UCC fixture filings rejected - debtor name mismatch with property records
I'm dealing with a nightmare situation where our UCC fixture filing keeps getting rejected by the SOS office. We're securing a $750,000 commercial HVAC system installation at a multi-tenant office complex, and the filing officer says our debtor name doesn't match the property records exactly. The lease shows 'Meridian Properties LLC' but the property deed has 'Meridian Properties, LLC' with the comma. This is our third rejection and we're running up against our perfection deadline. The equipment is already installed and operational, but without proper fixture filing we can't enforce our security interest against subsequent real estate purchasers. Has anyone dealt with debtor name variations in fixture filings? The collateral description references specific unit numbers and equipment serial numbers, but I'm worried the name issue is going to void our entire security position.
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Hunter Hampton
Fixture filings are brutal when it comes to debtor names because you're dealing with both UCC requirements AND real estate recording standards. The comma issue you mentioned is actually pretty common - I've seen rejections for periods vs commas, LLC vs L.L.C., and even spacing differences. What state are you filing in? Some states are more forgiving than others about minor punctuation variations.
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Libby Hassan
•We're filing in Ohio. The rejection notice specifically cited 'debtor name does not match real property records' but didn't give guidance on which version to use. Should I be matching the lease agreement or the deed?
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Hunter Hampton
•In Ohio, you typically want to match the property deed since that's what the recorder's office uses for indexing. But here's the tricky part - you also need to make sure your UCC-1 debtor name matches your security agreement. Sometimes you need to file under both name variations to be safe.
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Sofia Peña
•This is exactly why I always do a property records search before preparing fixture filings. The deed version usually takes precedence for recording purposes.
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Aaron Boston
I ran into this exact issue last year with a restaurant equipment fixture filing. The rejection letters were driving me crazy until someone suggested using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your lease, deed, and UCC-1 draft, and it automatically flags name inconsistencies between all the documents. Would have saved me weeks of back-and-forth with the filing office if I'd known about it earlier.
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Libby Hassan
•How does that work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs and it compares the names automatically?
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Aaron Boston
•Yeah, exactly. I uploaded the property deed, our lease agreement, and the UCC-1 form I was preparing. It highlighted that the debtor name had three different variations across the documents and suggested which version would be most likely to pass recording. Super helpful for fixture filings where you need everything to align perfectly.
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Sophia Carter
•That sounds too good to be true. How accurate is it with legal entity names? I've had software miss subtle differences before.
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Aaron Boston
•It caught variations I didn't even notice - like 'Inc.' vs 'Incorporated' and different comma placements. For fixture filings where name precision is critical, it's been a game-changer.
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Chloe Zhang
You might want to consider filing a corrective statement if you can't get the original filing accepted. Ohio allows UCC-1 corrections within certain timeframes, and it might be faster than starting over with a completely new filing. Just make sure your correction clearly identifies the original filing attempt.
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Libby Hassan
•Can you file a corrective statement if the original filing was rejected rather than accepted with errors?
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Chloe Zhang
•Good point - if it was rejected outright, you'd need to file a fresh UCC-1 rather than a correction. The corrective statement only works for accepted filings that need amendments.
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Brandon Parker
•This is why fixture filings are so stressful. One name mistake and you're starting from scratch while your perfection window is closing.
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Adriana Cohn
The real estate recording office and UCC filing office sometimes have different standards even within the same state. I've seen cases where the UCC office accepts a name variation that the real estate recorder rejects, or vice versa. For fixture filings, you need both offices to accept the same version.
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Jace Caspullo
•This is so frustrating! Why can't they coordinate their systems better? We're trying to perfect security interests, not play name-matching games.
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Adriana Cohn
•It's because fixture filings exist at the intersection of personal property law (UCC) and real property law (recording acts). Each system has its own requirements and they don't always align perfectly.
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Melody Miles
•I always call both offices before filing to ask about their specific name requirements. Takes extra time but saves rejection headaches.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
Have you tried searching the recorder's office database to see how other documents with this entity are indexed? Sometimes you can find other UCC fixture filings or mortgages that show the accepted name format. The key is being consistent with however they've been indexing this particular debtor.
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Libby Hassan
•That's a great idea. I'll check if there are other filings under either name variation to see which one the office has been accepting.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•Exactly. If you find other accepted filings under 'Meridian Properties, LLC' with the comma, that's probably your safest bet for the fixture filing.
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Eva St. Cyr
•The recorder's database search is always my first step. It tells you immediately how they want names formatted.
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Kristian Bishop
I hate fixture filings with a passion. Between the name matching requirements, the legal descriptions, and making sure you hit the right recording office, there are so many ways for things to go wrong. Regular UCC-1 filings are straightforward compared to this nightmare.
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Kaitlyn Otto
•Tell me about it. I've had fixture filings rejected for everything from wrong county to insufficient legal description to debtor name issues. It's like they're designed to fail.
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Axel Far
•The legal description requirements are the worst part. One wrong lot number or incorrect subdivision name and boom - rejection.
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Jasmine Hernandez
•At least with regular UCC filings you just need the debtor name and address right. Fixture filings require perfection across multiple document types.
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Luis Johnson
Quick question - did you verify that the HVAC system actually qualifies as a fixture under Ohio law? Sometimes equipment that looks like it should be a fixture is actually just personal property, which would make a regular UCC-1 filing more appropriate than a fixture filing.
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Libby Hassan
•The system is permanently installed with concrete pads and integrated into the building's electrical and control systems. Our attorney confirmed it meets Ohio's fixture definition.
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Luis Johnson
•Good, just wanted to make sure. I've seen people struggle with fixture filing requirements when a regular UCC-1 would have been sufficient and much easier.
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Ellie Kim
•The integration test is key. If it's just bolted down, it might not be a fixture. But concrete pads and electrical integration usually qualify.
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Fiona Sand
Another option is to file under both name variations - 'Meridian Properties LLC' and 'Meridian Properties, LLC' - as separate UCC-1 fixture filings. It's more expensive but eliminates the risk of guessing wrong. Your security interest will be perfected regardless of which name format the system requires.
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Libby Hassan
•Would filing under both names create any conflicts or legal issues down the road?
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Fiona Sand
•No conflicts. It's actually a common practice for high-value transactions where name uncertainty exists. Both filings would reference the same collateral and security agreement.
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Mohammad Khaled
•I've done dual filings before. The extra filing fee is usually worth it compared to the cost of losing your security interest over a punctuation mark.
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Alina Rosenthal
Update us when you get this resolved! I'm dealing with a similar situation on a manufacturing equipment fixture filing and curious which approach works best.
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Libby Hassan
•Will do. I'm going to try the document verification tool someone mentioned, then probably file under the deed name format. Fingers crossed!
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Finnegan Gunn
•Hope it works out. Fixture filing rejections are the worst because of how time-sensitive they are.
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Miguel Harvey
I had a similar issue last month and ended up using Certana.ai's verification feature before resubmitting. It caught not just the name discrepancy but also some issues with our collateral description that could have caused problems later. The automated cross-checking between the deed, lease, and UCC form saved me from another potential rejection cycle.
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Ashley Simian
•Did it help with the legal description part too? That's always what trips me up on fixture filings.
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Miguel Harvey
•It flagged inconsistencies between the property description in our lease and what I had in the UCC-1 form. Helped me standardize everything before filing.
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Oliver Cheng
•The collateral description verification sounds useful. I've had filings rejected because the equipment description didn't match the security agreement exactly.
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