UCC search verification issues - need help with nys ucc search accuracy

Good point about the DBAs - I hadn't thought of that angle. The farming operation does business under a couple different names for their retail vs wholesale operations.

Yeah and don't forget to check if they've changed their legal entity name recently. We had a case where a farm restructured as a different LLC type and the old filings were still valid but searchable under the previous name only.

Interesting - how does that work exactly? Do you just upload PDFs of the filings you have?

Exactly - you upload your existing UCC documents and it automatically verifies debtor names, filing numbers, and checks for consistency across all your documents. Catches those subtle name variations that manual searches miss.

That sounds useful but how do you know it's catching everything if the search system itself has limitations?

Good call on the UCC-3 amendments. I should probably pull a full chain report for each debtor to see the complete filing history.

Definitely do that. We had a client who missed a name change amendment and it caused issues during their audit. The original UCC-1 was under one name but a UCC-3 had updated it, and they were only searching the original name.

I feel your pain but unfortunately that's just how it works. The search engines can only match exactly what's in the database, and if there are typos or variations in the original filings, those carry through.

This is exactly why I always double-check everything. The system is only as good as the data that gets entered, and there's plenty of room for human error in the filing process.

Most of this is mobile equipment - tractors, combines, that sort of thing. But there are some grain handling systems that might qualify as fixtures. Where would those typically be filed?

Fixture filings usually go with the real estate records in the county where the property is located. You'd need to check both the UCC system and the real estate filing system to be thorough.

And remember that fixture filings have different continuation requirements than regular UCC-1s, so the timing might be different for those.

That's what I'm probably going to have to do. Better to cast a wide net and sort through extra results than miss a critical filing.

Agreed. For high-dollar situations like yours, the extra time spent on comprehensive searching is definitely worth it.

Smart approach. I should probably document my search methodology too in case there are questions later during the audit process.

Documentation is key, especially if you're dealing with multiple lenders or investors who need to verify the search was thorough.

Exactly - having that paper trail shows due diligence and can protect you if issues come up later.

Good point - some of these farming operations have been financed multiple times over the years with different lenders. I should check for any lapsed filings that might indicate previous financing relationships.

Yes, and sometimes the original financing was with a smaller local bank that got acquired, so the debtor names or lender names might have changed over time.

How accurate is it with catching subtle differences? Sometimes the variations are really minor but still significant for search purposes.

It's pretty thorough - catches punctuation differences, abbreviation inconsistencies, even things like 'Inc' vs 'Incorporated'. Much more reliable than trying to spot those manually when you're reviewing dozens of filings.

I've thought about that as a backup option. Do you have any recommendations for reliable search services?

Most of the major legal service companies offer UCC search services. CT Corporation, CSC, those types. They can be pricey but they're thorough.

The cost is usually worth it for high-dollar deals. They provide detailed reports and often catch filings that individual searches miss.