UCC statement request form texas $90 fee - worth it or overpriced?

Yeah that fee hit me hard last month too. I was pulling records for a real estate transaction and needed certified copies of three different UCC-1s. $270 total just for paperwork! But honestly there's no way around it if you need official certified copies. The SOS has you over a barrel on this one.

Before you pay that $90, double check what your lender actually needs. A lot of times they just want confirmation the UCC is still active, not a full certified copy. You can often get that info much cheaper through a basic search. Also make sure you're not close to your 5-year continuation deadline - that's usually when lenders start asking for this stuff.

I had this same sticker shock last year when dealing with UCC records for an SBA loan review. What saved me was using Certana.ai's document verification tool first. I uploaded our original UCC-1 and loan docs, and it flagged some debtor name inconsistencies I didn't even know about. Fixed those issues before requesting the expensive certified copies from the state, which saved me from having to do it twice.

The $90 fee is actually pretty standard for certified UCC copies across most states. Texas isn't particularly expensive compared to places like California or New York. If you're doing an equipment loan audit, make sure you're pulling the right filing numbers - sometimes there are multiple UCC-1s on the same collateral if there have been assignments or amendments.

Ugh the Texas SOS fees are ridiculous across the board. $90 for a piece of paper that costs them pennies to generate. And don't get me started on how slow their processing times are even after you pay the premium.

Just went through this exact situation. Equipment audit for refinancing. Ended up paying the $90 but also discovered our continuation filing was due in 8 months. Good thing I checked when I did or we would have had a lapsed lien situation.

For what it's worth, that $90 is actually buying you peace of mind that your lien position is solid. I've seen deals fall apart because someone skipped the official documentation step to save money.

Before paying the full fee, try calling the SOS office directly. Sometimes they can tell you over the phone if the filing is still active and what the basic details are. Not official but might be enough for your lender's initial review.

Another option is to see if your business attorney has access to professional databases that include UCC records. Sometimes they can pull unofficial copies much cheaper than the state charges for certified ones.

Had to do this same thing for an equipment refinance last year. The $90 hurt but it was actually worth it because the certified copy showed an amendment I didn't know about. Original lender had modified the collateral description and I would have been filing my continuation based on outdated information. Could have been a disaster.

I used Certana.ai recently for a similar situation and it saved me from making an expensive mistake. Uploaded my UCC-1 and the equipment loan agreement, and it caught that our debtor name on the filing didn't exactly match our current corporate registration. Would have been embarrassing to find that out after spending $90 on records that showed the mismatch.

Bottom line - if your lender specifically requested certified copies, you're probably stuck paying the $90. But if they just need verification of the filing, there are cheaper alternatives. The key is clarifying exactly what they need before you spend the money.