21 Pa. Stat. § 721-6

Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-92
Section 721-6 - Notice to satisfy; damages for failure to satisfy
(a) Notice to satisfy.--After the entire mortgage obligation as well as all required satisfaction and recording costs have been paid to the mortgagee, the mortgagor may send a notice to the mortgagee to present for recording a satisfaction piece to avoid damages.
(b) Delivery.--The notice to satisfy shall be sent to the mortgagee by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested. The notice shall be sent to the mortgagee at the mortgagee's address designated in the payoff statement unless the person issuing the notice has actually received from the mortgagee another name or address to which requests for satisfactions are to be sent. If no payoff statement is received by the mortgagor or no address is provided in the payoff statement and the person issuing the notice has received no address to send requests for satisfactions, the notice to satisfy shall be sent to the address to which the mortgagor has most recently made payment.
(c) Form.--The notice to satisfy shall be in substantially the following form:

NOTICE TO RECORD MORTGAGE SATISFACTION PIECE TO AVOID PENALTY

Date of notice:

To the mortgagee named below:

The party issuing this notice believes that the mortgagee of the mortgage described below has received full satisfaction and payment of all amounts secured by the mortgage, including any applicable satisfaction fee, and that, where applicable, the mortgagee has been instructed in writing, effective as of the date and time of receipt of the mortgage payoff figure, to close and decline any further advances on any open line of credit which was secured by the affected mortgage. The party issuing this notice hereby requests that the mortgagee issue and present for recording a satisfaction piece concerning the mortgage or provide a satisfactory reason why the mortgage should not be satisfied to the party issuing this notice. If you do not comply with this notice, you may be liable for penalties and costs in accordance with the act of December 9, 2002 (P.L.1530, No. 197), known as the Mortgage Satisfaction Act, or the party issuing this notice may be able to satisfy the mortgage without your consent.

Name of mortgagor:

Name of mortgagee:

Name of last assignee:

Date of mortgage:

Amount of mortgage: $

Recorded in County, Pennsylvania, in Book,

Page /instrument number.

Brief description of premises covered by mortgage:

Mortgagee loan number (if known):

Name of party presenting this notice:

Address of party presenting this notice:

Telephone number of party presenting this notice:

(d) Penalty for failure to satisfy.--
(1) If, within 60 days of the mortgagee's receipt of:
(i) payment of the entire mortgage obligation and all required satisfaction and recording costs; and
(ii) the first written request by the mortgagor for the satisfaction piece delivered and in substantially the form described in this section,

the mortgagee fails to present for recording to the office where the mortgage was recorded a satisfaction piece as described in section 5 or the mortgage is not otherwise satisfied, the mortgagee shall forfeit and pay to the mortgagor a penalty in a sum not exceeding the original loan amount.

(2) In any successful action to recover penalties pursuant to this section, the mortgagee shall reimburse the mortgagor for costs of the action, including the mortgagor's reasonable attorney fees.
(3) Any action to enforce the provisions of this section, including any action to recover amounts due under this section, shall be brought and maintained in the individual names and shall be prosecuted by persons entitled to recover under the terms hereof and not in a representative capacity.
(4) An action under section 6 shall be the exclusive remedy for damages for failure of a mortgagee to issue and present for recording a satisfaction piece.
(5) The delivery of a second or subsequent written request by the mortgagor for a satisfaction piece shall not give rise to an additional cause of action under this section.

21 P.S. § 721-6

2002, Dec. 9, P.L. 1530, No. 197, § 6, effective in 60 days.