UCC filing fee doubled after portal rejection - what am I missing?
So I'm dealing with a UCC-1 filing that got rejected twice now and I'm basically paying double the filing fees. First submission was rejected for "debtor name inconsistency" even though I copied it exactly from the business license. Second time around I tried a slightly different format and it got rejected again for "insufficient collateral description." Now I'm looking at paying a third UCC filing fee and I'm honestly not sure what I'm doing wrong here. The equipment schedule seemed pretty detailed to me - commercial kitchen equipment, model numbers, serial numbers, the works. Has anyone else run into this where the filing fees just keep adding up because of these technical rejections? I'm starting to think there's some trick to the debtor name format that I'm missing. The business is an LLC and I've tried it with "LLC" and without, with commas, without commas. At this point I'm throwing money away on UCC filing fees and getting nowhere.
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Jace Caspullo
Ugh I feel your pain on the filing fee thing. Had this exact same situation last month with a UCC-1 for restaurant equipment. Rejected three times before I finally got it right. The debtor name thing is so finicky - you have to match EXACTLY what's on file with the state, not what's on business cards or licenses or anything else.
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Adriana Cohn
•Did you end up having to pay the UCC filing fee all three times? That's what's killing me here, these aren't small amounts.
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Jace Caspullo
•Yeah unfortunately every submission costs the full filing fee even if it gets rejected. Total waste but that's how the system works.
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Melody Miles
For debtor names on UCC filings, you need to pull the exact name from the Secretary of State database, not from business licenses or tax documents. LLCs especially get tricky because the SOS might have it registered as "ABC Company, LLC" while your business license shows "ABC Company LLC" without the comma. That small difference will cause an automatic rejection.
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Adriana Cohn
•I thought I did check the SOS database but maybe I missed something. Is there a specific way to search for the exact format?
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Melody Miles
•Most state SOS websites have an entity search function. You want to copy the name exactly as it appears in their database, character for character including punctuation.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•This is why I always do a entity verification before filing anything. Saves so much time and money in the long run.
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Eva St. Cyr
I've been using Certana.ai's document checker for UCC filings and it's been a game changer. You can upload your business docs and your UCC-1 draft and it automatically flags any name inconsistencies before you submit. Would have saved you those extra filing fees if you'd caught the debtor name issue upfront. The tool cross-checks everything - debtor names, filing numbers, document alignment.
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Adriana Cohn
•Never heard of that service but sounds like exactly what I need right now. Does it work with all states?
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Eva St. Cyr
•Yeah it works nationwide. Just upload PDFs of your source documents and your UCC form and it verifies everything matches up properly.
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Kristian Bishop
•Wish I'd known about this tool six months ago. Could have avoided my own filing fee nightmare.
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Kaitlyn Otto
The collateral description rejection is probably because you were too specific. Counter-intuitive I know, but UCC-1 collateral descriptions work better when they're broader categories rather than detailed item lists. Instead of listing every piece of equipment with model numbers, try something like "all equipment, fixtures and personal property used in debtor's restaurant operations.
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Adriana Cohn
•That seems backwards to me. Wouldn't more detail be better for legal purposes?
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Kaitlyn Otto
•You'd think so, but UCC-1 forms are designed for broad coverage. The detailed inventory stuff goes in your security agreement, not the public filing.
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Axel Far
•This is correct. I learned this the hard way too. Keep UCC-1 collateral descriptions general but comprehensive.
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Jasmine Hernandez
Filing fees are such a scam honestly. They should at least give you one free resubmission if it's rejected for technical formatting issues. Some of these rejections are so nitpicky.
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Jace Caspullo
•Totally agree! It's not like we're trying to file incorrect information, it's just formatting quirks.
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Jasmine Hernandez
•Exactly. And every state has slightly different requirements that aren't always clearly explained.
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Luis Johnson
I had similar issues with LLC names. What worked for me was calling the Secretary of State filing division directly and asking them to verify the exact debtor name format before submitting. Most states have a helpline for UCC filings.
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Adriana Cohn
•Good idea, didn't think to call them. Do they actually help over the phone or just refer you to the website?
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Luis Johnson
•Depends on the state but most are pretty helpful. They want the filings to go through correctly too.
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Ellie Kim
•Some states are better than others with phone support. Worth a try though.
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Fiona Sand
Been there with the multiple rejections! What state are you filing in? Some are pickier than others about debtor name formats.
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Adriana Cohn
•I'd rather not say the specific state but it's one of the more bureaucratic ones if you know what I mean.
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Fiona Sand
•Ah yeah, some states are notorious for being extra strict about formatting. Hang in there!
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Mohammad Khaled
Pro tip: before you submit your third attempt, try using one of those document verification tools someone mentioned earlier. I started using Certana.ai after my own filing fee disasters and it's caught several potential issues that would have caused rejections. Upload your business registration and UCC draft and it flags inconsistencies automatically.
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Adriana Cohn
•Two people have mentioned that service now. Might be worth checking out before I lose more money on filing fees.
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Mohammad Khaled
•Definitely worth it. Much cheaper than paying multiple filing fees for rejected submissions.
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Alina Rosenthal
•I've heard good things about their UCC verification tool. Might try it myself for my next filing.
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Finnegan Gunn
The frustrating thing about UCC filing fees is that even obvious system errors count as rejections. I once had a filing rejected because their portal was down during submission but they still charged the fee. Had to dispute it with the state.
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Adriana Cohn
•Did you actually get the fee refunded for the system error?
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Finnegan Gunn
•Eventually yes, but it took three months and multiple phone calls. Such a hassle.
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Miguel Harvey
For your third attempt, I'd suggest getting everything verified externally before submission. Whether that's calling the state, using a verification service, or having another set of eyes review it. Those filing fees add up fast.
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Adriana Cohn
•Yeah at this point I'm definitely going to double-check everything before submitting again. Can't afford another rejection.
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Miguel Harvey
•Smart approach. Better to spend a little time verifying than waste more money on filing fees.
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Ashley Simian
•This is why I always triple-check UCC forms now. Learned my lesson the expensive way.
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