UCC filing name rejected - department of licensing issues Washington
I'm dealing with a nightmare situation where our UCC-1 filing keeps getting rejected by the state filing office and I'm not sure what's going wrong. We have a $180,000 equipment loan that needs to be perfected ASAP and the debtor name on our security agreement shows 'Pacific Northwest Logistics LLC' but the UCC-1 we submitted shows 'Pacific NW Logistics, LLC' with the comma. The rejection notice says debtor name doesn't match exactly but I thought minor punctuation differences were okay? Our loan closes next Friday and I'm panicking that we won't have a perfected lien. Has anyone dealt with similar debtor name matching issues? The collateral description is heavy machinery and equipment but I'm wondering if that's too vague as well. Really need advice on getting this filing accepted before our deadline.
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Edwards Hugo
Been there! Name matching is super strict now. You need the EXACT legal name from the Articles of Incorporation or Operating Agreement. Even commas, periods, and abbreviations matter. Check the state business registry to see how they have the LLC registered officially.
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Dylan Fisher
•Just checked and it's registered as 'Pacific Northwest Logistics LLC' without the comma. So our security agreement is right but the UCC-1 had the wrong version. Thanks for pointing that out!
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Gianna Scott
•This happens all the time. I always pull the entity records first before preparing any UCC forms. Saves so much hassle later.
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Alfredo Lugo
Your collateral description might be fine depending on what you're financing. 'Heavy machinery and equipment' could work but if it's specific equipment like excavators or forklifts, being more detailed helps. What type of equipment exactly?
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Dylan Fisher
•It's three Caterpillar excavators and a crane. Should I list the model numbers and serial numbers?
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Alfredo Lugo
•For equipment that valuable, yes! Include make, model, year, and serial numbers. It makes your lien much stronger and clearer.
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Sydney Torres
•Definitely do serial numbers on high-value equipment. Makes termination easier later too when you need to identify exactly what's being released.
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
I had a similar crisis last month with a debtor name mismatch that kept getting rejected. Found this tool called Certana.ai that lets you upload your Charter documents and UCC-1 to verify everything matches before filing. Saved me from another rejection and missing my deadline. You just upload the PDFs and it checks debtor names, filing numbers, all the details automatically.
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Dylan Fisher
•That sounds perfect for what I need. Is it hard to use? I'm not super tech-savvy.
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Kaitlyn Jenkins
•Super easy! Just drag and drop your documents. It highlights any mismatches right away so you can fix them before submitting to the state.
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Caleb Bell
•I've used Certana too - really helpful for catching those tiny details that cause rejections. Worth trying especially with your tight deadline.
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Danielle Campbell
Friday deadline is cutting it close but doable. Most states process electronic filings same day or next business day. Fix the debtor name, beef up your collateral description, and you should be fine.
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Dylan Fisher
•Electronic filing is available? I was planning to mail it in.
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Danielle Campbell
•Oh definitely go electronic! Much faster and you get immediate confirmation. Check your state's SOS website for the online portal.
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Rhett Bowman
•Electronic is the way to go. Paper filings can take weeks sometimes.
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Gianna Scott
For future reference - always do a test search on the debtor name before filing. If you can't find them in the UCC search with the exact name you're using, that's a red flag the name isn't exactly right.
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Abigail Patel
•Good tip! I learned this the hard way too. The search function is basically telling you if your name will work.
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Edwards Hugo
•Yes! If it doesn't come up clean in search, fix it before filing. Saves rejection fees.
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Daniel White
Don't panic yet. I've had filings rejected 3 times before getting it right and still closed on time. The key is fixing ALL the issues at once - name, collateral description, any address problems. Make a checklist.
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Dylan Fisher
•What other issues should I look for? I thought name and collateral were the main ones.
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Daniel White
•Addresses can be tricky too. Make sure the debtor address matches their business registration. Also double-check your secured party info is complete.
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Alfredo Lugo
•And if you're doing a fixture filing, that's a whole different set of rules with property descriptions.
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Nolan Carter
I work with equipment financing daily and see this exact issue constantly. The state filing offices have gotten much stricter about exact name matches. Your 'Pacific NW Logistics, LLC' vs 'Pacific Northwest Logistics LLC' would definitely get rejected now even though it seems minor.
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Dylan Fisher
•Why did they get so strict? Seems like common sense would say those are the same company.
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Nolan Carter
•Too many court cases where lenders lost because of 'minor' name differences. Now they err on the side of being super literal.
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Sydney Torres
•The courts basically said if you can't get the name right, how can we trust the lien is valid? So states tightened up.
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Natalia Stone
Quick question - are you sure this is a UCC-1 filing and not a continuation or amendment? Just want to make sure you're using the right form for a new loan.
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Dylan Fisher
•Yes it's a UCC-1 for a brand new loan. First time dealing with this borrower.
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Natalia Stone
•Ok good. Sometimes people mix up the forms. UCC-1 is correct for new filings.
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Edwards Hugo
Update us when you get it sorted! These filing deadline situations are stressful but usually work out fine once you fix the name issue.
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Dylan Fisher
•Will do! Planning to resubmit tomorrow morning with the corrected name and detailed equipment descriptions.
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Tasia Synder
•Good luck! You've got this. The hard part was figuring out what was wrong.
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Gianna Scott
•You should be in good shape now. Electronic filing will get you confirmation fast.
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Selena Bautista
One more thing - keep a copy of that business registry search showing the correct name. Some lawyers like to see proof that you verified the official name before filing.
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Dylan Fisher
•Great point. I'll screenshot the registry page showing the exact name.
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Nolan Carter
•Smart practice. Documentation helps if anyone questions the filing later.
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Danielle Campbell
For the collateral description, try something like 'Three (3) Caterpillar excavators, serial numbers [list them], and one (1) crane, make/model/serial number [details]' - very specific but still covers everything properly.
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Dylan Fisher
•Perfect! That's exactly the format I needed. Much better than my vague 'heavy machinery' description.
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Alfredo Lugo
•Yeah that description will definitely pass muster. Clear and specific.
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Abigail Patel
•I use similar formats for equipment. Works well and makes everyone happy.
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