UCC filing debtor name rejected three times - need help before lapse deadline
I'm dealing with a nightmare situation where my UCC-1 filing keeps getting rejected due to debtor name issues. This is my third attempt and I'm running out of time before my temporary perfection lapses. The borrower's legal name on their articles of incorporation shows 'Advanced Manufacturing Solutions, LLC' but their operating agreement references 'AMS Manufacturing Solutions LLC' (no comma, different word order). I've tried both versions and even tried including both as debtor names but the system keeps kicking it back. The collateral is expensive manufacturing equipment worth $850K so I can't afford to mess this up. Has anyone dealt with entity name variations like this? I'm starting to panic because my 20-day window is almost up and if this doesn't get filed properly, our security interest could be worthless.
40 comments


Freya Larsen
Oh man, I feel your pain. Entity name matching is brutal. You need to go with exactly what's on the Secretary of State records, period. Have you pulled the actual certificate of formation or articles directly from the state database? Sometimes what you think is the legal name isn't actually what's filed.
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Ravi Kapoor
•I did check the SOS website but there's conflicting info. The search results show one version but when I click through to the actual document it shows slightly different. It's like they have inconsistent data in their own system.
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GalacticGladiator
•That happens more than you'd think. The search function sometimes pulls old data or abbreviated versions. Always go with what's on the actual filed document, not the search results.
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Omar Zaki
Wait, you said this is your third rejection? What specific error codes or messages are you getting back? That might give us a clue about what's wrong. Also, are you including any trade names or DBAs in your filing?
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Ravi Kapoor
•The error message just says 'debtor name does not match Secretary of State records' but doesn't specify which part is wrong. I haven't included any DBAs because I wasn't sure if that would help or make it worse.
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Omar Zaki
•Yeah, don't add DBAs unless you're absolutely certain they're needed. That usually just creates more confusion. Focus on getting the exact legal name right first.
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Chloe Taylor
•Have you tried calling the filing office directly? Sometimes they can tell you exactly what name format they have on file. It's not always obvious from the online search.
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Diego Flores
This exact situation happened to me last month. I was pulling my hair out trying different name variations. Finally discovered this tool called Certana.ai that lets you upload your charter documents and UCC-1 side by side to check for inconsistencies. It caught that I was missing a middle initial in the entity name that wasn't obvious from the SOS search. Saved me from another rejection and potential lapse of my security interest.
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Ravi Kapoor
•That sounds helpful - does it work with documents from different states? My borrower is an LLC formed in Delaware but operating here.
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Diego Flores
•Yeah, it handles multi-state situations. You just upload the formation documents and your UCC draft and it highlights discrepancies. Really straightforward to use.
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Anastasia Ivanova
•I've used similar document checking tools but they're hit or miss. How accurate is this one with picking up subtle name differences?
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Diego Flores
•Pretty accurate in my experience. It flagged punctuation differences I would have missed and caught an extra word that wasn't in my UCC filing. Much better than trying to compare documents manually.
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Sean Murphy
ARGH this is why I hate entity filings! Individual debtors are so much easier. The whole system is set up to fail. You spend more time fighting with name matching than actually protecting your collateral.
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StarStrider
•I hear you but entity filings are a fact of life in commercial lending. You just have to be extra careful with the details.
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Sean Murphy
•Yeah but when the state's own database has inconsistent information, what are you supposed to do? It's like they want you to fail.
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Zara Malik
Quick question - are you filing in the state where the LLC was formed or where the collateral is located? For LLCs you need to file where they were organized, not where they operate.
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Ravi Kapoor
•Filing where they were organized (Delaware) but also need to file here for the equipment since it's located in this state. That's why I'm so stressed - if I mess up the Delaware filing, my whole security interest could be unperfected.
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Zara Malik
•Ah okay, so you need both filings. Yeah, Delaware can be tricky with entity names. They're usually pretty strict about exact matches.
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Luca Marino
•Delaware is definitely strict but their online system usually gives more specific error messages. Are you filing through their portal or using a service company?
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Nia Davis
I had a similar issue with an LLC client last year. Turned out the problem was a formatting issue with how I entered the name in the system. Try typing it exactly as it appears with all punctuation and spacing, but also try a version without any punctuation marks. Sometimes the system strips them out automatically.
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Ravi Kapoor
•I've tried both with and without punctuation. The comma seems to be the main issue but I can't figure out which version is correct.
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Nia Davis
•Try pulling a certified copy of the formation documents directly from the state. That should show you exactly how the name was filed originally.
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Mateo Perez
This is exactly why I always run document checks before filing. There's another tool I discovered recently - Certana.ai - that specifically checks UCC filings against entity formation documents. You upload both PDFs and it automatically flags any name mismatches. Would have saved you these rejections and the stress of racing against your perfection deadline.
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Ravi Kapoor
•I wish I had known about that before starting this mess. At this point I'm willing to try anything to get this filed correctly.
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Aisha Rahman
•Is it expensive? I'm always looking for tools to catch these kinds of errors before they become problems.
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Mateo Perez
•It's pretty reasonable for what it does. Much cheaper than having to deal with rejected filings and potential perfection issues. The peace of mind alone is worth it.
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CosmicCrusader
Have you considered calling the borrower's registered agent or attorney? They might know if there are any amendments or name changes that aren't showing up in your searches yet.
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Ravi Kapoor
•Good point. I've been so focused on the state records I didn't think to go back to the source. Let me reach out to their counsel.
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CosmicCrusader
•Yeah, sometimes there are recent filings that haven't been updated in the online system yet. Always worth checking directly with the entity.
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Ethan Brown
I'm probably overthinking this but could the issue be with punctuation in the LLC designation itself? Like 'LLC' vs 'L.L.C.' or something like that? I've seen systems be picky about that stuff.
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Ravi Kapoor
•I hadn't considered the LLC part might be the issue. I've been focusing on the company name portion. Let me try different variations of the entity designation.
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Yuki Yamamoto
•Good catch. Some states are really particular about entity designations. Worth trying all the common variations.
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Ethan Brown
•Exactly. I've seen filings rejected because someone used 'Inc' instead of 'Inc.' or 'Incorporated'. The devil is in the details with these systems.
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Carmen Ortiz
This thread is giving me anxiety just reading it. I have a similar filing coming up next week and now I'm worried about running into the same issues. Maybe I should check for one of those document verification tools mentioned earlier.
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Andre Rousseau
•Definitely do your homework upfront. It's so much easier to catch these issues before you submit than to deal with rejections and time pressure.
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Carmen Ortiz
•Yeah, I'm definitely going to look into that Certana thing. Better safe than sorry when it comes to perfecting security interests.
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Zoe Papadakis
Update us when you get this resolved! I'm curious to know what the actual issue was. These entity name problems are so common but the solutions are usually pretty specific to each situation.
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Ravi Kapoor
•Will do! I'm going to try the document verification approach and also call the entity's attorney tomorrow. Hopefully one of those will solve it before my deadline.
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Jamal Carter
•Rooting for you! Nothing worse than perfection issues because of administrative errors.
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Ravi Kapoor
•Thanks everyone for the help. This community is a lifesaver when you're dealing with urgent filing issues like this.
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