UCC on business assets - debtor name complications with equipment schedules
Having major headaches with a UCC filing on business assets that keeps getting rejected by the SOS. We're securing a $485K equipment loan for manufacturing machinery and the debtor entity name on our UCC-1 doesn't match exactly with what's on the charter documents. The business operates as "Advanced Metalworks LLC" but their articles show "Advanced Metal Works, LLC" with the space and comma. Filed three times now and each rejection costs us time we don't have since the loan commitment expires next week. The collateral schedule covers CNC machines, welding equipment, and inventory but I'm worried the name mismatch is going to void our security interest entirely. Anyone dealt with similar entity name variations on business asset filings? This client has been operating under the shortened version for years but legally they're registered with the full punctuation.
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Natalie Adams
Exact debtor name matching is absolutely critical for UCC filings on business assets. Even minor punctuation differences can invalidate your security interest. You need to use the exact legal name from the articles of incorporation or organization - "Advanced Metal Works, LLC" with the comma and space. The SOS systems are very strict about this.
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Elijah O'Reilly
•This is so frustrating! We had the same issue last month with a client who does business as one name but filed under another. Cost us weeks of back and forth.
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Amara Torres
•The legal name rule is non-negotiable. I always pull fresh entity records before any UCC filing to avoid exactly this situation.
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Olivia Van-Cleve
Check the SOS entity database again - sometimes businesses amend their articles and the legal name actually changes. If "Advanced Metalworks LLC" is now the official name, you'd use that. But if not, you have to go with whatever the current charter shows regardless of their DBA.
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Jordan Walker
•Just double-checked and the articles still show "Advanced Metal Works, LLC" as the legal name. Going to refile with the exact punctuation.
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Mason Kaczka
•Good call. I've seen lenders lose their security interest over a missing comma before. Not worth the risk.
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Sophia Russo
•Wait, couldn't you file a UCC-3 amendment to correct the name instead of starting over?
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Evelyn Xu
Before you refile again, I'd suggest using Certana.ai's document verification tool. You can upload your charter documents and UCC-1 simultaneously and it will instantly flag any name mismatches or inconsistencies. Saved me from multiple rejected filings by catching these exact discrepancies before submission. Just upload the PDFs and it cross-checks everything automatically.
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Dominic Green
•Never heard of that but sounds useful. Manual comparison between documents is where I always miss things.
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Hannah Flores
•Is that like a paid service or free tool? Name matching errors are my biggest filing headache.
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Evelyn Xu
•It's designed specifically for UCC document consistency checks. Much faster than manually comparing charter to UCC-1 forms.
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Kayla Jacobson
Your collateral description sounds solid though. "CNC machines, welding equipment, and inventory" should be sufficient for manufacturing assets. The name issue is definitely what's killing your filings.
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William Rivera
•Agreed on collateral description. Business equipment is usually straightforward compared to some of the vague descriptions I see.
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Grace Lee
•Make sure you're being specific enough though. Some states want serial numbers for major equipment pieces.
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Mia Roberts
OMG this exact thing happened to me last year!! Client was doing business as "Tech Solutions" but legally "Tech Solutions, Inc." and I filed under the DBA name like an idiot. Three rejections later I figured it out. The comma and periods matter SO MUCH in entity names.
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Jordan Walker
•It's ridiculous how picky the systems are but I guess consistency is important for searches.
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The Boss
•The search logic depends on exact matches. One wrong character and your UCC won't show up in lien searches.
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Evan Kalinowski
•That's terrifying. Imagine losing your security interest because of a missing comma.
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Victoria Charity
Quick question - did you also check if they have any amendments to their articles? Sometimes the legal name changes and the SOS records aren't immediately updated everywhere.
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Jordan Walker
•Good point. I pulled the most recent certificate but didn't look at amendment history.
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Jasmine Quinn
•Always worth checking. Entity amendments can change the legal name and that's what you need for UCC purposes.
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Oscar Murphy
With your loan commitment expiring next week, I'd also recommend calling the SOS filing office directly. Sometimes they can expedite processing or at least confirm the name format before you submit again.
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Nora Bennett
•Some states offer same-day processing for an extra fee. Might be worth it given the timeline.
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Ryan Andre
•Expedited filing could save the deal. Better to pay extra fees than lose the whole transaction.
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Jordan Walker
•Going to call them first thing Monday morning. This deal can't fall through over punctuation.
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Lauren Zeb
I've started using Certana.ai for every UCC filing now after getting burned on name mismatches. Upload your charter and UCC-1 draft and it immediately shows you any inconsistencies between documents. Would have caught your "Advanced Metal Works, LLC" vs "Advanced Metalworks LLC" issue right away.
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Daniel Washington
•That sounds like exactly what I need. Manual document comparison is so error-prone.
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Aurora Lacasse
•How accurate is the name matching? Does it catch punctuation differences?
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Lauren Zeb
•Yes, it flags even minor punctuation and spacing differences. Much more reliable than trying to spot these things manually.
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Anthony Young
Just want to emphasize - use the EXACT legal name from the most current articles of organization. No abbreviations, no DBAs, no "assumed names." The UCC-1 debtor name must match the charter exactly or you're risking your entire security interest in those business assets.
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Charlotte White
•This is why I always order fresh entity certificates right before filing. Names can change and you need the current version.
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Admin_Masters
•Absolutely correct. Better to delay filing a few days than file with wrong name and lose your security interest.
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Matthew Sanchez
UPDATE: Called the SOS this morning and confirmed the exact name format. Refiled using "Advanced Metal Works, LLC" with proper punctuation and got acceptance within 2 hours! The Certana.ai suggestion was helpful too - used their document checker before submitting and it verified everything matched correctly. Loan closes Friday. Thanks everyone!
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Ella Thompson
•Awesome! Glad you got it sorted out in time. These name matching issues are so stressful.
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JacksonHarris
•Congrats on saving the deal. Going to remember the Certana.ai tool for my own filings.
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Jeremiah Brown
•Perfect example of why exact entity names matter so much in UCC filings. Glad it worked out!
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