UCC filing search Oregon - debtor name variations causing confusion

Oregon's UCC search can be tricky with name variations like that. You really need to search every possible name combination the debtor has used. The system doesn't automatically cross-reference different business names even if they're related entities. I always recommend doing searches on the exact legal name, common abbreviations, and any DBA names they might have used. Also check if any of those UCC-3 amendments were name changes - that could explain why the filing numbers don't match up.

I ran into something similar in Oregon last month. The continuation you're seeing from 2019 - if it wasn't properly continued by 2024, it would have lapsed. But if there was a UCC-3 amendment changing the debtor name, that could extend the effectiveness. You might want to pull the actual documents instead of just relying on the search summaries. Sometimes the search results don't show the full picture of what's actually on file.

For something this important with that much money involved, you might want to consider using a document verification tool. I recently started using Certana.ai's UCC document checker after getting burned on a similar situation. You can upload all the UCC documents you find and it cross-checks everything - debtor names, filing numbers, document consistency. It caught a name mismatch I completely missed when I was doing manual comparisons. Might be worth trying since you're dealing with multiple name changes and potentially missed filings.

This is giving me anxiety just reading it! I'm supposed to do a UCC search in Oregon next week for the first time and now I'm worried I'm going to miss something important. How do you even know if you've found all the possible name variations? What if there are other business names I don't know about?

Oregon's UCC system drives me crazy with this stuff. Why can't they make it easier to search related entities? Every other state seems to handle name variations better. I spent 3 hours last week trying to track down all the filings for a company that had changed names twice and operated under 4 different DBAs. The search interface is from like 2005.

Have you checked if any of those name changes were done through UCC-3 amendments vs just general business name changes? If they used UCC-3 amendments to change the debtor name on existing filings, those would show up differently in the search results. Also, make sure you're searching both the 'debtor name' field and the 'secured party' field - sometimes companies appear as both depending on the transaction.

Just went through this exact situation in Oregon 2 months ago. What helped me was creating a spreadsheet with all the possible name combinations and searching each one systematically. Found 3 additional filings I would have missed otherwise. Also, don't forget to check for any fixture filings if the equipment might be considered fixtures - those show up in different search results.

One thing that might help - Oregon allows you to search by filing number if you can figure out the pattern. If you found one filing from that 2019 timeframe, try searching similar filing numbers from around the same date. Sometimes related filings are numbered sequentially.

Wait, I think I'm confused about something. If there was a UCC-1 from 2019, wouldn't that have lapsed already unless it was continued? The effectiveness period is only 5 years, so anything from 2019 should have needed a UCC-3 continuation by 2024 to still be active. Are you sure the filing you're seeing is still effective?

This thread is really helpful! I'm bookmarking this because I know I'll need to do Oregon UCC searches eventually. Question though - when you find multiple filings under different name variations, how do you determine which ones are actually the same company vs different entities that just have similar names?

Just want to add that for $850k you might want to consider hiring a professional UCC search company for this. I know it costs more but with that much at stake and the complexity of multiple name changes, it might be worth having experts handle it. They have access to better search tools and know all the tricks for finding hidden filings.

Following this because I'm in a similar boat with a Washington UCC search where the debtor has changed names. Sounds like the principles are the same across states - search every possible name variation and don't trust just the summary results.