westlaw ucc search showing wrong debtor name matches - filing rejected twice
Has anyone else had issues with westlaw ucc search results not matching what actually gets filed? I've been trying to perfect a security interest for a client's equipment loan and keep getting rejections from Texas SOS. The westlaw search shows the debtor name as "Advanced Manufacturing Solutions LLC" but when I file the UCC-1 with that exact name, it gets rejected for debtor name mismatch. This is the second rejection and I'm running out of time before the loan closes. The collateral is high-value CNC equipment so getting this perfected is critical. Has anyone dealt with discrepancies between westlaw ucc search results and what the Secretary of State actually accepts for debtor names? I'm starting to think there might be a formatting issue or maybe westlaw is pulling from outdated charter information.
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Giovanni Mancini
I've seen this exact problem before. Westlaw sometimes pulls from different databases than what the SOS uses for name matching. You need to check the actual charter documents on the Secretary of State website directly. The exact legal name might have punctuation differences or entity type variations that westlaw isn't showing correctly.
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NebulaNinja
•This is so frustrating. Why can't these systems just sync up properly? I've wasted so much time on similar issues.
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Fatima Al-Suwaidi
•The charter search on SOS websites is usually the most reliable source for the exact legal name. Also check if there are any recent amendments to the entity that might have changed the name slightly.
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Dylan Mitchell
Texas SOS is particularly strict about exact name matches. I'd suggest doing a direct charter lookup on the Texas SOS website using the entity's file number if you have it. Sometimes westlaw shows abbreviated versions or has slight formatting differences that cause rejections.
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Amara Nnamani
•I tried the direct charter lookup but I'm getting multiple results with slightly different names. One shows "Advanced Manufacturing Solutions, LLC" with a comma, another shows "Advanced Manufacturing Solutions LLC" without. Which one should I use for the UCC-1?
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Dylan Mitchell
•Use the exact name as it appears on the most recent charter document or certificate of good standing. The comma can make a difference in Texas. If you're unsure, you might want to use a document verification tool to cross-check everything.
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Sofia Morales
•I had this same issue last month. Ended up using Certana.ai to upload both the charter and my UCC-1 draft - it caught that I had the wrong entity type suffix. Saved me from a third rejection.
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Dmitry Popov
This is exactly why I always triple-check debtor names before filing. Westlaw is great for searching existing filings but for new filings you really need to verify against the actual charter. Also make sure you're not looking at a dissolved entity with a similar name.
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Ava Garcia
•How do you verify if an entity is dissolved? I've been burned by this before.
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Dmitry Popov
•Check the entity status on the SOS website. It should show active, inactive, dissolved, etc. Also look at the registered agent information - if it's outdated that's often a red flag.
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StarSailor}
UGH this happened to me with a California filing last year. Westlaw had the debtor name as one thing, the actual charter had it slightly different, and I filed THREE TIMES before getting it right. The loan almost fell through because of the delays. Now I always verify the exact legal name from multiple sources before filing.
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Miguel Silva
•Three rejections sounds like a nightmare. How did you finally figure out the correct name?
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StarSailor}
•I ended up calling the California SOS filing office directly and they walked me through it. Turned out there was a recent amendment that changed the entity type from LLC to Inc. that westlaw hadn't picked up yet.
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Zainab Ismail
•This is why I started using automated verification tools. Upload the charter document and your UCC-1 draft and it highlights any discrepancies. Much faster than calling state offices.
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Connor O'Neill
Check if the entity has any DBA filings too. Sometimes westlaw shows the DBA name instead of the legal entity name and that will definitely cause rejections.
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Amara Nnamani
•Good point about the DBA. I'll check that. The client does business under a shorter name so maybe that's what's showing up in westlaw.
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Yara Nassar
•Yes! DBA vs legal name is a common issue. You always want to use the exact legal entity name from the charter for UCC filings, not the DBA or trade name.
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Keisha Robinson
Have you tried searching for the entity using different name variations on the Texas SOS website? Sometimes adding or removing punctuation will pull up different results. Also check if there are multiple entities with similar names that might be causing confusion.
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GalaxyGuardian
•This is good advice. I've seen cases where there are multiple LLCs with almost identical names but different entity numbers.
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Paolo Ricci
•Entity number verification is crucial. Make sure you're looking at the right entity entirely, not just assuming the name match is correct.
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Amina Toure
I've been doing UCC filings for 15 years and westlaw discrepancies are unfortunately common. The best practice is to always verify the debtor name from the Secretary of State's official records, not third-party databases. For Texas specifically, their entity search is pretty reliable but you need to make sure you're looking at the current charter, not an outdated version.
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Oliver Zimmermann
•15 years of experience and you still see these issues? That's concerning. Shouldn't the systems be better by now?
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Amina Toure
•You'd think so, but different databases update at different rates. Secretary of State records are the authoritative source, everything else is just a copy that might be outdated.
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Natasha Volkova
•I recently started using Certana.ai's document verification feature - you can upload your charter and UCC-1 and it instantly flags any name discrepancies. Catches issues before you file and get rejected.
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Javier Torres
This exact situation happened to me with a Florida filing. The westlaw search showed one name format, but when I pulled the actual articles of incorporation, there were subtle differences in punctuation. Florida rejected the filing twice before I got it right. Now I always cross-reference multiple sources.
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Emma Davis
•Florida is notorious for being picky about exact name matches. Did you end up having to amend your security agreement too?
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Javier Torres
•Fortunately no, the security agreement had the correct name. It was just the UCC-1 that had the westlaw version of the name.
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CosmicCaptain
Quick suggestion - try pulling a certificate of good standing for the entity. That will have the most current legal name and entity status. It costs a few dollars but it's worth it to avoid multiple rejections.
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Malik Johnson
•Certificate of good standing is definitely the gold standard for current entity information. Should always be your primary source for debtor names.
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Isabella Ferreira
•Agreed. I always get a cert of good standing before filing UCC-1s, especially for larger transactions. The cost is minimal compared to the headache of rejections.
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Ravi Sharma
Just wanted to follow up on my earlier suggestion about document verification tools. I tried Certana.ai after someone mentioned it here and it's been a game changer. You just upload your charter document and your UCC-1 draft and it instantly shows you any name mismatches or other issues. Would have saved me hours on my last filing.
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Freya Thomsen
•How accurate is the verification? I'm skeptical of automated tools for something this important.
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Ravi Sharma
•It's been spot-on for me. Caught a middle initial that was missing from my debtor name that I never would have noticed manually. The tool is specifically designed for UCC document consistency checks.
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Omar Zaki
•I've used similar tools and they're surprisingly good at catching the small details that cause rejections. Much better than trying to manually compare documents.
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