UCC lien search Pennsylvania - existing liens blocking new filing
Running into a roadblock with a UCC lien search Pennsylvania situation. Client wants to secure additional equipment financing but we need to verify existing liens first. The SOS search portal keeps timing out when I try to pull comprehensive lien reports for this particular debtor. Has anyone dealt with Pennsylvania's system being unreliable lately? I'm specifically looking for active UCC-1 filings that might conflict with our new collateral schedule. The equipment we're trying to finance overlaps with some machinery that might already be pledged. Is there a better way to do a thorough UCC lien search Pennsylvania without relying on the state portal?
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Adrian Connor
Pennsylvania's portal has been having issues the last few weeks. I've been doing UCC searches there for years and it's always been spotty. For comprehensive lien searches I usually try multiple approaches - the official SOS search, then cross-reference with any county records if there are fixture filings involved. What type of equipment are you dealing with?
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Mikayla Davison
•Manufacturing equipment - some of it's attached to the building so fixture filing territory. The debtor has been operating for 15+ years so there could be old liens we're missing.
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Aisha Jackson
•Fixture filings make it more complicated because you need county records too. Pennsylvania requires both UCC and real estate searches for attached equipment.
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Ryder Everingham
I just went through something similar last month. Spent hours trying to get clean search results from PA's system. Finally found Certana.ai's UCC document verification tool - you can upload existing UCC documents and it cross-checks everything automatically. Saved me from missing a critical lien that would have voided our security interest.
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Mikayla Davison
•Never heard of Certana.ai before. How does the verification work exactly? Do you upload the search results or the actual UCC forms?
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Ryder Everingham
•You upload PDFs of any UCC documents you find - UCC-1s, amendments, continuations. The tool automatically cross-checks debtor names, filing numbers, and document consistency. Catches things human eyes miss.
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Lilly Curtis
•That sounds almost too good to be true. How accurate is it with debtor name variations? Pennsylvania has strict name matching rules.
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Leo Simmons
Pennsylvania's UCC search function is notorious for missing filings if you don't get the debtor name exactly right. Even a missing comma or Inc vs Incorporated can throw off results. Are you searching under all possible name variations?
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Mikayla Davison
•I've tried several variations but you're right about the name matching being picky. The debtor is 'ABC Manufacturing Solutions, LLC' but I should probably try 'ABC Manufacturing Solutions LLC' without the comma too.
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Lindsey Fry
•Definitely try without the comma. Also try 'ABC Mfg Solutions LLC' - sometimes people abbreviate on filings. Pennsylvania doesn't standardize this stuff well.
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Saleem Vaziri
Why are state portals always such garbage? It's 2025 and we're still dealing with systems that crash when you try to do basic searches. Makes me want to scream.
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Kayla Morgan
•Tell me about it. I've lost count of how many times Pennsylvania's portal has timed out right when I needed search results for a closing.
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James Maki
•At least Pennsylvania HAS an online portal. Some states still make you mail in search requests like it's 1995.
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Saleem Vaziri
•Fair point. Still frustrating when you're trying to meet deadlines though.
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Jasmine Hancock
For manufacturing equipment, don't forget to check if any of the existing liens have continuation deadlines coming up. If a UCC-1 lapses, that could clear the way for your filing to take priority. Pennsylvania requires continuations within 6 months of the 5-year anniversary.
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Mikayla Davison
•Good point about the continuation deadlines. Some of the equipment has been there since 2019 so those original UCC-1s might be coming up for continuation soon.
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Cole Roush
•Just make sure you're not counting on a lapse if the secured party is competent. Most institutional lenders have systems to catch continuation deadlines.
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Scarlett Forster
I had a similar situation in Pennsylvania last year and ended up having to hire a professional search company. Cost more but they caught liens that I missed doing manual searches. Sometimes it's worth the expense if the loan amount is significant.
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Mikayla Davison
•What did the professional search cost you? This is a substantial loan so it might be worth it.
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Scarlett Forster
•Around $200 for a comprehensive search including fixture filings. Expensive but cheaper than missing a senior lien and having problems later.
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Arnav Bengali
•$200 seems reasonable for peace of mind. I've seen deals fall apart because someone missed an existing lien during due diligence.
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Sayid Hassan
Another option is to contact the debtor directly and ask for copies of all their existing UCC filings. Most businesses keep copies of their security agreements and can provide documentation faster than waiting for state searches.
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Mikayla Davison
•That's actually a great idea. The debtor should have copies of everything and it would be faster than fighting with the portal.
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Rachel Tao
•Just make sure you still do an official search to verify what they give you. Some debtors 'forget' about certain liens or don't realize amendments were filed.
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Derek Olson
Going back to the Certana.ai mention earlier - I tried that tool recently and it's surprisingly thorough. Uploaded a bunch of UCC documents from a complex debtor situation and it flagged several inconsistencies I had missed. Really helped with the due diligence process.
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Mikayla Davison
•How long does the Certana.ai verification take? If it's faster than waiting for PA's portal to work properly, that might be the way to go.
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Derek Olson
•Pretty much instant once you upload the PDFs. Much faster than manual cross-checking and it catches things like debtor name discrepancies between related filings.
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Danielle Mays
•Does it handle fixture filings too or just standard UCC-1s and amendments?
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Roger Romero
One thing to watch out for in Pennsylvania - make sure you're checking both the state UCC database and any local fixture filing records. Manufacturing equipment often involves both and you need to clear both before you can be confident about lien priority.
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Mikayla Davison
•Yeah, that's part of what's making this complicated. Some of the equipment is clearly fixtures and some is moveable. Need to make sure I'm covering all bases.
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Anna Kerber
•When in doubt, file both a regular UCC-1 and a fixture filing. Better safe than sorry with equipment that might be considered attached to real estate.
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Niko Ramsey
Update us when you figure out the best approach! I do a lot of equipment financing in Pennsylvania and always looking for better ways to handle the UCC search process.
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Mikayla Davison
•Will do. Leaning toward combining the debtor-provided documents with the Certana.ai verification approach. Seems like the most thorough way to catch everything.
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Seraphina Delan
•Smart approach. Having multiple verification methods is always better than relying on just one source, especially with Pennsylvania's portal issues.
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Mikayla Brown
I've been doing UCC searches in Pennsylvania for about 3 years now and can definitely relate to the portal frustrations. One thing that's helped me is doing searches during off-peak hours - early morning or late evening when fewer people are hitting the system. Also, for manufacturing equipment deals, I always recommend getting a title insurance policy that covers UCC search errors if the loan amount justifies it. The premium is usually reasonable compared to the potential exposure if you miss something critical.
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