How to Remove a Third Mortgage Lien from a House
Mortgage liens are claims against a property by lenders who have extended credit to the homeowner(s) to purchase a home. Some properties may have multiple liens on the same property. Once the debt has been paid in full, the lien should be removed from the property, a process generally done by the lender. This is important, because selling or refinancing a property requires current information on all mortgages, and that paid liens be removed. When the lender fails to process a lien removal, the following simple steps can be followed to remove the lien yourself.
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Instructions
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Removing a Lien from a Property
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Call the lender or mortgage holder and verify that the lien has been paid in full.
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Request that the lender send a Release of Lien to your address.
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3
Upon receipt, take the original document to the County Recorder's office. The document must be recorded in the county where the mortgaged property is located.
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Pay the recording fees (usually not more than $20-$30) and have the Release of Lien recorded. The lien is then legally removed from the property.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure to keep the original, recorded Release of Lien. Just because the document has been recorded does not mean it will instantly show up as being removed from the property. The recorded document serves as proof of the release.
Do not take a copy of the Release of Lien to be recorded. County Recorders will only accept original documents with original signatures for recording.
