UCC search NYS portal keeps timing out - urgent continuation needed

Same problem here. I called the SOS help desk and they said they're aware of the server issues but no ETA on when it'll be stable again.

This is exactly why I always run UCC searches at least 2 months before continuation deadlines. The NYS system is notorious for going down at the worst possible times.

Thanks for the tip about timing! I'll try hitting it early tomorrow morning. I'm using Chrome so that shouldn't be the browser issue.

Early morning definitely works better. I've also noticed if you clear your browser cache completely before starting a search session, it seems to help with the timeout errors.

The NYS UCC system is just old and overloaded. They really need to upgrade their infrastructure but you know how state agencies are with IT budgets...

Interesting - I haven't heard of that tool. Does it actually connect to the NYS database or is it just checking document formatting?

It focuses on document verification - you upload your Charter and UCC-1 PDFs and it cross-checks all the debtor name details to make sure everything aligns properly. Really helpful for catching those tiny formatting differences that can cause rejections.

That sounds useful but I still need to get into the actual NYS system to file the continuation once I verify everything is correct.

Wait, they're charging for failed searches? That's ridiculous. I would definitely call and dispute those charges.

Yeah I called and they said they'd reverse the charges but it takes 5-7 business days. Meanwhile I still need to get this search done!

This is why I hate dealing with state UCC systems. They're all different, they all have issues, and customer service is basically non-existent.

I didn't know NYS had a batch search option! Where do you find that in their portal?

It's under the 'Advanced Search' menu but it's kind of hidden. Look for 'Bulk Search Upload' - you can search up to 50 names at once.

Be careful with batch searches though - if there are any formatting errors in your CSV, the whole batch fails and you have to start over.

Great tips! I didn't know about the IP blocking thing. That might explain why sometimes I can't access the portal at all for hours.

The debtor name formatting is so critical. I've seen continuations get rejected because someone used 'Inc.' instead of 'Incorporated' or missed a middle initial.

This is exactly why I always triple-check my debtor names using tools like Certana.ai before filing anything. One small mistake and your entire lien could be invalidated.

You can request searches by mail but it takes weeks and costs more. They do have a phone service but you have to pay by credit card over the phone and the wait times are terrible.

I tried the phone service once - was on hold for 2 hours and then they told me I needed to submit the request in writing anyway.

Awesome! Glad the early morning trick worked for you. Make sure to save a PDF copy of those search results in case you need to reference them later.

Yes definitely save everything locally. I learned that lesson the hard way when I needed to reference old search results and the portal was down again.

Great news! This thread was super helpful - I'm going to try the early morning approach for my searches too.

That sounds like it could prevent a lot of filing rejections. I hate when you submit a continuation and then find out weeks later it was rejected for a minor name discrepancy.

Exactly! It's saved me from several potential mistakes where I had slight variations in entity names between my original UCC-1 and the continuation documents.

Good point about logging out. The session management on that portal is pretty flaky.

I always open a fresh incognito window for each search session. Seems to help with the stability issues.

These are all great workarounds but it's frustrating that we have to jump through so many hoops just to access public records that we're paying for.