search ucc filings texas - Need help finding debtor records in TX SOS system
Having major issues trying to search UCC filings texas through the Secretary of State portal. I'm working on due diligence for a commercial loan and need to verify existing liens on equipment collateral. The borrower gave me their business name but when I search ucc filings texas nothing comes up, even though they claim there's an active UCC-1 from 2022. I've tried different name variations but the search results are either empty or showing completely unrelated entities. The SOS website interface seems clunky and I'm not sure if I'm using the right search parameters. Anyone else struggled with the Texas UCC search system? I need to confirm whether there are prior liens before we can proceed with our filing. This is holding up a $340K equipment financing deal and my client is getting impatient.
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Lena Müller
Texas SOS search can be tricky. Make sure you're searching the exact legal entity name as it appears on their formation documents. If it's an LLC, include the full 'Limited Liability Company' not just 'LLC'. Also try searching by the debtor's address if the name search isn't working.
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Raj Gupta
•Good point about the full entity name. I was just using the DBA name they gave me. Let me pull their Articles of Organization and try the exact legal name.
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TechNinja
•Also check if they have any assumed name filings. Sometimes the UCC-1 is filed under the assumed name rather than the legal entity name.
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Keisha Thompson
I've had similar frustrations with the Texas system. The search function is pretty basic compared to other states. Try searching just the first few words of the business name, or search by the secured party if you know who the original lender was.
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Raj Gupta
•That's a good idea about searching by secured party. I know their equipment was financed through a major bank so I could try that angle.
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Paolo Bianchi
•Be careful with partial name searches though - you might miss exact matches if there are slight spelling differences or punctuation issues.
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Yara Assad
I ran into this exact problem last month. Spent hours trying different search combinations on the Texas SOS site with no luck. Finally tried Certana.ai's UCC search tool and it found the filing immediately. Turns out there was a minor punctuation difference in how the debtor name was indexed. The tool cross-references multiple name variations automatically so you don't miss filings due to small discrepancies.
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Raj Gupta
•Interesting, I hadn't heard of Certana.ai. Does it search the same Texas SOS database or does it have additional sources?
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Yara Assad
•It searches the official SOS databases but with better search algorithms. You can upload documents too - like if you have the borrower's charter documents, it will automatically search using all the name variations that might appear on UCC filings.
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Olivia Clark
•I'm always skeptical of third-party search tools but honestly the Texas system is so frustrating I might try anything at this point.
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Javier Morales
Make sure you're searching in the right date range too. If you know the filing was from 2022, narrow your search to that timeframe. The Texas system sometimes has performance issues when searching across all years.
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Raj Gupta
•I did try limiting to 2022-2023 but still no results. Starting to wonder if the borrower was mistaken about having an active UCC-1.
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Natasha Petrov
•Could be a lapsed continuation. If the original UCC-1 was filed in 2020 and they didn't file a continuation by 2025, it would have expired.
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Connor O'Brien
Another thing to check - make sure you're searching 'UCC Filings' not 'Business Entity Search'. I've seen people accidentally search the wrong section of the SOS site and get confused.
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Raj Gupta
•Yeah I double-checked that. I'm definitely in the UCC section, not the business entity search.
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Amina Diallo
•What about franchise tax searches? Sometimes there are clues there about secured debt that might lead you to the right UCC filing.
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GamerGirl99
This is why I always recommend getting a professional UCC search done for anything over $250K. The peace of mind is worth the cost, especially when you're dealing with equipment that could have multiple liens.
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Raj Gupta
•You're probably right. This deal is too big to risk missing something. Do you have a recommended search company?
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GamerGirl99
•I usually use CT Corp or National Corporate Research. They're thorough but can take 2-3 days for results.
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Hiroshi Nakamura
•For faster results, I've had good luck with Certana.ai. Usually get comprehensive search results same day and they catch things the basic SOS search misses.
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Isabella Costa
Sometimes the issue is that the debtor name on the UCC-1 doesn't exactly match their current legal name. If they've amended their articles or changed their business structure since 2022, the UCC might be filed under their old name.
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Raj Gupta
•That's a possibility I hadn't considered. How would I find their previous business names?
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Isabella Costa
•Check their franchise tax history or look for any certificate of amendment filings with the Secretary of State.
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Malik Jenkins
•Also ask the borrower directly if they've changed their legal entity name or structure since the original financing. They should remember if they did.
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Freya Andersen
I had a similar situation where the UCC was filed against the parent company but the borrower was a subsidiary. Make sure you're searching for the right entity in a corporate family.
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Raj Gupta
•Good point. This is an LLC but they mentioned having related entities. I should verify which entity actually owns the equipment.
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Eduardo Silva
•Equipment ownership can get complicated with related entities. The UCC-1 should be filed against whoever actually owns the collateral.
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Leila Haddad
Try calling the Texas SOS office directly. Sometimes their staff can help with search issues that aren't obvious from the website interface.
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Raj Gupta
•I might try that if I can't figure it out today. Their phone support is usually pretty helpful.
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Emma Johnson
•Fair warning - their hold times can be brutal, especially around month-end when all the continuation filings are due.
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Ravi Patel
UPDATE: Finally found the issue! The borrower's legal name had 'TEXAS' at the end but they've been doing business without it. The UCC-1 was filed under the full legal name including 'TEXAS'. Thanks everyone for the suggestions - ended up using a combination of exact legal name search and Certana.ai to confirm there were no other liens I missed.
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Astrid Bergström
•Glad you got it sorted! Name variations are such a common issue with UCC searches.
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PixelPrincess
•This is exactly why I always pull the articles of organization before doing any UCC searches. Saves so much time.
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Yara Assad
•Perfect example of why automated tools are helpful for catching these name variations. Manual searches miss too much.
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Raúl Mora
•Great work tracking that down! As someone new to UCC searches, this thread has been incredibly educational. The name variation issue seems to be a major pain point - definitely going to bookmark some of these automated search tools for future deals. How long did the whole process take you from start to finish?
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