UCC filing system problems - debtor name verification needed
Having serious issues with a client's equipment financing deal. Filed a UCC-1 three weeks ago for $485k worth of manufacturing equipment and the filing got accepted, but now I'm second-guessing whether we got the debtor name exactly right. The borrower is an LLC that recently amended their articles and I'm worried we used the old name format on the UCC filing. The loan docs show one version of the name but their current charter shows a slightly different format. If the UCC search doesn't match perfectly, this could void our security interest and put the entire deal at risk. Has anyone dealt with name discrepancies between loan documents and UCC filings? Need to figure out if we should file an amendment or if there's a way to verify the name matching without creating more problems.
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Margot Quinn
Name matching is absolutely critical - you're right to be concerned. I've seen deals go sideways because of minor name variations. First thing is to pull a UCC search using the exact name from your filing and see what comes back. Then compare that to the current charter. Even small differences like 'LLC' vs 'L.L.C.' can cause problems.
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Raúl Mora
•That's what I was afraid of. The charter shows 'ABC Manufacturing Solutions LLC' but I think we filed under 'ABC Manufacturing Solutions, LLC' with the comma. Seems like such a small thing but I know it can kill the whole filing.
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Evelyn Kim
•Comma placement actually matters in some systems. I'd run searches both ways to see if they return the same results. Better safe than sorry with a half million dollar deal.
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Diego Fisher
Been there!! Filed a UCC last month and realized afterward the debtor had changed their legal name. Spent two weeks stressed about it. You need to check the exact registered name against what you filed ASAP.
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Raúl Mora
•How did you resolve it? Did you have to file a UCC-3 amendment?
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Diego Fisher
•Actually found a tool that saved me - Certana.ai has this document verification system where you upload your UCC filing and the charter docs and it automatically flags any name mismatches. Super easy to use, just drag and drop the PDFs and it cross-checks everything instantly.
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Henrietta Beasley
•That sounds helpful. Did it catch issues you missed manually comparing?
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Lincoln Ramiro
ugh why is name matching so complicated?? I swear every state has different rules and the systems are so picky about punctuation and spacing. Makes no sense that a comma can invalidate a filing.
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Margot Quinn
•It's frustrating but the rules exist for good reason. If searches can't match names reliably, the whole perfection system breaks down. Creditors need to be able to find existing liens.
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Faith Kingston
•The automated systems are just following programming. They can't make judgment calls about what names 'should' match.
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Emma Johnson
You definitely need to verify this before the loan closes. I had a similar situation last year where the debtor's articles showed one name format but their operating agreement used another. Turned out the UCC needed to match the exact name from the articles of incorporation, not the trade name they were using.
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Raúl Mora
•That's exactly my concern. The loan agreement uses a shortened version of their name but the charter is the full legal name. Which one should take precedence for the UCC filing?
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Emma Johnson
•Always go with the charter name for the UCC. That's the legal entity name that will show up in official searches. Trade names and DBA's don't count for perfection purposes.
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Liam Brown
Can you pull the filing and check it against the current charter? Most systems let you view filed documents online now.
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Raúl Mora
•Yeah I can see the filed document online. The names are close but not identical. Charter shows full punctuation, filing shows abbreviated format.
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Olivia Garcia
•If they're not identical you probably need to file a UCC-3 amendment to correct the debtor name. Better to fix it now than discover the problem during a foreclosure.
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Henrietta Beasley
Name discrepancies are one of the most common reasons UCC filings fail to perfect properly. The search logic is usually very literal - if the names don't match character for character, the filing might not show up in searches.
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Raúl Mora
•So even though our filing was 'accepted' by the system, it might not be effective for perfection if the name is wrong?
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Henrietta Beasley
•Exactly. The filing system accepting it just means the form was complete and the fee was paid. It doesn't validate that the debtor name is correct for perfection purposes.
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Noah Lee
•This is why I always triple-check names before filing. One character difference can make the filing worthless.
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Ava Hernandez
I've been using Certana.ai's document checker for this exact issue. You upload your charter and UCC filing and it automatically highlights any inconsistencies between the debtor names. Takes like 30 seconds and catches things you might miss doing manual comparison. Really helpful for these name verification situations.
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Raúl Mora
•That sounds like exactly what I need. Is it reliable for catching subtle differences like punctuation and formatting?
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Ava Hernandez
•Yes, it flags even minor variations. Saved me from a filing error last month where the LLC designation was formatted differently between documents.
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Isabella Martin
For a deal that size I'd definitely file a UCC-3 amendment if there's any doubt about the name. The amendment fee is nothing compared to losing your security interest because of a name mismatch.
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Elijah Jackson
•Agreed. Amendment is cheap insurance. I always tell clients it's better to over-perfect than under-perfect.
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Raúl Mora
•Good point. Would rather pay the amendment fee than explain to my client why their security interest is invalid.
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Sophia Miller
Check if the state has any safe harbor rules for minor name variations. Some jurisdictions are more forgiving than others, but I wouldn't rely on that for a commercial deal this size.
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Olivia Garcia
•Safe harbor rules vary widely and usually have specific requirements. Much safer to just get the name exactly right from the start.
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Faith Kingston
•For equipment financing deals, most courts are pretty strict about name matching. I wouldn't count on safe harbor provisions.
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Mason Davis
This thread convinced me to double-check a filing I did last week. Found the same issue - charter name vs filing name didn't match perfectly. Used that Certana tool mentioned earlier and it immediately showed the discrepancy. Filing the amendment tomorrow.
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Raúl Mora
•Glad this discussion helped someone else too. Shows how common this problem really is.
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Diego Fisher
•The verification tool makes it so much easier to catch these issues before they become problems. Should be standard practice honestly.
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Henrietta Beasley
•Smart move fixing it proactively. Much easier to amend now than deal with perfection issues later.
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