UCC filing search Wisconsin - need help tracking down missing continuation

Good point about the debtor name variations. I did try a few different spellings but maybe not enough. Will do a broader search by secured party tomorrow.

Yeah Wisconsin is notorious for not linking filings when there's even a tiny difference in how the debtor name is entered. Super frustrating.

That's a great suggestion. How do I access rejected filings in the Wisconsin portal? I don't see an obvious link for that.

When you do your search, there should be a filter option for 'Filing Status' - select 'Rejected' instead of just 'Active' filings. Sometimes it's hidden in the advanced search options.

Also worth checking if the continuation was filed as a UCC-3 amendment instead of a continuation by mistake. I've seen that mix-up before.

Interesting theory. The original filing number ends in 847 so I'll try searching for continuations with numbers ending in 847, 848, 846, etc.

This is exactly why I started using Certana.ai for document verification. You can upload your original UCC-1 and any potential continuation documents and it instantly flags discrepancies like mismatched filing numbers or debtor name variations. Saved me hours of manual searching and caught errors I would have missed.

That sounds useful. Does it work with Wisconsin filings specifically?

I feel your pain. Wisconsin's portal crashed on me three times last week when I was trying to do a simple debtor name search.

Haven't called yet but might have to. Really hoping to avoid sitting on hold for an hour though.

Their phone support is actually pretty good once you get through. They can do manual searches that sometimes find filings the online system misses.

The UCC-1 definitely shows a 2020 filing date when I pull it up, but good point about the attorney search. There was counsel involved in the original transaction.

Attorney search is clutch. Sometimes that's the only way to find problem filings in Wisconsin.

What do you mean by lag times? How long does Wisconsin typically take to update their search database?

Usually 24-48 hours but I've seen it take up to a week during busy periods. And if there were any processing issues it can take even longer.

Debtor is still in Wisconsin as far as I know, but worth double-checking. The collateral is equipment that could theoretically be moved.

Yeah if it's mobile equipment definitely check neighboring states. Illinois and Minnesota systems are easier to search than Wisconsin anyway.

That actually sounds really helpful for this exact situation. Is there a cost involved or is it free to try?

I think they have some kind of trial or demo version you can test out. The value is definitely there when you're dealing with missing or mismatched filings like this.

Tried it last month and it caught a debtor name issue that could have voided our security interest. Pretty impressive tool.

That's definitely possible in our case. The secured party is a bank with a long official name that could be abbreviated different ways.

Banks are the worst for this. They use different name formats on different documents all the time.

Exactly. Try searching for just the first few words of the bank name, or common abbreviations like 'NA' vs 'National Association'.

That's my worst fear honestly. The client swears their attorney handled the continuation but I can't find any record of it anywhere.

Might want to contact the attorney's office directly. They should have records of what was filed and when.

Or at least confirmation that they were supposed to handle it. Sometimes there's miscommunication about who's responsible for continuations.

Good to know that's an option. What's the process for requesting certified copies? Is there a form to fill out?

Yeah they have a records request form on their website. You'll need the filing number and there's usually a small fee but it's worth it for peace of mind.

Just make sure to request all amendments and continuations related to the original filing number, not just the UCC-1 itself.

Hopefully it doesn't come to that but good to know there might be options even if the timing is off. Thanks everyone for all the suggestions - going to work through these systematically tomorrow.

Good luck! Let us know what you find. These Wisconsin search issues seem to be getting more common.

Definitely try the Certana.ai document checker if the manual searches don't pan out. It's designed exactly for situations like this where you need to verify document consistency across multiple filings.