093_HB2550sam002











                                     LRB093 09802 LCB 15874 a

 1                    AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 2550

 2        AMENDMENT NO.     .  Amend House Bill 2550  by  replacing
 3    everything after the enacting clause with the following:

 4        "Section  5.  The  Mortgage Certificate of Release Act is
 5    amended by changing Sections 5, 10, 15, 20, 35,  40,  and  50
 6    and by adding Section 10.1 as follows:

 7        (765 ILCS 935/5)
 8        (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2004)
 9        Sec. 5.  Definitions.  As used in this Act:
10        "Mortgage"  means  a  mortgage  or  mortgage  lien  on an
11    interest in one-to-four family residential real  property  in
12    this  State  given to secure a loan in the original principal
13    amount of less than $500,000. Trust deeds are not included.
14        "Mortgagee" means either: (i) the grantee of a  mortgage;
15    or  (ii)  if a mortgage has been assigned of record, the last
16    person to whom the mortgage has been assigned of record.
17        "Mortgage servicer" means  the  last  person  to  whom  a
18    mortgagor  or  the mortgagor's successor in interest has been
19    instructed by a mortgagee to send payments on a loan  secured
20    by  a  mortgage.  A person transmitting a payoff statement is
21    the mortgage servicer  for  the  mortgage  described  in  the
22    payoff statement.
 
                            -2-      LRB093 09802 LCB 15874 a
 1        "Mortgagor" means the grantor of a mortgage.
 2        "Notice  of  intention  to  file  certificate of release"
 3    means a statement from a title  insurance  company  or  title
 4    insurance  agent  to  the  person to whom payment of the loan
 5    secured by the mortgage  was  made  in  accordance  with  the
 6    payoff  statement of the intention to record a certificate of
 7    release.
 8        "Payoff statement" means a statement for  the  amount  of
 9    the  (i)  unpaid  balance  of  a  loan secured by a mortgage,
10    including principal, interest,  and  any  other  charges  due
11    under  or secured by the mortgage; and (ii) interest on a per
12    day basis for the unpaid balance.
13        "Record" means to deliver the certificate of release  for
14    recording with the county recorder.
15        "Title  insurance agent" has the same meaning ascribed to
16    it as in Section 3 of the Title Insurance Act.
17        "Title insurance company" has the same  meaning  ascribed
18    to it as in Section 3 of the Title Insurance Act.
19    (Source: P.A. 92-765, eff. 8-6-02.)

20        (765 ILCS 935/10)
21        (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2004)
22        Sec. 10.  Mortgage presently being paid off.  Content and
23    delivery  of  notice  of  intention  to  file  certificate of
24    release.(a) The  Notice  of  filing  intention  to   file   a
25    certificate  of  release  shall  be  evidenced  by receipt of
26    payment pursuant to the lender's  written  payoff  statement.
27    state  that if the title insurance company or title insurance
28    agent  does  not  receive  from  the  mortgagee  or  mortgage
29    servicer or its successor in interest either a release  or  a
30    written objection to the issuance of a certificate of release
31    pursuant  to subsection (c) of this Section, A certificate of
32    release may be delivered for recording  to  the  recorder  of
33    each  county  in which the mortgage is recorded together with
 
                            -3-      LRB093 09802 LCB 15874 a
 1    the other documents from the  new  transaction,  including  a
 2    deed  or new mortgage, or both. A notice of intention to file
 3    a certificate of release should be  in  a  form  and  include
 4    content  that  substantially complies with Section 65 of this
 5    Act. The notice of intention shall  include  a  copy  of  the
 6    closing  statement  or  HUD-1  form and the payoff check or a
 7    copy of it, or a copy of the wire transfer order.
 8        (b)  The notice of intention to  file  a  certificate  of
 9    release  shall  be  sent  by  certified  mail, return receipt
10    requested,  with  postage  prepaid,  or  by  another  service
11    providing receipted delivery,  no  sooner  than  the  day  of
12    closing  and  no later than 30 days after receipt of payment.
13    The notice shall be delivered to the location  identified  in
14    the  payoff  statement or as otherwise directed in writing by
15    the mortgagee  or  mortgage  servicer  or  its  successor  in
16    interest.  The  notice may be sent with the payment, and need
17    not be sent separately.
18        (c)  Within 90  days  after  receipt  of  the  notice  of
19    intention  to file a certificate of release, the mortgagee or
20    mortgage servicer or its successor in interest  may  issue  a
21    release  or  may  object  in  writing  to  the  issuance of a
22    certificate of release, and by doing  so  shall  prevent  the
23    title   insurance  company  or  title  insurance  agent  from
24    executing and recording a certificate of release pursuant  to
25    this Act. Any written objection submitted by the mortgagee or
26    mortgage  servicer  or  its successor in interest shall state
27    the reason for which the release or  certificate  of  release
28    should  not be issued. The written objection shall be sent to
29    the title insurance  company  or  title  insurance  agent  by
30    certified   mail,  return  receipt  requested,  with  postage
31    prepaid, or by another service providing receipted  delivery.
32    A  title insurance company or title insurance agent shall not
33    cause a certificate of release to  be  recorded  pursuant  to
34    this   Section  if  the  title  insurance  company  or  title
 
                            -4-      LRB093 09802 LCB 15874 a
 1    insurance  agent  receives  a  written  objection  from   the
 2    mortgagee or mortgage servicer or its successor in interest.
 3    (Source: P.A. 92-765, eff. 8-6-02.)

 4        (765 ILCS 935/10.1 new)
 5        Sec.  10.1.  Previously paid mortgages. A mortgage in the
 6    chain of title that is unreleased of  record  but  for  which
 7    there  is  evidence  of  it  having  been paid off in a prior
 8    transaction, the evidence being in the form of the records of
 9    the title insurance company or its duly appointed agent or by
10    the  issuance  by  a   title   insurance   company   of   its
11    hold-harmless  letter or other document of indemnification to
12    another title insurance company that has relied on  the  same
13    to issue its title insurance policy without exception for the
14    mortgage  or  mortgages,  then the title insurance company or
15    its  duly  appointed  agent  doing  the  closing  of  a   new
16    transaction, whether a sale or refinance or other transaction
17    resulting  in  the  issuance of a new title insurance policy,
18    again without exception for the mortgage  or  mortgages,  may
19    issue  and  record  a  certificate of release without further
20    action, provided that the title insurance company or its duly
21    appointed agent does not have actual notice that  the  lender
22    opposes its release. A single mortgage certificate of release
23    may  include more than one mortgage, including both presently
24    and previously paid mortgages.

25        (765 ILCS 935/15)
26        (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2004)
27        Sec. 15.  Certificate of release.   An  officer  or  duly
28    appointed  agent  of a title insurance company may, on behalf
29    of a mortgagor or a person who has acquired from a  mortgagor
30    title  to  all  or  part  of  the  property  described in the
31    mortgage, execute a certificate of release that complies with
32    the requirements of this Act and record  the  certificate  of
 
                            -5-      LRB093 09802 LCB 15874 a
 1    release  with  the  recorder  of  each  county  in  which the
 2    mortgage is recorded,  provided  that  payment  of  the  loan
 3    secured by the mortgage was made in accordance with a written
 4    payoff  statement  furnished by the mortgagee or the mortgage
 5    servicer.  The title insurance company or its duly  appointed
 6    agent shall not be required to search the public record for a
 7    possible   recorded   satisfaction   or  release.  ,  that  a
 8    satisfaction or release of the mortgage  has  not  previously
 9    been  recorded,  and  that  a  notice  of intention to file a
10    certificate of release was sent in  accordance  with  Section
11    10.
12    (Source: P.A. 92-765, eff. 8-6-02.)

13        (765 ILCS 935/20)
14        (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2004)
15        Sec.   20.  Contents  of  certificate  of  release.     A
16    certificate of release executed under this Act  must  contain
17    substantially  all  of  the following for each mortgage being
18    released:
19        (a)  The name of the mortgagor, the name of the  original
20    mortgagee,  and,  if applicable, the mortgage servicer at the
21    date of the mortgage, the date of recording, and  the  volume
22    and  page  or  document  number  or  other official recording
23    designation in the real property records where  the  mortgage
24    is  recorded., together with similar information for the last
25    recorded assignment of the mortgage.
26        (b)  A statement that the mortgage was paid in accordance
27    with the written payoff statement received from the mortgagee
28    or mortgage servicer and  there  is  no  objection  from  the
29    mortgagee  or mortgage servicer or its successor in interest.
30    The hold-harmless letter  or  other  indemnification  from  a
31    title  insurance company, as provided in Section 10.1 of this
32    Act, shall satisfy this requirement.
33        (c)  A  statement   that   the   person   executing   the
 
                            -6-      LRB093 09802 LCB 15874 a
 1    certificate  of  release  is  an  officer or a duly appointed
 2    agent of a title insurance company authorized and licensed to
 3    transact the business of insuring titles to interests in real
 4    property in this State pursuant to subsections (2) and (3) of
 5    Section 3 of the Title Insurance Act.
 6        (d)  A statement that the certificate of release is  made
 7    on  behalf  of  the  mortgagor or a person who acquired title
 8    from the mortgagor to all or a part of the property described
 9    in the mortgage.
10        (e)  A statement that the mortgagee or mortgage  servicer
11    provided  a  written  payoff  statement.   The  hold-harmless
12    letter  or  other  indemnification  from  a  title  insurance
13    company,  as  provided  in  Section  10.1  of this Act, shall
14    satisfy this requirement.
15    (Source: P.A. 92-765, eff. 8-6-02.)

16        (765 ILCS 935/35)
17        (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2004)
18        Sec. 35.  Effect of recording certificate of release. For
19    purposes of releasing the lien of the mortgage, a certificate
20    of release containing the information and statements provided
21    for in Section 20 and executed as provided in Section  25  is
22    prima facie evidence of the facts contained therein, and upon
23    being  recorded with the recorder, shall constitute a release
24    of the lien of the mortgage described in the  certificate  of
25    release. The title insurance company or title insurance agent
26    recording  the  certificate  of release may use the recording
27    fee it may have collected for the recording of a  release  or
28    satisfaction  of  the mortgage to effect the recording of the
29    certificate of release.
30    (Source: P.A. 92-765, eff. 8-6-02.)

31        (765 ILCS 935/40)
32        (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2004)
 
                            -7-      LRB093 09802 LCB 15874 a
 1        Sec. 40.  Wrongful or erroneous certificate of release.
 2    Recording of a wrongful or erroneous certificate  of  release
 3    by  a  title  insurance  company or its title insurance agent
 4    shall not relieve the mortgagor or the mortgagor's successors
 5    or assignees from any personal liability on the loan or other
 6    obligations secured by the mortgage. In addition to any other
 7    remedy provided by law, a title insurance  company  executing
 8    or recording a certificate of release under this Act that has
 9    actual   knowledge   that   the  information  and  statements
10    contained therein are false is liable to  the  mortgagee  for
11    actual   damages  sustained  due  to  the  recording  of  the
12    certificate of release.   The prevailing party in any  action
13    or  proceeding seeking actual damages due to the recording of
14    a certificate of release shall be entitled to the recovery of
15    reasonable attorneys fees and costs incurred in  that  action
16    or  proceeding.   It shall not be wrongful or erroneous for a
17    title insurance company  or  its  title  insurance  agent  to
18    record a certificate of release after a lender's satisfaction
19    or release is of record.
20    (Source: P.A. 92-765, eff. 8-6-02.)

21        (765 ILCS 935/50)
22        (Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2004)
23        Sec.  50.  Form  of certificate of release. A certificate
24    of release, in substantially the following form, allowing for
25    alterations to permit the inclusion  of  multiple  mortgages,
26    both presently and previously paid, complies with this Act.

27                       CERTIFICATE OF RELEASE
28    Date:....Title Order No.:.....
29    1. Name of mortgagor(s):.....
30    2. Name of original mortgagee:.....
31    3. Name of mortgage servicer (if any):.....
32    4. Name of last assignee of mortgage or record (if any):.....
33    4. 5.  Mortgage  recording:  Vol.:.....Page:.....or  Document
 
                            -8-      LRB093 09802 LCB 15874 a
 1    No.:.....
 2    6. Last assignment recording (if any):
 3    Vol.:.....Page:.....or Document No.......
 4    5. 7.  The   above  referenced  mortgage  has  been  paid  in
 5    accordance with the payoff statement received from.....,  and
 6    there  is  no  known objection from the mortgagee or mortgage
 7    servicer or its successor in interest  to  the  recording  of
 8    this certificate of release.
 9    6. 8.  The person executing this certificate of release is an
10    officer  or duly appointed agent of a title insurance company
11    authorized and licensed to transact the business of  insuring
12    titles  to  interests in real property in this State pursuant
13    to Section 30 of this Act.
14    7. 9.  This certificate of release is made on behalf  of  the
15    mortgagor  or  a person who acquired title from the mortgagor
16    to all or part of the property described in the mortgage.
17    8. 10.  The mortgagee or mortgage servicer provided a  payoff
18    statement.
19    9. 11.  The property described in the mortgage is as follows:
20    Permanent Index Number:.....
21    Common Address:.....
22    (Name of title insurance company)
23    By:.....
24    (Name  of  officer  and  title  or  name of agent and name of
25    officer / representative thereof)
26    Address:.....
27    Telephone No.:.....
28    State of Illinois)
29                     )
30    County of        )
31    This instrument was acknowledged before me on .....(date)  by
32    .....(name  of  person)  as  .....(officer  for  /  agent of)
33    .....(title insurance company).
34    .....
 
                            -9-      LRB093 09802 LCB 15874 a
 1    Notary Public
 2    My commission expires on.....
 3    (Source: P.A. 92-765, eff. 8-6-02.)

 4        (765 ILCS 935/65 rep.)
 5        (765 ILCS 935/90 rep.)
 6        Section 20.  The Mortgage Certificate of Release  Act  is
 7    amended by repealing Sections 65 and 90.

 8        Section  99.   Effective  date.   This  Act  takes effect
 9    December 31, 2003.".