In one sentence
The recorded document that discharges a mortgage or lien once the underlying obligation is satisfied.
The longer version
When a loan pays off, the lender records a release or satisfaction so the property's title reflects that the lien is gone. Missing or late releases cloud title and surface in the next transaction.
Tracking releases is classic post-closing and post-payoff work: unglamorous, easy to drop, and a source of title problems years later when nobody remembers.
Common questions
- What is a release of lien?
- A recorded document discharging a mortgage or deed of trust after the loan is repaid, clearing the lien from the property's title.
- Who records the release?
- The lender or its servicer prepares and delivers it, and it is recorded in the county land records, often through the title company handling the payoff.
- What happens if a release is never recorded?
- The old lien still appears on title. It surfaces at the next sale or refinance and has to be tracked down and released before that closing can proceed.
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