UCC statement request form $90 fee - need help with Florida filing costs
Just got hit with a $90 charge for requesting a UCC statement copy from our lender and I'm wondering if this is standard pricing or if there are cheaper alternatives? We're trying to verify our collateral description matches what's actually on file before we do a UCC-3 amendment. The equipment we originally listed has changed significantly since the initial UCC-1 filing three years ago and we want to make sure everything aligns properly before submitting the amendment. Our bank said they need to pull the official statement first to compare against our current inventory list. Has anyone dealt with similar verification costs? Is there a more cost-effective way to get copies of existing UCC filings for comparison purposes?
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Anastasia Popova
That $90 sounds high but not totally unreasonable depending on what exactly you're requesting. Are you asking for certified copies or just informational copies? Most states charge different fees for different types of searches and copies. For basic UCC searches you can usually get informational copies much cheaper.
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Diego Mendoza
•They said it was for a 'certified statement' but honestly I'm not sure we even need certified copies just to verify our collateral descriptions match. We just want to make sure our amendment doesn't get rejected for inconsistencies.
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Anastasia Popova
•Yeah for amendment prep you probably don't need certified copies. Informational searches should be way cheaper, like $20-30 range in most states.
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Sean Flanagan
Before you pay that fee, have you tried using one of those document verification tools? I had a similar situation where I needed to cross-check my UCC-1 against the collateral schedule in my loan docs. Found this service called Certana.ai that lets you upload your PDFs and it automatically checks for name mismatches and document inconsistencies. Saved me from paying search fees and caught a debtor name discrepancy I would have missed.
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Diego Mendoza
•Interesting, how does that work exactly? Do you just upload the original UCC-1 and it compares against other documents?
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Sean Flanagan
•Yeah exactly. You can upload your original UCC-1 and then your amendment draft and it flags any inconsistencies. Really helpful for making sure your debtor names match exactly and your collateral descriptions align properly.
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Zara Shah
•This sounds too good to be true. How accurate is automated document checking for UCC filings? These documents have so many technical details.
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NebulaNomad
I've been doing UCC filings for 12 years and $90 for a certified statement isn't unusual, especially if you need multiple debtor searches or historical filings. However, if you're just doing amendment prep work, you might want to consider doing a basic UCC search first to see what's actually on file. That should run you $15-25 in most jurisdictions.
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Diego Mendoza
•That's really helpful context. I think we're overthinking this - we probably don't need the full certified statement, just want to verify the collateral description before filing our UCC-3.
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Luca Ferrari
•Totally agree. Most amendment rejections I see are from debtor name mismatches, not collateral description issues anyway.
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Nia Wilson
WHY IS EVERYTHING SO EXPENSIVE WITH UCC FILINGS!! $90 here, $45 there, $25 for this search, $35 for that amendment. It adds up so fast when you're trying to stay compliant. The whole system feels designed to extract maximum fees from small businesses.
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Mateo Martinez
•I feel your pain but honestly the costs aren't that bad compared to what happens if you mess up a filing and lose your security interest. $90 is cheap insurance.
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Nia Wilson
•I guess you're right but it still stings when you're already tight on cash flow and then you need to spend hundreds just to maintain your filings properly.
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Aisha Hussain
Just curious - what kind of equipment are you amending? I had to do a similar UCC-3 last year when we upgraded our manufacturing equipment and the collateral schedule was completely different. Ended up having to do a partial termination and new UCC-1 instead of just an amendment because the changes were so extensive.
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Diego Mendoza
•It's restaurant equipment - we've replaced most of our kitchen equipment over the past two years but kept the same loan. The serial numbers and equipment descriptions are totally different now.
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Aisha Hussain
•Oh wow yeah that's a significant change. You might want to double-check with your lender about whether an amendment is sufficient or if you need a new filing entirely. Restaurant equipment can be tricky with UCC filings.
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Anastasia Popova
Another option - some states have online UCC search portals where you can do basic searches for free or very low cost. Worth checking your state's Secretary of State website before paying $90 for something you might be able to get for $10.
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Ethan Clark
•This is good advice. I always check the online portal first before paying for certified copies. Usually gives you enough information to verify basic details.
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Diego Mendoza
•I'll definitely check that out first. Thanks for the tip!
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StarStrider
Had a nightmare scenario last year where I thought I was being careful about my UCC-3 amendment but missed a tiny debtor name discrepancy between my original UCC-1 and the amendment. Filing got rejected and I had to start over. That's when I started using Certana.ai for document verification - just upload your PDFs and it catches those kinds of errors automatically. Would have saved me weeks of hassle.
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Zara Shah
•OK I'm hearing about this Certana thing from multiple people now. Is it really that helpful for UCC document checking?
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StarStrider
•For me it was a lifesaver. The automated checking is surprisingly thorough - catches name variations, formatting differences, inconsistent collateral descriptions. Much better than trying to manually compare documents.
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Yuki Sato
Wait I'm confused - are you trying to get a copy of your existing UCC-1 or are you trying to verify what's in the public records? Because if you have your original filing documents you shouldn't need to pay for copies just to do an amendment.
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Diego Mendoza
•We have our original documents but our lender wants to verify that what we filed originally matches what's actually on the public record before we submit the amendment. They've been burned before by filings that didn't go through properly.
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Yuki Sato
•Ah that makes sense. Yeah lenders are getting more careful about that stuff. Smart move by them actually.
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Carmen Ruiz
•Your lender is being smart. I've seen cases where people thought their UCC-1 was filed correctly but there were errors that didn't surface until they tried to enforce their security interest.
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Diez Ellis
Have you considered reaching out to a UCC filing service company? I used one last year when I was in a similar situation with equipment collateral changes. They often have bulk access to state databases and can pull UCC search reports much cheaper than going through individual state offices. The service I used charged $25 for a comprehensive search that included all active filings under our business name. Plus they gave me a summary report that made it really easy to compare against our current inventory. Might be worth getting quotes from a few different services before paying that $90 fee.
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