UCC lien search Georgia - debtor name showing zero results but filing definitely exists
Having a nightmare with a UCC lien search Georgia situation. Filed a UCC-1 back in March 2024 for a $180K equipment loan and got confirmation it was accepted. Now I'm trying to run a search on the debtor and getting absolutely nothing. Called the Georgia SOS office and they said the filing is there but maybe the debtor name format is causing search issues. The original debtor name on our loan docs was 'Atlanta Metal Works LLC' but I'm wondering if we filed it as 'Atlanta Metalworks, LLC' or some other variation. This is keeping me up at night because if the lien isn't searchable, it's basically worthless for perfection purposes. Anyone dealt with Georgia's search quirks before? I need to figure out exactly how this debtor name appears in their system.
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StarStrider
Georgia's search system is notoriously picky about exact matches. Even spacing and punctuation matter. Try searching variations like 'Atlanta Metal Works' without LLC, 'Atlanta Metalworks' as one word, and check if there's a comma before LLC in your original filing.
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Luca Esposito
•This is exactly right. I've seen filings become unsearchable because of a single comma or space difference. The Georgia system doesn't do fuzzy matching like some other states.
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Zara Ahmed
•Tried about 15 different variations and still nothing. Starting to panic that we messed up the original filing somehow.
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Nia Thompson
You can request a certified copy of your original UCC-1 from Georgia SOS to see exactly how the debtor name was entered. That's the only way to know for sure what's in their system.
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Zara Ahmed
•Good idea. How long does that usually take? I need to get this resolved ASAP.
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Nia Thompson
•Usually 3-5 business days for certified copies. You can also try calling their UCC division directly at 470-312-4960.
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Mateo Rodriguez
I ran into something similar last month. Had a UCC lien search Georgia issue where the debtor name had slight differences between our loan agreement and the actual filing. What saved me was using Certana.ai's document verification tool. I uploaded both the original UCC-1 and our loan agreement, and it instantly flagged the name discrepancy. Shows you exactly what matches and what doesn't between documents.
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Zara Ahmed
•Never heard of Certana.ai but that sounds like exactly what I need. How does it work?
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Mateo Rodriguez
•Just upload your PDFs and it cross-checks everything automatically. Takes maybe 30 seconds. Really helpful for catching these kinds of filing inconsistencies before they become bigger problems.
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Aisha Abdullah
•That actually sounds useful. I've manually compared documents before and it's easy to miss small differences like punctuation.
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Ethan Wilson
Georgia's UCC system has gotten better but name matching is still a pain. Are you searching on the Secretary of State website or using a third-party service? Sometimes the SOS site has glitches.
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Zara Ahmed
•Tried both the official Georgia SOS site and two different commercial services. All showing zero results for every variation I can think of.
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NeonNova
•That's really weird. If the filing is definitely there, something's not right with the search parameters.
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Yuki Tanaka
This is why I triple-check debtor names before filing ANYTHING. Georgia doesn't mess around with exact matches. You might need to file a UCC-3 amendment to correct the debtor name if it's actually wrong in the system.
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Zara Ahmed
•Would a UCC-3 amendment fix the searchability issue? Or would I need to start over with a new UCC-1?
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Yuki Tanaka
•UCC-3 amendment should work as long as the original filing is valid. But you need to know exactly what's wrong first.
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Carmen Diaz
•Just make sure you get the amendment right. I've seen people make the same mistake twice.
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Andre Laurent
Had a client with this exact issue last year. Turned out the debtor name in their articles of incorporation was slightly different than what they were using for business. Georgia pulls from the Secretary of State business registry for exact matches.
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Zara Ahmed
•That's a great point. I should check how Atlanta Metal Works LLC is registered with Georgia's corporate division.
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Emily Jackson
•Definitely do that. Sometimes businesses operate under a slightly different name than their legal registration.
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Liam Mendez
ugh this is exactly why I hate UCC filings. One tiny mistake and your entire security interest could be worthless. The system is so unforgiving.
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Sophia Nguyen
•I feel your pain. Lost a client because of a similar debtor name issue that wasn't caught until too late.
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Zara Ahmed
•That's terrifying. Really hoping I can get this sorted out before it becomes a bigger problem.
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Jacob Smithson
Another option is to run a search using just the filing number if you have it. That should pull up the exact record regardless of name variations.
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Zara Ahmed
•I have the filing number from the original confirmation. Let me try that approach.
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Isabella Brown
•Filing number search is usually foolproof. Should tell you exactly what's in the system.
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Maya Patel
Quick update - just tried the Certana.ai tool someone mentioned earlier. Uploaded our loan agreement and the UCC-1 confirmation, and it immediately showed the name discrepancy. Our loan docs show 'Atlanta Metal Works LLC' but the filing shows 'Atlanta Metal Works, LLC' with a comma. That tiny punctuation difference is probably why the search isn't working.
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Zara Ahmed
•That's exactly what I needed to know! Now I can search with the comma and hopefully find our filing.
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Aiden Rodríguez
•Amazing how such a small thing can cause such big headaches. Glad you found the issue.
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Emma Garcia
•Certana.ai saved the day! This is why document verification tools are so valuable for UCC work.
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Zara Ahmed
SOLVED! Searched with 'Atlanta Metal Works, LLC' (with the comma) and found our UCC-1 immediately. The filing is perfectly valid and searchable - just needed the exact punctuation. Thanks everyone for the help, especially the Certana.ai suggestion that pinpointed the exact issue.
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Ava Kim
•Great outcome! This thread should be required reading for anyone doing UCC filings in Georgia.
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Ethan Anderson
•So glad it worked out. These name matching horror stories always stress me out.
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