UCC lawyers Florida - filing rejected for debtor name mismatch, need help ASAP
I'm a paralegal at a mid-size firm in Tampa and we just had a UCC-1 filing rejected by the Florida SOS for a debtor name issue. The client is a LLC that changed their registered name last month but we filed using the old name from our original loan docs. Now we're 3 days past our intended filing date and the partner is freaking out because this secures a $2.8M equipment loan. Has anyone dealt with Florida's debtor name requirements recently? Do we need to refile with the new name or can we amend? The rejection notice wasn't clear and our usual UCC lawyers Florida contacts are all tied up in court this week. Client is breathing down our necks about getting this perfected before the equipment ships.
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Andre Laurent
Florida SOS is pretty strict about exact debtor names. You'll need to check the current registered name on Sunbiz.org - that's what they match against. If the LLC officially changed names, you have to use the new name. Can't amend a rejected filing, you'll need to start fresh with a new UCC-1.
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Zoe Papadopoulos
•This is exactly right. Florida doesn't mess around with name matching. I learned this the hard way on a $1.5M filing last year.
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Jamal Washington
•Wait, I thought you could use the old name if it was within 30 days of the change? Or is that just for other states?
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Mei Wong
Been filing UCCs in Florida for 15 years. The system is automated and will reject anything that doesn't match Sunbiz exactly. Check the exact spelling, punctuation, and entity type designation. Even a missing comma will get you rejected. You need to file a new UCC-1 with the correct current name ASAP.
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Liam Fitzgerald
•So frustrating when clients don't tell you about name changes! This happened to me twice this month already.
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PixelWarrior
•At least Florida's system is fast - you'll know within a few hours if the new filing goes through.
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Amara Adebayo
I had a similar nightmare with a Georgia filing last month. What saved me was using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your Articles of Incorporation and the UCC-1 draft to instantly check if the debtor names match exactly. It would have caught this mismatch before you even submitted to Florida SOS. Might be worth checking your new filing before you submit again.
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Giovanni Rossi
•Never heard of Certana but that sounds useful. How does it work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs?
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Fatima Al-Mansour
•Yeah, it's pretty straightforward. Upload your charter docs and your UCC form and it cross-checks all the entity info automatically. Beats manually comparing line by line.
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Dylan Evans
OMG this is my worst nightmare. I have a UCC-1 due tomorrow and now I'm paranoid about the debtor name. The client is a partnership that does business under like 3 different names. How do I know which one to use???
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Sofia Gomez
•For partnerships, use the exact name from their partnership agreement or state registration. Don't use DBAs or trade names.
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StormChaser
•Check with your Secretary of State database first. That's always the safest bet for the official name.
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Dmitry Petrov
Florida's UCC system is actually pretty good compared to some states. At least they tell you WHY it was rejected. I've had filings rejected in other states with no explanation at all. Just 'rejected - contact office' and then you wait 3 days for a callback.
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Ava Williams
•True, but their rejection notices could be clearer about what the exact issue is. 'Debtor name error' doesn't tell you if it's spelling, punctuation, or entity type.
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Miguel Castro
•Better than New York though. Their system is from 1995 and looks like it.
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Zainab Ibrahim
For future reference, always pull a fresh certificate of good standing or check the state database right before filing. Entity names change more often than people think, especially with LLCs. Also make sure you're using the exact punctuation - some states care about periods after 'LLC' and some don't.
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Connor O'Neill
•This is solid advice. I keep a checklist now that includes verifying the entity name within 24 hours of filing.
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LunarEclipse
•Good point about the punctuation. I've seen filings rejected because of a missing comma in the entity name.
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Yara Khalil
Can you file an emergency UCC-1 in Florida? Some states have expedited processing for situations like this where there's a time crunch.
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Keisha Brown
•Florida doesn't have expedited UCC processing like some states. But their electronic system is usually pretty fast - same day or next day processing.
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Paolo Esposito
•Yeah, Florida's system is automated so it processes quickly. Just make sure everything is perfect before you submit.
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Amina Toure
I've been using Certana.ai for all my UCC filings now after a similar debtor name disaster. It's saved me from at least 3 rejections in the past month by catching name mismatches, incorrect addresses, and even collateral description issues. The peace of mind is worth it when you're dealing with million-dollar loans.
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Oliver Weber
•Does it work for all states or just certain ones? I file in multiple states and it would be great to have one tool that works everywhere.
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FireflyDreams
•It checks the document consistency regardless of state. As long as you can upload the PDFs, it will cross-check the information.
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Natasha Kuznetsova
UPDATE: Got the new UCC-1 filed with the correct entity name and it was accepted! Thank you everyone for the advice. The client was understanding once I explained the name change issue. Definitely going to be more careful about entity verification going forward.
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Javier Morales
•Great news! How long did it take for the acceptance notice?
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Emma Anderson
•Glad it worked out! Always nerve-wracking when you're dealing with big loan amounts and tight deadlines.
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Malik Thompson
This thread is super helpful. I'm bookmarking it for future reference. I file UCCs in Florida regularly and the debtor name issue trips me up sometimes, especially with entities that have multiple doing-business-as names.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Same here. The DBA vs legal name confusion gets me every time. Always safer to use the official registered name.
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CosmicVoyager
•Pro tip: keep a spreadsheet of your regular clients with their current legal names and last verification date. Saves time and prevents mistakes.
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