Texas Property Code 12.017 – Title Insurance Company Affidavit as Release of Lien; Civil Penalty
(a) In this section:
(1) “Mortgage” means a deed of trust or other contract lien on an interest in real property.
(2) “Mortgagee” means:
(A) the grantee of a mortgage;
(B) if a mortgage has been assigned of record, the last person to whom the mortgage has been assigned of record; or
(C) if a mortgage is serviced by a mortgage servicer, the mortgage servicer.
(3) “Mortgage servicer” means the last person to whom a mortgagor has been instructed by a mortgagee to send payments for the loan secured by a mortgage. A person transmitting a payoff statement is considered the mortgage servicer for the mortgage described in the payoff statement.
(4) “Mortgagor” means the grantor of a mortgage.
(5) “Payoff statement” means a statement of the amount of:
(A) the unpaid balance of a loan secured by a mortgage, including principal, interest, and other charges properly assessed under the loan documentation of the mortgage; and
(B) interest on a per diem basis for the unpaid balance.
(6) “Title insurance company” means a corporation or other business entity authorized to engage in the business of insuring titles to interests in real property in this state.
(7) “Authorized title insurance agent,” with respect to an Affidavit as Release of Lien under this section, means a person licensed as a title insurance agent under Chapter 2651, Insurance Code, and authorized in writing by a title insurance company by instrument recorded in the real property records in the county in which the property to which the affidavit relates is located to execute one or more Affidavits as Release of Lien in compliance with this section, subject to any terms, limitations, and conditions that are set forth in the instrument executed by the title insurance company.
(b) This section applies only to a mortgage on:
(1) property consisting exclusively of a one-to-four-family residence, including a residential unit in a condominium regime; or
(2) property other than property described by Subdivision (1), if the original face amount of the indebtedness secured by the mortgage on the property is less than $1.5 million.
Terms Used In Texas Property Code 12.017
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Affidavit: means a statement in writing of a fact or facts signed by the party making it, sworn to before an officer authorized to administer oaths, and officially certified to by the officer under his seal of office. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
- in writing: includes any representation of words, letters, or figures, whether by writing, printing, or other means. See Texas Government Code 312.011
- Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
- Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
- Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
- Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
- Person: includes corporation, organization, government or governmental subdivision or agency, business trust, estate, trust, partnership, association, and any other legal entity. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Property: means real and personal property. See Texas Government Code 311.005
- Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
(c) An authorized officer of a title insurance company or an authorized title insurance agent may, on behalf of the mortgagor or a transferee of the mortgagor who acquired title to the property described in the mortgage, execute an affidavit that complies with the requirements of this section and record the affidavit in the real property records of each county in which the mortgage was recorded.
(d) An affidavit executed under Subsection (c) must be in substantially the following form:
AFFIDAVIT AS RELEASE OF LIEN