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Check if the state has any safe harbor rules for minor name variations. Some jurisdictions are more forgiving than others, but I wouldn't rely on that for a commercial deal this size.
Safe harbor rules vary widely and usually have specific requirements. Much safer to just get the name exactly right from the start.
For equipment financing deals, most courts are pretty strict about name matching. I wouldn't count on safe harbor provisions.
This thread convinced me to double-check a filing I did last week. Found the same issue - charter name vs filing name didn't match perfectly. Used that Certana tool mentioned earlier and it immediately showed the discrepancy. Filing the amendment tomorrow.
The verification tool makes it so much easier to catch these issues before they become problems. Should be standard practice honestly.
Smart move fixing it proactively. Much easier to amend now than deal with perfection issues later.
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UPDATE: Got the new UCC-1 filed with the correct entity name and it was accepted! Thank you everyone for the advice. The client was understanding once I explained the name change issue. Definitely going to be more careful about entity verification going forward.
Great news! How long did it take for the acceptance notice?
Glad it worked out! Always nerve-wracking when you're dealing with big loan amounts and tight deadlines.
This thread is super helpful. I'm bookmarking it for future reference. I file UCCs in Florida regularly and the debtor name issue trips me up sometimes, especially with entities that have multiple doing-business-as names.
Same here. The DBA vs legal name confusion gets me every time. Always safer to use the official registered name.
Pro tip: keep a spreadsheet of your regular clients with their current legal names and last verification date. Saves time and prevents mistakes.
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Update on my own SC filing issues - ended up using that Certana document checker someone mentioned earlier and it caught three tiny inconsistencies between my formation docs and UCC filing that I never would have spotted manually. Filed yesterday and got accepted this morning. Definitely recommend if you're dealing with repeated rejections.
Glad it worked out! It's crazy how those tiny differences can cause such big delays.
Worth trying anything at this point. These manual document comparisons are brutal and obviously not foolproof.
Just want to add that SC also sometimes has issues with entity names that include special characters or unusual punctuation. If your debtor name has anything beyond basic letters, numbers, and common punctuation, that might be part of the problem too.
The entity name is pretty straightforward but I'll make sure there aren't any hidden characters or formatting issues.
Yeah, sometimes when you copy text from PDFs or other sources, invisible characters get included that cause problems.
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ugh this is exactly why I'm terrified of handling our company's UCC stuff myself. So many rules and deadlines to track. Maybe I should just pay an attorney to manage everything.
Attorneys are great but expensive for routine continuations. A good calendar system or tracking software can handle most of the deadline management.
True, but the peace of mind might be worth it. One mistake like this could cost way more than attorney fees.
Just to confirm - you said March 15, 2020 filing date? That means the continuation window was September 15, 2024 through March 15, 2025. You're right that you missed it. File that new UCC-1 today if possible. Most electronic filing systems will give you immediate confirmation of submission even if processing takes a day or two.
We've all been there. The important thing is you caught it relatively quickly and can refile before any major issues arise with your lender.
Set multiple calendar reminders next time - 9 months out, 6 months out, and 3 months out. Redundancy is your friend with UCC deadlines.
Isabella Costa
Solar equipment liens can also involve personal property vs fixture filing decisions depending on your state and how the equipment is installed. If the panels are considered fixtures, you might need to file in the real estate records as well as or instead of the UCC records.
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StarSurfer
•That's a good point about real estate records. Solar installations often straddle the line between personal property and fixtures.
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Ravi Malhotra
•Best practice is usually to file both a UCC-1 and a fixture filing to be safe, especially for large commercial solar installations.
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Freya Christensen
Update: Got the corrected articles of incorporation from SolarTech Solutions of Nevada LLC and refiled the UCC-1 this morning. Also expanded the collateral description to specifically include battery storage systems since they're adding those next quarter. Fingers crossed this one goes through without issues!
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Chloe Robinson
•Let us know how the filing goes! Always good to hear success stories on these solar equipment liens.
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Diego Chavez
•Hope it processes quickly. Electronic UCC filing systems have gotten much better but there can still be delays during busy periods.
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