100 R.I. Code R. 100-RICR-30-00-1.16

Current through December 3, 2024

Section 100-RICR-30-00-1.16 - Information Requests

A. General Requirements. The filing officer maintains for public inspection a searchable index for all UCC records. The index is retrievable by the name of the debtor or by the file number of the initial financing statement to which the record relates and which associates with one another each initial financing statement and each filed UCC record relating to the initial financing statement. The filing office facilitates both information requests and non-certified searches. Non-certified searches are available for no fee using the public browse utility function found on the filing office's website located at www.sos.ri.gov.

B. Information Request. Information request filings must be communicated in writing and will not be accepted unless accompanied by the minimum filing fee, as articulated in § 1.8 of this Part. The filing office accepts checks and credit card payments in accordance with § 1.9 of this Part herein. Each information request shall contain the following information:

1. The name of the debtor to be searched, specifying whether the debtor is an individual or organization. Each information request shall be processed using the name in the exact format it is submitted, including the submission of no data in a given field, without regard to the nature or character of the debtor that is the subject of the search;

2. The name and address of the individual or organization to whom or to which the information request results are to be sent.

3. A request to include lapsed filings;

4. A request to include copies of all reported records; and

5. Instructions on the mode of delivery desired, if other than by ordinary mail. This request will be honored if the requested mode is available to the filing office.

C. Search Logic. Search results shall be produced by applying only standardized search logic to each name presented to the filing officer. Human judgment shall not play a role in determining the results of the search. The standardized search logic used shall meet the following criteria:

1. There is no limit to the number of matches that may be returned in response to the search criteria.

2. The characters searched are letters "a" through "z" and numbers 0 through 9. The following English letters shall also return the following non-English Latin characters in a name:

English Letter	Non-English Latin Letter
A	À À Á Á Ã Ã Ä Ä Å Å
AE	æ æ
C	Ç Ç
CE	[OElig] [oelig]
D	Ð Ð
E	È È É É Ê Ê Ë Ë
F	f
I	Ì Ì Í Í Î Î Ï Ï
N	Ñ Ñ
O	ÒÒÒÒÒÒÒÒÒÒÒÒÒ
P	Þ Þ
S	ß
U	Ù Ù Ú Ú Û ÛGü
Y	Ý Ý Y; Ý
Z	_ _

3. No distinction is made between uppercase and lowercase letters, and all letters are converted to uppercase in the filing office database. Each information request shall be processed using the name in the exact form in which it is submitted. If no data is submitted in a given field, the search request shall be processed without reference to the field, except as provided in § 1.16(C) of this Part.

4. Punctuation marks, accents and suffixes are disregarded. All characters in the extended ASCII character set (i.e., Windows-1252) not otherwise defined in § 1.16(C)(2) of this Part shall be disregarded.

5. Words and abbreviations at the end of a name that indicate the existence or nature of an organization are disregarded. These words and abbreviations include the following:

a. "Corporation" or the abbreviation "Corp.";

b. "Incorporated" or the abbreviation "Inc.";

c. "Professional corporation," or the abbreviations "Prof. corp." or "P.C.";

d. "Company" or the abbreviation "Co.";

e. "Limited" or the abbreviation "Ltd.";

f. "Limited partnership," or the abbreviations "Ltd. partnership," "Ltd. part." "L.P";

g. "Limited liability company" or the abbreviations "L.L.C.";

h. "Limited liability partnership," or the abbreviation "L.L.P.";

6. The word "the" at the beginning of an organization name is disregarded;

7. All spaces are disregarded;

8. For additional names of individuals (initials), initials are equated with all names that begin with these initials, and the absence of an additional name or initials is equated with all additional names and initials;

9. If the name being searched is the surname of an individual debtor name without any first personal or additional name (initials) provided, the search will retrieve from the UCC information management system all financing statements with individual names that consist only of the surname.

10. The word "and" and the character "&" are disregarded;

11. After using the criteria specified herein to modify the name of the debtor requested to be searched, the search shall reveal only names of debtors that are contained in unlapsed financing statements and exactly match the name requested, as modified.

D. Information Request Responses. Responses to an information request shall include the following:

1. The identification of the filing officer and the certification of the filing officer;

2. The date the report was generated;

3. The through date;

4. The exact name as provided by the searcher;

5. The normalized name, as provided by § 1.16(C) of this Part;

6. A list of each financing statement filed on or before the certification date and time corresponding to the search criteria, by name of debtor, by financing statement file number, and by the file date and file time of 4:30 pm.; and

7. A copy of all related UCC records filed by the filing officer on or before the certification date and time is provided upon request when the appropriate fee is paid in accordance with § 1.8 of this Part.

100 R.I. Code R. 100-RICR-30-00-1.16

Adopted effective 1/1/2019