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Ohio Administrative Code (Last Updated: January 12, 2021) |
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111:1 Corporate Filing |
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Chapter111:1-3. UCC Filing |
111:1-3-40. Search methodology
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(A) Search results are produced by the application of search logic to the name presented to the filing office. Human judgment does not play a role in determining the results of the search.
(B) Standard search logic.
The following rules describe the filing office's standard search logic and apply to all searches except for those where the search request specifies that a non-standard search logic be used:
(1) There is no limit to the number of matches that may be returned in response to the search criteria.
(2) No distinction is made between upper and lower case letters.
(3) The following rules apply only to organization names:
(a) The character "&" (the ampersand) is deleted and replaced with the characters "and" each place it appears in the name.
(b) Punctuation marks and accents are disregarded. For the purposes of this rule, punctuation and accents include all characters other than the numerals 0 through 9 and the letters A through Z (in upper and lower case) of the English alphabet.
(c) The following words and abbreviations at the end of an organization name that indicate the existence or nature of the organization are "disregarded" to the extent practicable as determined by the filing office's programming of its UCC information management system:
Association
Assn
Associates
Assc
Assoc
Bank
National bank
Business trust
Charter
Chartered
Company
Co
Corporation
Corp
Credit
Union
CU
Federal savings bank
FSB
General partnership
GP
Incorporated
Inc
Limited
Ltd
Ltee
Limited liability company
LC
LLC
Limited liability partnership
LLP
Limited partnership
LP
National association
NA
Partnership
Professional association
Prof Assn
PA
Professional corporation
Prof corp
PC
Professional limited liability
Company
Professional limited liability co
PLLC
Real estate investment trust
REIT
Registered limited liability
Partnership
RLLP
Savings association
SA
Sole proprietorship
SP
SPA
Trust
Trustee
As trustee
The search logic will disregard all words, phrases or abbreviations from the preceding list beginning at the end of the name and working back until an unlisted word, phrase or abbreviation appears.
(d) The word "the" at the beginning of an organization debtor name is disregarded.
(e) All spaces are disregarded.
(4) The following search rules apply to individual debtor names:
(a) Surname: The individual debtor surname on a filed record must exactly match the surname of the search request. The search logic does not provide equivalencies for the surname field, nor does the search logic disregard [spacing,] [punctuation,] titles, suffixes or ending noise words of any type if entered in the surname field.
(b) First personal name. The following equivalencies apply:
(i) A first personal name is the logical equivalent of the first initial of the name.
(ii) An initial (a single letter) is the logical equivalent of all first personal names that begin with that letter.
(iii) No first personal name or initial is the logical equivalent of all first personal names and initials.
(c) Additional names/initials. The following equivalencies apply:
(i) A name is the logical equivalent of the first initial of the name.
(ii) An initial (a single letter) is the logical equivalent of all names that begin with that letter and no entry in the additional names/initials field.
(iii) No entry in the additional names/initials field is the logical equivalent of all names and initials.
(d) Search results. Only records that exactly match the surname field under paragraph (b)(4)(a) of this rule; exactly match the first personal name after application of the equivalency rules in paragraph (b)(4)(b) of this rule; and that exactly match the additional names/initials field after application of the equivalency rules in paragraph (b)(4)(c) of this rule will be reported.
(e) Single names. If the name being searched is the surname of an individual debtor name without any first personal name or additional name(s)/initial(s) provided, the search will retrieve from the UCC information management system all financing statements with individual debtor names that consist of only the surname.
(f) Search result examples.
(i) A search request for "John A. Smith" (first personal name and surname with an initial in the additional name(s)/initial(s) field) would cause the search to retrieve all filings against all individual debtors with
(a) "John" or the initial "J" as to the first name,
(b) "Smith" as the surname, and
(c) No name or initial, the initial "A" or any name beginning with "A" in the additional name(s)/initials field.
(ii) A search request for ".A. Smith" (initial for first personal name, surname and an initial for the additional name(s)/initial(s) field), would retrieve all filings against individual debtors with
(a) The initial "J" or any name beginning with "J" as the first name,
(b) "Smith" as the last name, and
(c) No name or initial, the initial "A" or any name beginning with "A" in the additional name(s)/initial(s) field.
(d) A search request for "John Smith" (first personal name and surname with no designation in the additional name(s)/initial(s) field), would retrieve all filing against individual debtors with
(i) "John" or the initial "J" as the first name,
(ii) "Smith" as the last name and
(iii) Any entry or no entry in the additional name(s)/initial(s) field.
(5) After applying the preceding rules to the name being searched, the search will retrieve from the UCC information management system's searchable index all unlapsed records, or, if requested by the searcher, all records, that pertain to financing statements with debtor names that, after application of this rule, exactly match the modified name being searched.