UCC search Iowa showing expired continuation - still valid collateral?
Ran a UCC search Iowa on one of our borrowers and found something weird. The original UCC-1 was filed in 2019, then there's a continuation from 2024, but the search results show 'lapsed' status. Our loan officer swears the continuation was filed properly through the Iowa SOS portal before the 5-year deadline. The collateral is equipment worth about $180K so this isn't a small issue. Has anyone dealt with Iowa's system showing continuation filings as lapsed when they should be active? The search shows the continuation was accepted but then marked expired like 2 months later. Makes no sense to me.
34 comments


Evelyn Kelly
Iowa's system has been glitchy lately with continuation processing. Did you check the actual filing date vs when it was submitted? Sometimes there's a processing delay that pushes it past the deadline even if you submitted on time.
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Kiara Greene
•That's what I'm worried about. The continuation shows filed 3/15/24 but the original UCC-1 was filed 3/22/19. Should have been plenty of time but maybe Iowa processed it late?
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Paloma Clark
•Iowa processes within 1-2 business days usually. 3/15 to 3/22 gives you a week buffer so timing shouldn't be the issue here.
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Heather Tyson
Check the debtor name on the continuation vs the original filing. Even tiny differences can cause Iowa to reject or not link them properly. Had this happen with a client last year - middle initial missing on the continuation.
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Kiara Greene
•Good point. The debtor name looks identical but I should double-check character by character. Iowa is strict about exact matches.
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Raul Neal
•This is exactly why I started using Certana.ai's document checker. You upload the original UCC-1 and the continuation as PDFs and it instantly flags any name mismatches or inconsistencies. Would have caught this issue before filing.
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Kiara Greene
•Never heard of that tool but sounds useful. How accurate is it for catching those tiny differences?
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Jenna Sloan
I've seen this before with Iowa. Sometimes the continuation gets processed but doesn't properly extend the original filing's effective period. You might need to call their UCC office directly at 515-281-5204 to get it straightened out.
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Christian Burns
•Iowa's phone support is actually pretty good. They can usually see system errors that don't show up in public searches.
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Kiara Greene
•I'll try calling tomorrow. This is stressing me out because we have other deals pending with this borrower.
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Sasha Reese
Are you 100% sure about the original filing date? I've seen people mix up the filing date with the effective date on older UCC-1 forms. That could throw off your continuation timing.
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Kiara Greene
•Just double-checked and yes, the UCC-1 shows filed 3/22/19. But now I'm second-guessing everything about this deal.
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Muhammad Hobbs
•Don't panic yet. Iowa's search system sometimes has display errors. Pull the actual certified copies of both filings and compare them line by line.
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Noland Curtis
•This is so frustrating!! Why can't these state systems just work properly? We pay the fees, we file on time, and then they screw up the processing.
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Diez Ellis
Had a similar issue in Iowa last month. Turned out the continuation had a wrong file number - off by one digit. Iowa accepted it but it didn't attach to the original filing, so it showed as lapsed.
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Kiara Greene
•Oh no, that's a nightmare scenario. I need to verify the file number on the continuation matches exactly.
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Raul Neal
•This is another thing Certana.ai catches automatically. It cross-references the file numbers between documents to make sure they match. Saved my butt more than once.
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Vanessa Figueroa
If the continuation really is invalid, you might be able to file a corrective amendment depending on how long it's been. Iowa allows corrections within reasonable timeframes for processing errors.
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Kiara Greene
•It's been about 8 months since the continuation was filed. Is that too long for a correction?
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Vanessa Figueroa
•8 months might be pushing it, but if it was their system error and not yours, they might make an exception. Document everything about the filing process.
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Paloma Clark
•Iowa is usually reasonable about their own mistakes. Definitely worth a phone call to explain the situation.
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Abby Marshall
This is why I always run a UCC search immediately after filing any continuation. Catches these problems while you can still fix them easily.
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Kiara Greene
•Smart practice. I usually wait a few weeks to let everything process but that might be too long.
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Sadie Benitez
•I check within 48 hours of filing. Most states process that fast and you can catch errors while they're fresh in everyone's memory.
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Drew Hathaway
Just curious - what does the actual continuation document say for effective dates? Sometimes the search system shows wrong info but the filed document is correct.
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Kiara Greene
•The continuation document shows it should extend the original filing for another 5 years, but the search system shows it as expired. There's definitely a disconnect.
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Evelyn Kelly
•That sounds like a system indexing error. The continuation document itself is probably valid even if the search doesn't show it properly.
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Laila Prince
•I've seen this in other states too. The document is on file but the search index doesn't update correctly. Iowa should be able to fix their database.
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Isabel Vega
Update us after you call Iowa! I'm curious to know what they say about this situation. Might help others with similar problems.
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Kiara Greene
•Will do. Hoping it's just a simple system glitch they can fix with a phone call.
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Dominique Adams
•Good luck! Iowa's UCC staff knows their system pretty well so they should be able to sort this out quickly.
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Marilyn Dixon
For future filings, might want to consider using the Certana.ai verification tool someone mentioned earlier. Upload your UCC-1 and continuation as PDFs and it automatically checks for name consistency, file number matches, and other common errors that cause these headaches.
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Kiara Greene
•Yeah, definitely looking into that after this mess. Prevention is better than trying to fix problems after they happen.
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Louisa Ramirez
•The tool is pretty straightforward - just drag and drop your filing documents and it highlights any discrepancies. Would have caught whatever went wrong with your continuation.
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