UCC filing question for retail installment contract and security agreement mobile home - debtor name issues
Having major headaches with a UCC-1 filing for a mobile home deal that keeps getting rejected by the SOS office. The retail installment contract and security agreement mobile home transaction has the buyer listed as 'Jennifer M. Thompson' but when I run the debtor name through the UCC search it shows previous filings under 'Jennifer Marie Thompson' and 'J.M. Thompson'. The mobile home is a 2024 Clayton worth about $95K and we're trying to perfect our security interest before the manufacturer's lien gets priority. Our loan officer says the credit app shows 'Jennifer Thompson' but the title work has 'Jennifer M Thompson' (no period). Which version should I use on the UCC-1? I've already had two rejections and the continuation clock is ticking since this is actually an amendment to an existing filing that expires next month. Really frustrated with these debtor name matching rules - seems like every state has different requirements.
38 comments
Join the conversation
Benjamin Kim
Oh man, debtor name issues are the worst! I deal with mobile home financing and this exact scenario comes up constantly. The key is you need to use the EXACT name as it appears on the debtor's organizational documents or driver's license. For individuals, that usually means their DL. Have you verified what name is actually on Jennifer's current driver's license?
0 coins
Victoria Stark
•I asked our processor to get a copy of her DL but they said privacy policies prevent them from requesting it after closing. The retail installment contract was signed 3 weeks ago and now we're scrambling to get this UCC-1 filed correctly.
0 coins
Samantha Howard
•That's frustrating but you should be able to get the DL info from your loan documentation. Most lenders require a copy for identity verification during underwriting.
0 coins
Megan D'Acosta
Been there! Mobile home UCCs are tricky because of the title vs lien issues. Since you mentioned this is actually an amendment, are you doing a UCC-3 amendment or filing a brand new UCC-1? The debtor name has to match exactly between the original filing and any amendments.
0 coins
Victoria Stark
•It's supposed to be a continuation but we discovered the debtor name mismatch when we pulled the original filing. Original UCC-1 from 2020 shows 'J.M. Thompson' but our new retail installment contract has 'Jennifer M. Thompson'. Do I need to do an amendment first to correct the name?
0 coins
Megan D'Acosta
•Yes absolutely! You'll need a UCC-3 amendment to correct the debtor name before you can do the continuation. The continuation has to reference the exact debtor name on the current filing.
0 coins
Sarah Ali
•Wait, that's not necessarily true. Some states allow continuation statements with corrected debtor information if you indicate it's a name correction. Check your state's specific rules.
0 coins
Ryan Vasquez
I had a similar nightmare with a mobile home deal last year. Spent weeks going back and forth with rejected filings until someone mentioned Certana.ai's document verification service. You can upload your retail installment contract, the original UCC filing, and your new UCC-3 amendment and it instantly flags any inconsistencies between the documents. Saved me from filing another incorrect amendment that would have been rejected.
0 coins
Victoria Stark
•Never heard of that service but sounds like exactly what I need. How does it work with mobile home specific issues? Our collateral description also references the HUD label number and serial number.
0 coins
Ryan Vasquez
•It checks everything - debtor names, collateral descriptions, filing numbers. For mobile homes it would catch if your HUD number format doesn't match between documents. Just upload PDFs and it shows you exactly what doesn't align.
0 coins
Avery Saint
•That actually sounds really helpful for catching these kinds of errors before filing. Better than finding out from a rejection letter 3 days later.
0 coins
Taylor Chen
UGHHH the SOS rejection system is so annoying!! They reject for the tiniest things but never give you enough detail to fix it properly. I've had mobile home UCCs rejected for spacing issues in the serial number field. Like seriously?? How is 'MH12345A' different from 'MH 12345A' in terms of identifying the collateral??
0 coins
Keith Davidson
•I feel your pain but the spacing actually can matter for search purposes. If someone searches for the serial number with spaces and your filing doesn't have spaces, it might not show up in results.
0 coins
Taylor Chen
•That's ridiculous though. The whole point of a UCC search is to find existing liens and if formatting prevents that then the system is broken.
0 coins
Ezra Bates
For mobile homes specifically, make sure you're clear on whether this is titled as real property or personal property in your state. That affects whether you need a fixture filing or regular UCC-1. Also the collateral description should include year, make, model, and both serial and HUD numbers if available.
0 coins
Victoria Stark
•It's definitely personal property, not attached to foundation. Collateral description is '2024 Clayton Mobile Home, Serial #CLT2024789456, HUD Label #ABC123DEF456'. Think that's sufficient?
0 coins
Ezra Bates
•Looks good but I'd add the model name if you have it. Some searchers look for specific Clayton models and it helps with identification.
0 coins
Ana Erdoğan
•Also double-check that HUD format. Some states are picky about the letter/number pattern matching exactly what's on the physical label.
0 coins
Sophia Carson
Have you considered calling the SOS office directly? Sometimes they can tell you exactly what's causing the rejection. I know it's old school but I've gotten helpful clarification on debtor name formatting by just picking up the phone.
0 coins
Victoria Stark
•Tried that but got transferred 3 times and ended up with someone who just read me the same generic rejection reasons from their website. Not very helpful.
0 coins
Elijah Knight
•Yeah their phone support is pretty useless. The online portal gives you the same info usually.
0 coins
Brooklyn Foley
One trick I learned - if you're not sure about the exact debtor name format, file a UCC search request for each variation first. That will show you exactly how existing filings appear in their system and you can match that format exactly.
0 coins
Victoria Stark
•Good idea! I did search 'Jennifer Thompson' and 'J.M. Thompson' but didn't try 'Jennifer M. Thompson' without the period. Will run that search now.
0 coins
Brooklyn Foley
•Exactly! And try with and without middle initials, periods, spaces, etc. It's tedious but better than another rejection.
0 coins
Jay Lincoln
•This is why I always do comprehensive debtor searches before filing anything. Takes extra time upfront but saves headaches later.
0 coins
Jessica Suarez
Mobile home financing is my specialty and I can tell you the debtor name issue is just the tip of the iceberg. Wait until you deal with interstate moves, title transfers, and converted real property filings. The retail installment contract and security agreement mobile home deals are complex because of the dual nature - sometimes personal property, sometimes real estate.
0 coins
Victoria Stark
•Ugh don't even mention interstate moves. We had one last year where the mobile home moved from Texas to Oklahoma and the lien transfer was a nightmare.
0 coins
Jessica Suarez
•Oklahoma is particularly difficult! They have specific mobile home lien statutes that don't always align with standard UCC rules.
0 coins
Marcus Williams
Just went through something similar and ended up using Certana.ai to cross-check all my documents before refiling. Turned out I had three different debtor name variations across my loan docs and UCC paperwork. Would have been rejected again for sure without catching that.
0 coins
Victoria Stark
•How long does their document check take? I need to get this continuation filed this week or the original filing lapses.
0 coins
Marcus Williams
•It's pretty much instant once you upload the PDFs. Shows you a comparison view with all the inconsistencies highlighted. Way faster than manually reviewing everything.
0 coins
Lily Young
I'd also verify that your original UCC-1 is still valid and hasn't already lapsed. Mobile home deals sometimes have longer gaps between filing and continuation and you might be past the 5-year window already.
0 coins
Victoria Stark
•Original filing date was March 2020 so I have until March 2025. Still have a few months but don't want to wait until the last minute given these name issues.
0 coins
Lily Young
•Smart approach. Better to get it sorted now than scramble in February.
0 coins
Kennedy Morrison
•March 2025 deadline means you can file the continuation anytime within 6 months before expiration, so you have plenty of time if you need to do an amendment first.
0 coins
Wesley Hallow
Final thought - make sure your continuation statement references the original filing number exactly. I've seen continuations rejected because someone transposed digits in the filing number even when everything else was perfect.
0 coins
Victoria Stark
•Good catch! I'll double-check that filing number. It's easy to make a typo when you're rushing to get documents filed.
0 coins
Justin Chang
•This is another thing those document verification tools catch - makes sure filing numbers match exactly between related documents.
0 coins