UCC filing search showing weird results - am I missing something?
So I'm trying to do a UCC filing search on our borrower and the results are all over the place. I searched the exact debtor name from our loan docs and got like 3 different variations showing up - some with middle initials, some without, one with LLC spelled out vs just the abbreviation. The filing dates don't make sense either, showing stuff from 2019 that should have lapsed by now but still showing as active? Our compliance team is breathing down my neck about this loan package and I need to figure out what's actually on file. Has anyone else run into search results that just don't add up? I'm starting to wonder if I'm searching wrong or if there's something funky with the database.
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Ryan Vasquez
UCC searches can be tricky especially with entity names. The system searches for exact matches first, then similar matches. Those variations you're seeing might be legitimate filings with slightly different name formats. As for the 2019 filings still showing active - could be they were continued before the 5-year lapse. What state are you searching in?
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Sarah Ali
•Delaware. And yeah that makes sense about the continuations, I didn't think of that. Just seems weird that there are so many name variations for what should be the same entity.
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Avery Saint
•Delaware's pretty good about their search functionality. Those name variations could be from different lenders using slightly different formats when they filed. Super common issue.
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Taylor Chen
OMG yes! I deal with this constantly. The search algorithms pick up anything remotely similar and it creates this huge mess of results. Half the time I can't tell which filings actually relate to my borrower and which are just coincidental name matches. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack of needles.
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Keith Davidson
•The key is learning how to read the search results properly. Look at the filing numbers, dates, and secured party info to determine which ones are actually relevant to your deal.
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Taylor Chen
•Easier said than done when you've got 15 different results and they all look vaguely similar!
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Ezra Bates
I had a similar mess with a recent deal. Spent hours trying to manually cross-reference all the different filings to figure out what was still active vs. what had been terminated. Finally tried this tool called Certana.ai that lets you upload your loan docs and it automatically cross-checks everything against the UCC database. Saved me probably 3 hours of manual work and caught a name discrepancy I completely missed.
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Sarah Ali
•That sounds exactly like what I need right now. How does it work exactly?
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Ezra Bates
•You just upload PDFs of your charter docs, loan agreement, whatever you're trying to verify against. It runs the search and shows you exactly which filings match and flags any inconsistencies. Super straightforward.
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Ana Erdoğan
•I've been doing manual searches for years but honestly this sounds like it would eliminate a lot of the guesswork.
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Sophia Carson
The 2019 filings showing as active is probably because they were continued. UCC-3 continuation statements extend the effectiveness for another 5 years. Check if there are continuation filings associated with those original UCC-1s.
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Sarah Ali
•How do I check for continuations? Do they show up as separate search results or are they linked to the original filing somehow?
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Sophia Carson
•In Delaware they usually show up as separate entries but reference the original filing number. Look for UCC-3 forms with the same filing number as your 2019 results.
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Elijah Knight
Search results driving me crazy too. Why can't they just make it simple - one entity name, one set of results? Instead we get this alphabet soup of variations and half the time I'm not even sure I'm looking at the right company.
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Brooklyn Foley
•It's because different lenders file using whatever name format they have in their system. There's no standardization requirement.
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Elijah Knight
•Well there should be! This system is a mess.
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Jay Lincoln
For what it's worth, I always do multiple search variations when I'm trying to get a complete picture. Search with and without middle initials, with abbreviations spelled out, etc. It's tedious but you catch more that way.
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Sarah Ali
•That's a good point. I was just doing one search and assuming it would catch everything.
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Jessica Suarez
•Yeah definitely do multiple searches. The system isn't smart enough to catch all the variations automatically.
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Marcus Williams
The real issue is when you miss something because the search didn't pick it up. I had a deal blow up because there was a prior lien filed under a slightly different name format that didn't show up in my initial search. Now I'm paranoid about every search I do.
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Sarah Ali
•That's exactly what I'm worried about. How do you make sure you're not missing anything critical?
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Marcus Williams
•Honestly? Multiple searches and then cross-checking everything manually. It's time consuming but better than missing something important.
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Ezra Bates
•This is where that Certana tool I mentioned earlier really helps. It does all those cross-checks automatically so you don't have to worry about missing variations.
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Lily Young
Delaware's search is actually pretty good compared to some other states. At least their database is usually up to date. I've dealt with states where filings don't show up for weeks after they're submitted.
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Sarah Ali
•Good to know Delaware is reliable at least. Makes me feel better about the results I'm seeing.
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Kennedy Morrison
•Yeah Delaware processes things pretty quickly. If it's showing in their system it's probably accurate.
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Wesley Hallow
Quick question - are you searching as an exact match or using the broader search options? Sometimes the broad search picks up too much noise and makes it harder to identify what's actually relevant.
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Sarah Ali
•I think I was using the broad search. Should I switch to exact match?
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Wesley Hallow
•Try both. Exact match first to see the most relevant results, then broad search to make sure you're not missing anything.
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Avery Saint
Just to follow up on the continuation question - those 2019 filings could definitely still be active if they were properly continued. UCC-1 filings are effective for 5 years, so a 2019 filing would have lapsed in 2024 unless a UCC-3 continuation was filed within 6 months before the lapse date.
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Sarah Ali
•That timing makes sense. So I should look for UCC-3 filings dated sometime in 2023 or early 2024 that reference those 2019 filing numbers?
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Avery Saint
•Exactly. The continuation would extend effectiveness until 2029.
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Ryan Vasquez
•And if there's no continuation filed, those 2019 filings should show as lapsed in the search results.
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