UCC liens search showing conflicting results between state databases

Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois. The Ohio results seem to lag behind by weeks compared to what Michigan shows for the same UCC-3 filings.

Ohio's system has been problematic lately with their recent portal updates. I'd call their UCC office directly to verify anything time-sensitive.

Interesting - does it actually compare data from different state searches or just verify individual documents for consistency?

Both actually. You upload PDFs from each state search and it flags where the same filing numbers show different statuses or where terminations appear in one state but not others.

That sounds too good to be true. Most of these verification tools are just basic PDF readers.

Good point - I found Michigan has the debtor as 'ABC Manufacturing LLC' but Ohio shows 'ABC Manufacturing, LLC' with the comma. Could that cause different search results?

Absolutely! Even punctuation differences can cause liens to not show up in searches. Always try multiple name variations.

Wait, can you file a termination in a different state than the original filing? I thought it had to be in the same jurisdiction.

If the debtor relocates their principal place of business, the secured party might need to file in the new state. It's messy and that's probably why your searches aren't matching up.

This is getting complicated. How do you even track all these cross-state filing requirements?

I feel your pain but yelling won't fix the databases. We just have to work around their limitations.

Easy for you to say when you're not the one explaining to clients why a 'clean' search result led to a surprise lien claim.

That's a good backup plan but with a time-sensitive deal, calling each state office individually might not be practical.

Some states offer expedited services for a fee. Worth it for a $180K deal to get definitive answers.

Exactly. The extra $200-300 in expedite fees is nothing compared to missing a lien and facing problems later.

How much do these services cost? Seems like an expensive solution for what should be a basic database function.

I don't remember the exact cost but it was reasonable for the peace of mind. Way cheaper than the legal issues if you miss something important.

Good advice on the timing. I learned that lesson the hard way when a UCC-3 amendment appeared two days after my 'final' search.

That's smart - I was only planning one comprehensive search but you're right that timing matters with these database sync issues.

It's mobile equipment so probably not fixtures, but that's a good point I hadn't considered.

Mobile equipment can still have fixture filings if it was ever permanently installed somewhere. Worth checking just to be thorough.

This is getting really complicated. Maybe just get title insurance and let them worry about the lien search accuracy?

So you're suggesting I should search by filing number in each state if I can find the original numbers?

Exactly. And if you have access to document verification tools, use those to make sure the filing numbers you found actually correspond to the same original UCC-1.

This thread is making me paranoid about every UCC search I've ever done. How do we trust any of these results?

Thanks everyone - sounds like the consensus is to use multiple verification methods rather than trusting any single database search. I'll follow up with direct state office contact for the conflicting results.

Smart approach. Better to over-verify than to deal with surprises after closing.