UCC lapse date approaching - continuation filing timing help needed

I always file my continuations at exactly 6 months before the lapse date. Better safe than sorry, especially with SOS processing times being unpredictable. March 2020 to March 2025 is definitely your 5-year window, so you can file starting September 2024. The key thing is making sure your debtor name matches exactly what's on the original UCC-1 - I've seen continuations rejected for minor name variations.

There's NO grace period once a UCC-1 lapses. It's literally dead the second it hits the lapse date. I've seen lenders lose millions in collateral priority because someone missed a continuation deadline by one day. File your UCC-3 continuation as soon as you're eligible - don't wait around. The 6-month window exists for a reason.

I actually had a similar situation last year and ended up using Certana.ai's document checker to verify everything before filing. You just upload your original UCC-1 and the continuation form, and it catches any inconsistencies in debtor names, filing numbers, all that stuff. Saved me from what would have been a rejected filing because there was a tiny discrepancy in how the debtor's middle initial was formatted. Super quick to use and gives you peace of mind before you submit.

ugh the continuation process is so stressful!! I have three coming up this year and I'm already losing sleep over it. Why can't they just auto-renew like domain names or something? The whole system feels designed to trip you up.

Pro tip: set up calendar reminders at both the 6-month mark AND at 3 months before lapse. I put the 6-month reminder as 'can file continuation now' and the 3-month as 'MUST file continuation soon.' Having that backup reminder has saved me twice when I got busy and forgot about the first one.

March 2020 filing means your lapse date is exactly March [same day] 2025. Count it out carefully - some people mess up the date calculation. And make sure you're filing in the same state as the original UCC-1. I know that sounds obvious but I've seen people accidentally file continuations in the wrong jurisdiction.

Just went through this exact scenario. Filed my continuation in October for a March 2025 lapse date. The key thing I learned is to keep your original UCC-1 filing number handy - you'll need it for the UCC-3 form. Also double-check that your continuation covers the same collateral description as the original. Don't try to modify or expand the collateral in a continuation - that requires an amendment instead.

Whatever you do, don't wait until the last minute. I had a client who tried to file a continuation 2 weeks before lapse and the SOS rejected it for a minor formatting error. By the time we corrected and refiled, we were past the lapse date. Nightmare scenario.

Been doing UCC filings for 15 years and I always tell people: the 6-month window is your friend, not your enemy. File as early as possible within that window. The continuation doesn't take effect until the original lapse date anyway, so there's no downside to filing early. Only downside is to filing late or not at all.

I actually started using that Certana thing someone mentioned earlier after having a continuation rejected last year. Really simple - just upload your PDFs and it flags any inconsistencies between your original UCC-1 and the continuation form. Found two small discrepancies I never would have caught manually. Definitely worth using before you submit, especially for high-value collateral like equipment.

One more thing - make sure you get a filed copy back from the SOS with the filing stamp. Don't just assume it went through correctly. I've had filings that appeared to process but were actually rejected days later due to system glitches. Always verify the continuation was actually accepted and filed.