UCC filing Illinois - debtor name rejected twice, need help with exact formatting requirements
I'm dealing with a frustrating situation with a UCC-1 filing in Illinois and hoping someone here has experience with their specific requirements. We're trying to perfect a security interest on some manufacturing equipment for a $180K commercial loan, but the Illinois SOS portal keeps rejecting our filing for "debtor name discrepancy." The borrower's legal name on their articles of incorporation is "Midwest Industrial Solutions, LLC" but their operating agreement shows "Midwest Industrial Solutions LLC" (no comma). We've tried both versions and got rejected both times. The collateral description is straightforward - specific serial-numbered equipment - so that's not the issue. This is time-sensitive because we need to get this perfected before a competing lender files their UCC-1. Has anyone dealt with Illinois SOS being this picky about punctuation in LLC names? Do they have some kind of exact-match requirement we're missing? The rejection notices aren't giving us enough detail to figure out what format they actually want. Any Illinois UCC filing veterans who can share what works with their system?
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Daniela Rossi
Illinois SOS is notorious for this exact issue. I've had the same problem multiple times. You need to check their business entity database first to see exactly how the LLC name appears in their official records. Don't rely on the articles of incorporation - sometimes there are amendments or corrections filed later that change the official name format. Go to their business entity search and pull the exact name as it appears there.
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Sophie Hernandez
•Thanks! I actually did check the business entity search but found something confusing - it shows both versions of the name in different sections of the same record. The "current name" field shows it with the comma, but the "name history" section shows it without. Which one should I use for the UCC-1?
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Daniela Rossi
•Always go with the current name field. That's what their UCC system will try to match against. If there's still a mismatch, you might need to have the borrower file a name clarification with the state first.
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Ryan Kim
Before you spend more time guessing, I'd suggest using a document verification tool. I ran into this same mess last month with a Michigan filing where the debtor name kept getting rejected. Used Certana.ai's UCC checker - you just upload your articles of incorporation and your UCC-1 draft as PDFs and it instantly flags any name mismatches between documents. Saved me from filing blind again.
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Sophie Hernandez
•That sounds really helpful. Does it work with Illinois filings specifically? I'm worried about making another mistake.
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Ryan Kim
•Yeah it works with any state - it's comparing your source documents to catch inconsistencies before you file. Much better than playing guessing games with the SOS portal.
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Zoe Walker
•I've used similar tools but honestly the Illinois system is so finicky I just call their UCC division directly now. Takes forever but at least you get a human to tell you exactly what they want.
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Elijah Brown
ugh this is why I HATE Illinois filings!! Their system is the worst. Last time I had to file there it took 3 attempts and they never gave clear feedback on what was wrong. Meanwhile the clock is ticking and your client is freaking out about losing priority.
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Sophie Hernandez
•Exactly! The time pressure is killing me. Do you remember what finally worked for your Illinois filing?
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Elijah Brown
•I ended up having to get the exact name from their corporate database printout and use that character-for-character. Even spaces matter with their system.
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Maria Gonzalez
Check if the LLC has any DBAs filed in Illinois too. Sometimes the UCC system cross-references those and if there's a mismatch anywhere in their records it gets rejected. Also make sure you're not accidentally including any extra spaces or hidden characters if you're copy-pasting the name.
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Sophie Hernandez
•Good point about the DBAs. I'll check their records for any trade names that might be confusing the system.
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Natalie Chen
•Hidden characters are a real problem when copying from PDFs. I always retype debtor names manually now instead of copy-paste.
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Santiago Martinez
I had this exact problem with an Illinois LLC filing last year. The issue ended up being that the business entity record had been updated after incorporation but the UCC system was still looking for the original incorporation name. Had to contact Illinois SOS UCC division and they walked me through pulling the right version from their internal database.
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Sophie Hernandez
•How long did it take to get through to someone at the UCC division? I've been on hold for an hour already.
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Santiago Martinez
•About 45 minutes wait time but worth it. They have access to see exactly what name format their system expects. Ask for the UCC specialist, not just general customer service.
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Samantha Johnson
Are you filing online or paper? Sometimes the online portal has different validation rules than paper filings. Might be worth trying a paper UCC-1 if you're stuck with the electronic system.
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Sophie Hernandez
•Online through their portal. Paper filing would add days we don't have, but might be the backup option if nothing else works.
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Nick Kravitz
•Paper filing in Illinois usually processes faster than their online system anyway. Counterintuitive but true.
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Hannah White
Double-check that you're not missing any corporate designators or have them in the wrong format. Illinois is picky about whether it's "LLC", "L.L.C.", "Limited Liability Company" etc. The exact format has to match their corporate records exactly.
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Sophie Hernandez
•The business entity search shows "LLC" without periods, so that's what I used. Still got rejected though.
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Hannah White
•Might be the comma issue then. Try "Midwest Industrial Solutions LLC" without the comma since that matches one version you found.
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Michael Green
This is probably overkill but have you confirmed the LLC is still in good standing with Illinois? Sometimes if there are corporate compliance issues it can affect UCC filings. Also worth checking if there are any recent amendments to the articles that might have changed the official name.
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Sophie Hernandez
•Good point. The LLC shows as active/good standing but I should check for recent amendments. Thanks for thinking of that.
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Michael Green
•Illinois corporate records can be tricky to navigate but amendments sometimes don't show up immediately in the main search results.
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Mateo Silva
Since you're dealing with time pressure, you might want to try a professional UCC service that specializes in Illinois filings. They usually have direct contacts at the SOS office and can get problem filings resolved quickly. Worth the extra cost if you're racing against another lender.
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Sophie Hernandez
•Any specific services you'd recommend for Illinois? I'm willing to pay for expertise at this point.
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Mateo Silva
•I've used CT Corporation for rush Illinois filings. They have good relationships with the SOS office there.
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Victoria Jones
•Or just use something like Certana.ai to verify your documents are consistent before you file anywhere. Cheaper than hiring a service and catches the problems upfront.
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Cameron Black
Update us when you figure it out! I have an Illinois UCC-1 coming up next month and want to avoid this same headache.
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Sophie Hernandez
•Will do! Hopefully I'll have good news to share soon.
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Jessica Nguyen
•Same here - bookmarking this thread for future reference.
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