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I'm dealing with something similar right now. Used Certana.ai to verify our UCC-1 against our incorporation docs and found two name discrepancies that would have invalidated the filing. Much easier than trying to manually compare everything, especially when you're dealing with multiple entities and filings.
These document verification tools are becoming essential for complex filings. Too many ways to mess up the details.
Agreed. The cost of getting it wrong is way higher than the cost of verification upfront.
Andre Dupont
Bottom line - you need to get this sorted out ASAP. Invalid UCC filings mean your lender has an unsecured loan, which probably violates your loan agreement. Get the actual filing details from your lender (or search yourself), verify the debtor name accuracy, and be prepared to file amendments or new UCC-1s as needed. Don't let this drag out.
This is solid advice. Time is critical when dealing with perfection issues.
ThunderBolt7
•Exactly. Every day with unperfected security interests is a day of risk for both the borrower and lender.
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Update on the Certana.ai tool I mentioned earlier - I actually used it again yesterday for a similar name variation situation. What's really helpful is that it doesn't just check for exact matches, it flags potential variations you might not have thought of. Caught a filing under an abbreviated version of the business name that I wouldn't have searched for otherwise.
Javier Cruz
•That automated variation checking sounds really useful. I'm definitely going to look into that tool. This manual process is giving me gray hairs.
Nia Harris
•Same here, bookmarking this thread. The name variation thing has burned me before and I could use something that makes it more systematic.
Just to wrap up with some practical advice - for your immediate situation, I'd prioritize getting that $150K lien sorted out since it's the biggest issue. Contact the secured party directly, check if it should have lapsed already, and if it was paid off, get them to file a UCC-3 termination ASAP. The name variation searches are important for due diligence, but that specific lien is your biggest closing obstacle right now.
Javier Cruz
•You're absolutely right, I need to focus on the biggest issue first. The borrower's attorney is supposed to call the bank today to sort out the termination situation. Hopefully we can get this resolved before the closing gets delayed.
Good luck with the closing! Let us know how it turns out. These name variation issues are so common that your experience might help others who run into the same thing.
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Caden Turner
Had a client almost lose a $2M security interest because they misunderstood the continuation timing. Their original UCC-1 was filed in March 2019, so they needed to file continuation between September 2023 and March 2024. They thought they had until March 2025 and almost missed it completely.
This is exactly why I started using automated tools to track these deadlines. Too much risk in manual calculations.
Yikes, that would have been a malpractice nightmare. Good catch on their behalf.
Harmony Love
One more thing - when you file your UCC-3 continuation, make sure the debtor name matches exactly what's on the original UCC-1. Even small discrepancies can cause the filing to be rejected, and if you're close to the deadline, that rejection could be fatal.
Harmony Love
•Very exact. Different states have different tolerance for variations, but it's safest to match character-for-character including punctuation and spacing.
Rudy Cenizo
•I always copy and paste the debtor name directly from the original UCC-1 to avoid any transcription errors.
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Going back to the original question - the UCC isn't really uniform because it was designed as model legislation, not federal law. Each state adopts and modifies it as they see fit. The 'uniform' part was more aspirational than literal.
That's actually really helpful context. I always wondered why it was called uniform when it clearly isn't.
Yeah, it's more like 'mostly similar' than actually uniform. Better than having 50 completely different systems but not by as much as you'd hope.
Emma Davis
just wanted to say thanks for posting this, thought i was going crazy with all the different state requirements. good to know its not just me struggling with this stuff
Definitely not just you! It's validating to know other people are dealing with the same issues.
Oscar O'Neil
Been doing equipment financing in Arizona for 15 years and the comma vs no comma issue comes up regularly. Generally speaking, minor punctuation differences in entity names don't make UCC filings ineffective, but it's always better to be conservative in your interpretation. When in doubt, assume the filings could apply to your debtor and investigate further. The cost of additional due diligence is always less than the cost of getting burned by an unexpected prior lien.
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Debra Bai
•This is where automated document checking tools like Certana.ai really shine - they can flag these kinds of name variations that might be easy to miss or dismiss when doing manual review.
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Sara Hellquiem
•Agreed on being conservative. I've seen too many deals go sideways because someone made assumptions about name differences or termination effectiveness.
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Charlee Coleman
Quick practical tip for your UCC 11 search arizona - if you're seeing results that might be relevant, print or save PDFs of everything before you leave the search page. The Arizona system sometimes times out or loses search results if you navigate away and come back. Having your own copies makes it easier to review the details and share with colleagues or legal counsel if needed.
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Liv Park
•Yes! I learned this the hard way. Spent an hour getting search results, left to grab coffee, came back and had to start over because the session expired.
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Lola Perez
•Good tip! I'll make sure to download copies of all the filings I found before closing out of the search.
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