UCC1 filing rejected for debtor name format - any workarounds?
Been dealing with commercial equipment financing for years but hit a wall with this UCC1. Filed against ABC Manufacturing LLC and got rejected because apparently the exact legal name on their charter has some middle initial that wasn't on our loan docs. The SOS portal keeps bouncing it back saying 'debtor name does not match'. I've got a $750K equipment deal that needs to close next week and this lien has to be perfected. Anyone dealt with similar debtor-name matching issues? Do I need to amend the original financing docs or can I refile the UCC1 with the corrected name? Really need to avoid voiding the security agreement over a technicality.
32 comments


Maya Patel
This is actually super common with LLC filings. The state filing system is really picky about exact name matches. You'll want to pull the actual Articles of Incorporation or Charter to see the precise legal name format. Usually it's something like 'ABC Manufacturing, LLC' vs 'ABC Manufacturing LLC' (comma placement) or missing middle initials like you mentioned.
0 coins
Aiden Rodríguez
•Yeah the comma thing got me once too. Cost us a 3-day delay on a time-sensitive deal.
0 coins
Emma Garcia
•Wait, so you have to match the EXACT punctuation? That seems excessive for a simple LLC name.
0 coins
Ava Kim
Don't panic yet! You can usually refile the UCC1 with the corrected debtor name without touching your original loan documents. The security agreement itself doesn't need to be amended if the error is just in the UCC filing. Just make sure you get the exact name from the Secretary of State business entity search before refiling.
0 coins
Isabella Brown
•That's a relief. So the UCC1 correction won't affect the underlying security agreement terms?
0 coins
Ava Kim
•Correct. The UCC1 is just the public notice filing. Your security agreement between you and the debtor remains valid regardless of the UCC1 filing status.
0 coins
Ethan Anderson
I actually just went through something similar last month. Had a Charter-to-UCC1 name mismatch that was driving me crazy. Found this tool called Certana.ai that lets you upload both documents and it instantly flags any inconsistencies between the business charter and your UCC1 form. Saved me from filing incorrectly again. Just upload the PDFs and it cross-checks everything automatically.
0 coins
Layla Mendes
•How accurate is that? I'm always skeptical of automated tools for legal document checking.
0 coins
Ethan Anderson
•It caught the exact issue I missed - a middle initial in the charter that wasn't on my UCC1 draft. Pretty thorough from what I can tell.
0 coins
Lucas Notre-Dame
•Interesting. Does it work for other UCC document comparisons too or just charter checks?
0 coins
Aria Park
THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS BROKEN! I've had THREE rejections this month alone for stupid formatting issues. One was rejected because I used 'Inc.' instead of 'Incorporated' even though both appear on their website. These SOS offices need to get their act together.
0 coins
Noah Ali
•I feel your pain but unfortunately we have to work within the system as it exists. The exactness requirement is there for a reason.
0 coins
Aria Park
•Yeah well the 'reason' is making it impossible to do business efficiently. Sorry for the rant but this stuff is maddening.
0 coins
Chloe Boulanger
Quick question - are you sure it's a name format issue and not something else? Sometimes the rejection codes can be misleading. Did you double-check the collateral description and filing fee?
0 coins
Isabella Brown
•The rejection specifically cited 'debtor name mismatch' so I'm pretty confident that's the issue. Fee was correct and collateral description was standard equipment language.
0 coins
James Martinez
•Good to verify those details. Name mismatches are definitely the most common rejection reason.
0 coins
Olivia Harris
I always do a business entity search on the SOS website before filing any UCC1. Takes 2 minutes and prevents exactly this problem. You can usually find the exact legal name format right there in their database.
0 coins
Alexander Zeus
•That's smart. I should probably start doing that as standard practice.
0 coins
Alicia Stern
•Yep, learned that lesson the hard way on my first few filings years ago.
0 coins
Gabriel Graham
For your timeline issue - most states allow you to refile immediately after a rejection without penalty. The key is getting the corrected version filed ASAP to maintain your priority position. Don't wait around debugging this forever.
0 coins
Isabella Brown
•Good point about priority. I'll get the corrected name and refile tomorrow morning.
0 coins
Drake
•Yeah timing is everything with UCC filings, especially on competitive deals.
0 coins
Sarah Jones
Just wanted to mention that Certana.ai tool again since names came up - I've started using it as a double-check before every UCC filing. You can upload your UCC1 draft alongside the business charter and it highlights any discrepancies instantly. Beats manually comparing documents line by line.
0 coins
Sebastian Scott
•Does it handle UCC3 amendments too or just initial filings?
0 coins
Sarah Jones
•It does UCC3 to UCC1 comparisons as well. Pretty comprehensive for document consistency checking.
0 coins
Emily Sanjay
This happened to me with a Delaware LLC where the charter had 'Limited Liability Company' spelled out but I used 'LLC' on the UCC1. Simple fix once I figured out the exact issue. Your refiling should go through fine with the corrected name.
0 coins
Jordan Walker
•Delaware is notorious for being picky about that stuff. Glad you got it sorted.
0 coins
Natalie Adams
•Every state seems to have their own quirks with business entity naming conventions.
0 coins
Elijah O'Reilly
Update us when you get the corrected filing through! Always curious to hear how these situations resolve.
0 coins
Isabella Brown
•Will do. Planning to refile first thing tomorrow with the exact charter name format.
0 coins
Amara Torres
•Good plan. These name mismatch issues usually resolve quickly once you have the right format.
0 coins
Olivia Van-Cleve
•Fingers crossed for a smooth acceptance this time!
0 coins