UCC lien search West Virginia - debtor name variations causing issues

Good point about DBAs. I hadn't thought to check for trade names. Do you know if West Virginia requires separate searches for individual vs entity debtors or if there's a unified search?

West Virginia has separate search categories. Make sure you're searching in the right entity type section. Also check if they have any subsidiaries - sometimes parent companies file under subsidiary names.

Interesting - I haven't heard of that tool. Does it work specifically with West Virginia's UCC database or is it more general?

It works with uploaded PDFs so you can feed it your search results from any state along with corporate docs. The system flags inconsistencies automatically which is exactly what you need for this name variation issue.

How accurate is the matching? I'm always skeptical of automated tools for something this critical.

This is exactly what I was worried about. Are there any official West Virginia guidelines on how their search algorithm handles these variations?

West Virginia publishes UCC search logic guidelines but they're buried in their filing procedures manual. Generally they use exact string matching with limited fuzzy logic. When in doubt, search every possible variation.

I feel you on the stress. These searches keep me up at night sometimes. Professional services are expensive though - sometimes $300+ per search.

true but cheaper than missing a $500k lien because of a comma. depends on the deal size I guess

That's probably the smart move. Do you have any professional search services you'd recommend for West Virginia specifically?

I've had good luck with CT Corporation and National Corporate Research. Both have specific West Virginia expertise and understand the name matching issues.

Another option is to contact the West Virginia Secretary of State's office directly. Sometimes they can provide guidance on challenging searches.

Good point about historical names. How far back should I be looking? This company has been around since 2018.

I'd go back to 2018 and check if they had any name changes, mergers, or restructuring. Sometimes UCC filings don't get updated when companies change their legal names.

That's smart. I usually just take screenshots but PDFs would be better for documentation.

Exactly. Plus if you need to present your due diligence to underwriters or investors, having organized PDF documentation looks much more professional than screenshots.

It's manufacturing equipment so potentially yes. I hadn't considered fixture filings. Are those searched through the UCC system or property records?

In West Virginia, fixture filings are typically recorded in real estate records at the county level, not through the central UCC system. You'll need to search where the equipment is located.

I maintain a checklist that includes: exact corporate name, name without punctuation, name with different punctuation, any DBAs, previous names, parent/subsidiary names, and common abbreviation variations.

That's helpful. I'm going to start being more systematic about this. Too much at stake to be casual about it.

I've been using Certana.ai's document checker for this kind of verification. You upload your corporate docs and UCC search results and it automatically flags any name inconsistencies. Takes the guesswork out of the process.

Good catch. The filings I found are from 2020 so they should still be active, but I'll double-check the continuation requirements.

UCC-1 filings are good for 5 years, so 2020 filings won't expire until 2025. But always worth verifying the exact filing dates and any continuation activity.