UCC filing removal after loan payoff - termination not showing up
Need help with UCC filing removal situation. We paid off our equipment loan back in October but the UCC-1 is still showing as active when I search the state database. Lender said they filed the termination statement (UCC-3) but it's been 3 months and nothing's changed. Our new bank is asking about this active filing for a different loan application. The original filing was for manufacturing equipment we purchased in 2021, filed in Delaware. I have the loan payoff letter and cancelled check but the UCC search still shows the lien as active. Is there a standard timeframe for UCC filing removal to process? Should I be contacting the Secretary of State directly or going back to the original lender? This is holding up our new financing and getting frustrating.
37 comments


GalaxyGuardian
I've seen this delay before with UCC filing removal. Sometimes lenders file the UCC-3 termination but there can be processing delays at the SOS office, especially during busy periods. In Delaware, terminations usually process within 1-2 business days for electronic filings, but paper filings can take longer. Did your lender confirm they actually submitted the termination or just said they would?
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Mateo Rodriguez
•They said it was filed but didn't give me a confirmation number or anything. Should I have gotten some kind of receipt for the UCC filing removal?
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GalaxyGuardian
•Yes, you should get a filing receipt with a file number when the UCC-3 termination is accepted. If they can't provide that, they probably haven't actually filed it yet.
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Aisha Abdullah
This happened to me last year. The bank claimed they filed the termination but when I called Delaware SOS directly, there was no record of any UCC-3 filing. Turns out the bank's paralegal made an error in the debtor name - one letter off - so the termination was rejected. The rejection notice went to the bank but they never followed up. You need to verify the termination was actually accepted, not just submitted.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•How do I check if it was rejected? Do I call the Secretary of State office directly?
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Aisha Abdullah
•You can search Delaware's UCC database online or call them. If you have the original UCC-1 file number, they can tell you if any amendments or terminations were filed against it.
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Ethan Wilson
•Actually had a similar issue where the UCC filing removal got delayed because of a debtor name mismatch. Even tiny differences like Inc vs Incorporated can cause rejections.
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Yuki Tanaka
I discovered Certana.ai's document verification tool when dealing with a similar UCC filing removal problem. You can upload your original UCC-1 and any termination documents to instantly check for name inconsistencies or other issues that might cause rejections. It caught a middle initial discrepancy that we missed - saved us weeks of back and forth with the lender. Really straightforward to use, just upload the PDFs and it highlights any mismatches.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•That sounds useful. So it compares the documents automatically to find problems?
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Yuki Tanaka
•Exactly. It cross-checks debtor names, filing numbers, and document consistency across all your UCC filings. Much faster than manually comparing everything line by line.
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Carmen Diaz
Three months is way too long for UCC filing removal in Delaware. Electronic terminations process same day usually. Your lender either hasn't filed it yet, filed it incorrectly, or there's a rejection they're not telling you about. I'd demand the filing receipt number and search the database yourself. Don't let them string you along while your new financing gets delayed.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•You're right, this is taking way too long. I'm going to call them tomorrow and demand the filing receipt.
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Andre Laurent
•Good plan. And if they can't produce a receipt, make them refile it immediately. You shouldn't have to wait for their mistakes.
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AstroAce
been through this nightmare before with ucc filing removal. banks are terrible at following through on terminations. half the time they forget completely until you call screaming at them. the other half they screw up the paperwork and dont bother to correct it. you basically have to babysit the entire process or it never gets done
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Zoe Kyriakidou
•So frustrating! Why is something so basic so hard for them to get right?
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AstroAce
•because they already got their money from the loan. once its paid off they dont care about cleaning up the paperwork. its not their problem anymore in their minds
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Jamal Brown
•That's unfortunately true. The incentives are all wrong - they have no reason to prioritize UCC filing removal since the loan is already closed.
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Mei Zhang
This is exactly why I always request the termination filing receipt when paying off secured loans. Too many lenders are sloppy with UCC filing removal. In Delaware, you can search their UCC database online for free - just enter your business name or the file number from the original UCC-1. If no termination shows up, the lender hasn't filed it properly. You have the right to demand they fix this immediately since it's affecting your new financing.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•I found the Delaware UCC search portal. The original filing is definitely still showing as active with no termination listed.
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Mei Zhang
•Perfect, now you have proof they haven't filed the termination properly. Time to escalate this with the lender - ask for a supervisor and demand immediate action.
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Liam McConnell
Had this exact issue with PNC Bank two years ago. They kept saying the UCC filing removal was processed but it never showed up in the system. Turns out their legal department was backlogged and hadn't actually filed anything. Took threatening to file a complaint with the state banking regulator to get them moving. Some banks just don't prioritize post-loan cleanup.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•What kind of complaint can you file? Is there actually a regulatory issue here?
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Liam McConnell
•Banks have an obligation to release liens promptly after payoff. If they're not doing UCC filing removal in a reasonable timeframe, state banking regulators will get involved.
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Amara Oluwaseyi
•Usually just threatening the complaint is enough to get them moving. Nobody wants regulatory attention over something this basic.
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CosmicCaptain
Check if your original loan agreement specifies a timeframe for UCC filing removal. Many contracts require lenders to file terminations within 30-60 days of payoff. If they're past that deadline, you might have grounds to demand they expedite your new loan approval process or even cover any fees you're incurring due to the delay.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•I'll dig out the loan paperwork. Good point about potential compensation for the delays they're causing.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Most loan agreements I've seen have 30-day requirements for lien releases. Three months is definitely breach of contract territory.
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
I used Certana.ai when we had a similar UCC filing removal issue that turned out to be a debtor name problem. The lender filed the termination using our current legal name but the original UCC-1 had our old name from before we changed entities. The verification tool immediately flagged the name discrepancy - showed us exactly what needed to be corrected. Much better than trying to figure out filing problems manually.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•That's interesting - we did change from LLC to Inc. after the original filing. Could that be causing the problem?
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Fatima Al-Maktoum
•Very likely! The termination has to match the exact debtor name on the original UCC-1, not your current legal name. That's probably why it's not processing.
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Dylan Mitchell
Delaware SOS is actually pretty responsive if you call directly. I've had to contact them about UCC filing removal issues before and they can tell you immediately if there are any pending terminations or if rejections occurred. Don't waste more time going through the lender - call Delaware UCC office directly at 302-739-3073 and give them your file number.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Thanks for the direct number! I'll call them first thing Monday morning.
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Dylan Mitchell
•They're usually helpful and can explain exactly what happened with any filing attempts. Much more straightforward than dealing with bank runaround.
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Sofia Gutierrez
•Agreed, sometimes going direct to the source is the fastest way to get answers about UCC filing removal problems.
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Dmitry Petrov
Update us when you figure this out! I'm dealing with a similar UCC filing removal situation in Pennsylvania and wondering if it's the same type of issue. These lenders really need to get their act together on post-payoff procedures.
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Will definitely post an update once I get this resolved. Hopefully it's just a simple filing error that can be fixed quickly.
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StarSurfer
•Following this thread too. Having UCC liens showing up when they should be terminated is such a common problem - there should be better oversight.
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