UCC online filing system keeps rejecting my debtor name - need help with florida format
I've been trying to file a UCC-1 through the florida ucc online portal for three days now and it keeps getting rejected for 'debtor name format error.' The debtor is an LLC - Coastal Marine Equipment Solutions, LLC - but no matter how I enter it (with or without commas, periods, abbreviations) the system won't accept it. I've tried 'Coastal Marine Equipment Solutions LLC' and 'Coastal Marine Equipment Solutions, L.L.C.' and even just 'Coastal Marine Equipment Solutions' but nothing works. The collateral is boat equipment worth about $180K so I really need to get this perfected properly. Has anyone else had issues with LLC name formatting in the online system? I'm worried I'm missing something obvious but the error messages aren't very helpful.
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Austin Leonard
LLC names can be tricky in UCC filings. You need to match exactly how the LLC name appears on the Articles of Organization filed with the state. Have you checked the exact name format on the Secretary of State's business entity search? Sometimes there are subtle differences like 'L.L.C.' vs 'LLC' that matter.
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Sophie Duck
•I did check the SOS database and it shows 'Coastal Marine Equipment Solutions, LLC' with the comma. But when I enter it that way the system still rejects it.
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Austin Leonard
•That's frustrating. Sometimes the online portal has character limits or formatting restrictions that aren't obvious. Try removing any punctuation entirely - just 'Coastal Marine Equipment Solutions LLC' without the comma.
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Anita George
I had the same problem last month! The florida ucc online system is super picky about debtor names. What worked for me was copying the name exactly from the Articles of Organization PDF, including any weird spacing. Also make sure you're not accidentally adding extra spaces at the beginning or end of the name field.
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Sophie Duck
•Good point about the spacing. I'll double-check that. Did you have any issues with the collateral description section too?
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Anita George
•Yeah the collateral section was picky too. I had to be really specific about the equipment descriptions. Generic terms like 'all equipment' got flagged.
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Abigail Spencer
•The spacing thing is so annoying. I've seen filings get rejected because someone hit the spacebar twice instead of once.
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Logan Chiang
Before you keep trying random variations, you might want to use a document verification tool. I started using Certana.ai after too many rejected filings - you can upload your Articles of Organization and your draft UCC-1 and it'll instantly flag any name mismatches or formatting issues. Saves a lot of time compared to the trial-and-error approach with the online portal.
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Sophie Duck
•Never heard of that service. Does it actually work with the florida system specifically?
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Logan Chiang
•It's not state-specific, it just compares your documents to catch inconsistencies before you file. Helped me avoid three rejections last quarter alone. You just upload PDFs and it highlights any name or detail mismatches.
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Isla Fischer
•That sounds useful. I've wasted so much time with rejected filings due to tiny name differences.
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Miles Hammonds
UGH the florida ucc online portal is THE WORST. I swear they reject filings for sport. Last week I had a continuation get bounced because I used 'Inc.' instead of 'Incorporated' even though both appear on different company documents. The whole system needs an overhaul.
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Ruby Blake
•Tell me about it. I once had a filing rejected because I put the debtor's middle initial and apparently their Articles didn't include it.
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Miles Hammonds
•Exactly! And the error messages are useless. 'Name format error' could mean literally anything.
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Austin Leonard
•I get the frustration but the name matching rules exist for good reasons. A UCC filing with the wrong debtor name can be completely worthless for lien priority.
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Micah Franklin
Try calling the UCC filing office directly. Sometimes they can tell you exactly what format they're expecting. The online portal error messages are vague but the staff usually knows what the common issues are.
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Sophie Duck
•Good idea. What's the best number to call for UCC questions?
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Micah Franklin
•I usually call the main Secretary of State number and ask to be transferred to UCC filings. Wait times can be long though.
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Ella Harper
•Or try their email support if you're not in a huge hurry. They sometimes respond faster than phone support.
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PrinceJoe
Have you considered whether this should be filed as a fixture filing instead? If the boat equipment is permanently attached to real property, you might need a different approach entirely. Just want to make sure you're using the right filing type.
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Sophie Duck
•No, it's mobile equipment - boat motors, electronics, etc. Definitely personal property not fixtures.
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PrinceJoe
•Ok good, just wanted to double-check. I've seen people struggle with regular UCC-1s when they needed fixture filings.
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Brooklyn Knight
This is exactly why I always double-check my filings with verification tools before submitting. After getting burned by name mismatches too many times, I now upload my Charter docs and UCC forms to Certana.ai first. It catches the subtle differences that cause rejections - like 'LLC' vs 'L.L.C.' or missing commas. Worth it to avoid the headache of rejected filings.
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Owen Devar
•Second this recommendation. Used it for a complex continuation filing last month and it caught three potential issues I would have missed.
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Sophie Duck
•I'm definitely going to try this verification approach. Tired of wasting time with rejected filings.
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Daniel Rivera
One more thing to check - make sure you're entering the debtor name in the correct field. I once spent hours troubleshooting a name format when I was accidentally putting it in the secured party field instead. The florida ucc online interface isn't always intuitive.
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Sophie Duck
•Haha that would be embarrassing but I double-checked and I'm definitely using the right fields.
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Sophie Footman
•Don't feel bad, I've made that mistake before. The form layout is confusing.
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Connor Rupert
Update us when you get it resolved! I'm curious what the actual issue was. These florida ucc online problems seem to have the weirdest solutions sometimes.
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Sophie Duck
•Will do! Planning to try the document verification tool first, then call if that doesn't help identify the issue.
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Molly Hansen
•Good luck! The $180K collateral value makes this definitely worth getting right.
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Brady Clean
Just a thought - have you tried using the exact name format from a recent tax return or bank account for the LLC? Sometimes those documents show the 'official' name format that the state systems expect.
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Sophie Duck
•That's actually a really good idea. I'll check their most recent tax filing to see how the name appears there.
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Brady Clean
•Yeah, I've found tax documents are usually more reliable than even the SOS database for exact formatting.
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Skylar Neal
•Bank signature cards are good too - they're usually very precise about legal entity names.
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Vincent Bimbach
Been following this thread because I'm dealing with a similar issue. The florida ucc online system rejected my amendment filing yesterday for what seems like a minor name difference. Going to try some of these suggestions, especially the document verification approach. Thanks everyone for the helpful tips!
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Anita George
•Good luck! The verification tools really do help catch these issues before filing.
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Vincent Bimbach
•Definitely worth trying before more rejected filings. These name format errors are so frustrating.
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