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Freya Andersen
•Exactly. I've seen situations where the incorporation docs had one format but the state database had it differently due to data entry or formatting standards.
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CosmicCadet
UGH this is my biggest nightmare with UCC filings. The name matching requirements are so inconsistent between states and even between different courts in the same state. I've started being obsessively paranoid about exact name matches because I got burned once on a filing that I thought was 'close enough.' Now I make sure everything matches character for character.
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Chloe Harris
•What happened in your case? Did the name difference actually cause problems or was it just stress?
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CosmicCadet
•It was during a bankruptcy proceeding and the trustee challenged the UCC because the name had 'Corp' instead of 'Corporation.' Ended up settling but it cost way more than just filing correctly would have.
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Diego Mendoza
Just checked the Illinois UCC search system and ran a test search with both name formats. Both versions show up in the results, which suggests the search logic is pretty forgiving for punctuation differences. But like others said, that doesn't guarantee a court would be as forgiving in a contested situation.
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Paolo Rizzo
•That's somewhat reassuring but you're right that search results don't necessarily predict how a court would rule. Still leaning toward filing the amendment.
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Anastasia Popova
•The search being forgiving is a good sign but yeah, better to have an exact match when possible.
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Sean Flanagan
I actually used that Certana thing someone mentioned earlier and it's pretty slick. Uploaded my problem docs and it immediately flagged the name issue plus caught two other minor discrepancies I hadn't noticed. Definitely worth the few minutes it took to run the check. Made me feel much more confident about what needed to be fixed vs what was probably fine as-is.
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Paolo Rizzo
•Did it give you any guidance on whether the punctuation difference was likely to be a real problem or just a potential issue?
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Sean Flanagan
•It flagged it as a moderate risk item and suggested checking the state database first, then considering an amendment if there was a mismatch. Pretty reasonable advice actually.
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Zara Shah
Update: checked the Illinois SOS database and they show the company name as 'MIDWEST INDUSTRIAL SOLUTIONS LLC' (no comma, all caps). So actually my UCC filing matches the official state record exactly. Looks like the Articles I was looking at had the comma but the state database doesn't. Crisis averted! Thanks everyone for the advice about checking the official records first.
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Natasha Petrova
•That's awesome! Perfect example of why checking the state database is always the first step. Glad it worked out.
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QuantumQuest
•Great outcome. This happens more often than people realize - the incorporation docs and state database don't always match exactly due to formatting standards.
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Emma Davis
•Nice work doing the research. This is exactly the kind of thing that document verification tools can help catch before you file, but sounds like you're all set now.
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