UCC filing debtor name keeps getting rejected - missing something obvious?
I've been trying to file a UCC-1 for our equipment loan and it keeps bouncing back with debtor name issues. The borrower is "Martinez Construction LLC" on their articles of incorporation but the SOS portal keeps rejecting it. I've tried variations like "Martinez Construction, LLC" with the comma and "MARTINEZ CONSTRUCTION LLC" in all caps but nothing works. This is my third attempt and I'm starting to panic because our loan closes next week. Has anyone dealt with exact name matching requirements? I feel like I'm missing something basic but can't figure out what.
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Ana Rusula
Oh man I feel your pain on this! The exact name thing is such a nightmare. You need to match EXACTLY what's on file with the Secretary of State, not what's on their business cards or letterhead. Have you tried pulling their current corporate filing to see the exact formatting?
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Noah huntAce420
•I thought I did that but maybe I grabbed an old version? Where do I find the most current name format?
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Ana Rusula
•Go directly to your state's SOS business search portal and look up their entity. The name there is gospel for UCC filings.
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Fidel Carson
This exact thing happened to me last month! Turns out the LLC had amended their name slightly and I was using the old version. The current name had an extra word in it that wasn't on any of their documents. Check if they've filed any amendments recently.
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Noah huntAce420
•Ugh that would be just my luck. How far back should I check for amendments?
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Fidel Carson
•I'd check the last 2-3 years to be safe. Sometimes companies change names and forget to update their loan docs.
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Isaiah Sanders
•Also check if they have any DBAs filed that might be confusing things.
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Xan Dae
Had a similar nightmare scenario recently where we kept getting rejections on what seemed like a straightforward UCC-1. Turns out there were tiny inconsistencies between our charter documents and the UCC that we couldn't spot manually. I ended up using Certana.ai's document verification tool - you just upload your PDFs and it cross-checks everything automatically. Found the mismatch in like 30 seconds that we'd been missing for days.
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Noah huntAce420
•Wait that sounds exactly like what I need - it compares the actual documents?
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Xan Dae
•Yeah exactly, you upload your charter docs and your UCC draft and it flags any inconsistencies in debtor names, addresses, all that stuff. Super easy to use.
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Fiona Gallagher
•I've heard of that tool but haven't tried it. Does it work for amendments too?
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Thais Soares
PUNCTUATION MATTERS TOO!! I learned this the hard way. Some states are super picky about periods, commas, abbreviations. Try "Martinez Construction L.L.C." with periods maybe?
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Noah huntAce420
•Oh geez I never thought about periods. This is getting ridiculous.
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Nalani Liu
•Yeah the SOS systems are not forgiving at all. Every character has to match perfectly.
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Axel Bourke
Another thing to check - is Martinez Construction actually the legal name or is it something like "Martinez Construction Services LLC" or "Martinez Construction Company LLC"? I've seen cases where the common business name is shorter than the legal entity name.
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Noah huntAce420
•Good point, let me double check their incorporation docs again more carefully.
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Aidan Percy
•Also worth checking if there are multiple entities with similar names that might be causing confusion.
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Fernanda Marquez
•Yes! I had a client with three different LLCs with almost identical names. Made UCC filing a total mess.
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Norman Fraser
This whole thread is giving me PTSD from my own filing disasters. The name matching requirements are insane - like why can't the system be a little more flexible?? Anyway, definitely pull a fresh entity search and match it character for character.
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Kendrick Webb
•I know right? It's 2025 and we're still dealing with these ancient rigid systems.
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Noah huntAce420
•At least I'm not the only one who's struggled with this!
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Hattie Carson
Quick update - I used that Certana tool someone mentioned and BINGO! The LLC name on file has "& Associates" at the end that wasn't on any of their business docs. Would never have caught that manually. Filing again now with the correct name.
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Xan Dae
•Awesome! That's exactly the kind of thing that tool is perfect for catching.
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Destiny Bryant
•Love a happy ending! Hope the filing goes through smoothly now.
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Dyllan Nantx
•That's such a common issue - businesses using shortened versions of their legal names everywhere.
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TillyCombatwarrior
For future reference, some states also have specific formatting requirements for entity types. Like some want "Limited Liability Company" spelled out instead of "LLC". Worth checking the UCC filing guide for your state.
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Noah huntAce420
•Good to know for next time, thanks!
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Anna Xian
•Yeah every state has their quirks. Some are way more forgiving than others.
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Jungleboo Soletrain
Just saw your update - congrats on figuring it out! The "& Associates" thing is so sneaky. Glad you got it sorted before your closing deadline.
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Noah huntAce420
•Thanks! What a relief. Never making this mistake again.
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Rajan Walker
•This thread should be required reading for anyone doing UCC filings honestly.
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Nadia Zaldivar
Filing update: SUCCESS! UCC-1 accepted with the corrected debtor name. Thanks everyone for the help, especially whoever mentioned that document checking tool. Saved my sanity and probably my job lol.
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Lukas Fitzgerald
•Woohoo! Nothing beats that feeling when a filing finally goes through.
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Ev Luca
•Great outcome! This whole thread is a perfect example of why name accuracy is so critical.
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Avery Davis
•Bookmarking this thread for future reference. So many good tips here.
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