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MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS (MERS) by Christopher J. Beck, ATG Senior Law Clerk

Introduction

Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS) provides a centralized registry for tracking ownership interests and servicing rights of mortgages. As the number of mortgages registered with MERS grows, MERS increasingly will appear in the chain of title. This article will address the following questions when dealing with transactions in which MERS is in the chain of title:

• How should an assignment to MERS appear in the chain of title?
• May a mortgage and an assignment to MERS be combined into a single document?
• How does one obtain a payoff letter and release for a mortgage assignment to MERS, and how does this appear in the chain of title?

MERS - owned by several companies involved in the mortgage finance industry - began in 1995 as a member-owned, non-stock corporation. It was created to address the problems associated with tracking the beneficial interests and servicing rights of mortgages due to the increased number of transactions in secondary markets. The goal was to make the tracking of the secondary mortgage assignments more similar to the stock market. Thus, an electronic registry was created to track such assignments of rights.

For MERS to be effective, mortgages must be properly registered with the MERS system. Each mortgage is assigned an individual Mortgage Identification Number (MIN) that tracks the mortgage for its life. The MERS system depends on MERS being named as the mortgagee of record in the county public records. This may be done in one of two ways. First, MERS can be identified as the nominee for the lender on the mortgage itself (referred to as "MERS as Original Mortgagee" or MOM). If the mortgage does not name MERS as the original mortgagee, then the mortgage can be assigned to MERS. The mortgage would begin as a typical mortgage, and as such it must be recorded in the county recorder's office. The mortgage would then be assigned to MERS, with the assignment being recorded in the public records. At this point, under either method MERS will be the assignee or mortgagee of record for the life of the mortgage. Assignments are not made outside of the MERS system. At this point, the chain of title will stop with MERS. MERS will internally track all subsequent assignments of interests and rights as long as the mortgage interests remain with a MERS member.

Benefit of MERS

The benefit of MERS is to create efficiency in secondary mortgage markets, thereby reducing costs. MERS relies on the current mortgage recording laws and procedures so that it may perform its goals, and is not meant to in any way replace governmental recording functions. MERS members are expected to update the transfers within the system. MERS has acknowledged that it is critical to its success that they accurately keep track of assignments. Interested parties are putting a considerable amount of trust in the accuracy of the MERS system and in its members diligently updating records.

How Should an Assignment to MERS Appear on the Chain of Title?

Signed mortgage documents are recorded in the county land records to make a public record of the security interest (in the form of a mortgage or a deed of trust). If MERS is not identified as the original mortgagee, an assignment must be recorded naming MERS as the mortgagee when the loan is registered on the MERS system. An assignment to MERS should appear like any other assignment. An assignment naming MERS as the assignee of record is prepared and recorded with the county recorder's office. MERS will be the assignee of record for the life of the loan and the chain of title should end with MERS unless the rights are assigned to a non-MERS member, a foreclosure, etc.

May a Mortgage and an Assignment to MERS Be Combined into a Single Document?

Beginning in 1997, it has been possible to name MERS as the original nominal mortgagee (MOM), eliminating the need for a subsequent assignment to MERS. If MERS is named as the nominee for the lender, there is no need for an assignment to MERS and no further recorded or unrecorded assignments are necessary as long as the loan remains on MERS. After the initial step naming MERS as mortgagee of record, the subsequent treatment of the mortgage is the same whether it was initially created through an assignment or through MOM. MERS prefers to be named as the original mortgagee because it eliminates the need for a subsequent assignment.

How Does One Obtain a Payoff Letter and Release for a Mortgage Assignment to MERS, and How Does This Appear in the Chain of Title?

Obtaining a payoff or release should be a simplified process for mortgages registered with MERS. It is the obligation of the MERS member currently servicing a loan to de-activate the loan on the MERS system and to prepare and send a lien release to the county recorder's office. To find out the name of the servicer, non-MERS members will have to call the MERS Voice Response Unit (VRU) and obtain the servicer's name, address, contact person, and phone number. It will be necessary to contact the servicer because the MERS system will not give out payoff information. It is the responsibility of the servicer to give out all payoff information.

The loan servicer will send a lien release to the county recorder's office. The release should contain the MIN and the telephone number to access the MERS VRU, which is the number the general public may call to obtain information about the MERS servicer. The number for the VRU is 1-888-679-MERS (679-6377). To access this service, callers will have to know either the MIN or the social security number of the borrower. If an inquirer lacks this information, he or she will still be able to access this information by calling the MERS Help Desk at 1-888-680-MERS (6377), provided one can provide the mortgagor's name or the property address. If a non-MERS member does not have any of the above information, the MIN should be available at the county clerk's office once the lien release has been recorded. "MERS has made a commitment to provide access to its system to county recorders and to the public generally," and the county recorder should be able to get people the information they need. 1997 Ill. Atty.Op.Gen No. 97-008.

As MERS becomes more prominent in the mortgage industry, title agents and companies may have to adapt some of their methodology and procedures to conform to the MERS system. While this initially may prove to be an inconvenience, the title industry should ultimately benefit from increased mortgage tracking efficiency that MERS will provide.

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• The Legally Invalid Assignment Defense to Foreclosure

People who are facing the possibility of a foreclosure on their home may want to investigate the history of their mortgage. If the assignment to the foreclosing party is not valid, this may be a viable defense to a foreclosure. In some states, you can demand that the foreclosing party produce a written assignment of the mortgage. If it does not have an assignment or failed to record it as required by state law, this may result in the dismissal of the foreclosure action. Recording rules may require that the foreclosing party record the assignment before starting the foreclosure.

Courts in other states are more lenient in their review of assignments. Since the mortgage is closely associated with the promissory note, the foreclosing party may be allowed to enforce the promissory note even if it cannot produce a valid assignment of the mortgage. You should seek legal guidance in your state to determine whether this defense may be viable.

Homeowners who believe that they may have a defense based on an invalid assignment may wish to consult with a knowledgeable foreclosure lawyer, since this defense can become complicated. Justia offers a lawyer directory to simplify researching, comparing, and contacting attorneys who fit your legal needs.

The Relationship Between Mortgages and Promissory Notes

The mortgage and the promissory note are the two key documents attached to a loan for buying a home. Some purchases involve a deed of trust rather than a mortgage, but they are functionally equivalent in this context. While the promissory note is your guarantee to repay the loan, the mortgage gives the lender the right to foreclose if you do not repay the loan as arranged. The mortgage also identifies the property that will serve as security for the loan. Thus, the two documents work together in establishing the lender’s rights.

The Role of Mortgage Assignments in Loan Transfers

A bank or other lender often will sell a mortgage to another party, which will collect payments and pursue the homeowner if they fail to keep up with the mortgage. To transfer the loan, the original lender will endorse the promissory note to the new owner of the mortgage. This is because collection efforts hinge on owning the promissory note. If the foreclosing party cannot produce the promissory note, the homeowner will have a defense to the foreclosure.

Meanwhile, the new owner will record the assignment of the mortgage. This includes transferring the right to foreclose, as provided by the mortgage, to the new owner. The assignment will provide the amount of the mortgage and the names of the homeowner, the original lender, and the new owner of the mortgage. It also will contain a description of the property attached to the mortgage and the date when the mortgage took effect.

An invalid assignment defense may only be a temporary solution until the new owner records an assignment in their name.

The mortgage industry uses a tool known as the Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS) to keep track of assignments. MERS may be a nominee for the lender, or it may receive the mortgage as an assignment. If MERS is the current assignee, it cannot pursue a foreclosure because it does not have an interest in the promissory note. MERS simply serves as an agent for the current owner of the mortgage and assists in creating a record for transfers of the mortgage. This allows banks to more easily transfer loans among them without creating a new assignment each time. You may have a defense against a foreclosure action if MERS is listed as the owner of the mortgage. However, this likely will be only a temporary solution until the new owner records an assignment in their name.

Last reviewed October 2023

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Understanding the Assignment of Mortgages: What You Need To Know

3 minute read • Upsolve is a nonprofit that helps you get out of debt with education and free debt relief tools, like our bankruptcy filing tool.  Think TurboTax for bankruptcy. Get free education, customer support, and community. Featured in Forbes 4x and funded by institutions like Harvard University so we'll never ask you for a credit card.  Explore our free tool

A mortgage is a legally binding agreement between a home buyer and a lender that dictates a borrower's ability to pay off a loan. Every mortgage has an interest rate, a term length, and specific fees attached to it.

Written by Attorney Todd Carney .  Updated November 26, 2021

If you’re like most people who want to purchase a home, you’ll start by going to a bank or other lender to get a mortgage loan. Though you can choose your lender, after the mortgage loan is processed, your mortgage may be transferred to a different mortgage servicer . A transfer is also called an assignment of the mortgage. 

No matter what it’s called, this change of hands may also change who you’re supposed to make your house payments to and how the foreclosure process works if you default on your loan. That’s why if you’re a homeowner, it’s important to know how this process works. This article will provide an in-depth look at what an assignment of a mortgage entails and what impact it can have on homeownership.

Assignment of Mortgage – The Basics

When your original lender transfers your mortgage account and their interests in it to a new lender, that’s called an assignment of mortgage. To do this, your lender must use an assignment of mortgage document. This document ensures the loan is legally transferred to the new owner. It’s common for mortgage lenders to sell the mortgages to other lenders. Most lenders assign the mortgages they originate to other lenders or mortgage buyers.

Home Loan Documents

When you get a loan for a home or real estate, there will usually be two mortgage documents. The first is a mortgage or, less commonly, a deed of trust . The other is a promissory note. The mortgage or deed of trust will state that the mortgaged property provides the security interest for the loan. This basically means that your home is serving as collateral for the loan. It also gives the loan servicer the right to foreclose if you don’t make your monthly payments. The promissory note provides proof of the debt and your promise to pay it.

When a lender assigns your mortgage, your interests as the mortgagor are given to another mortgagee or servicer. Mortgages and deeds of trust are usually recorded in the county recorder’s office. This office also keeps a record of any transfers. When a mortgage is transferred so is the promissory note. The note will be endorsed or signed over to the loan’s new owner. In some situations, a note will be endorsed in blank, which turns it into a bearer instrument. This means whoever holds the note is the presumed owner.

Using MERS To Track Transfers

Banks have collectively established the Mortgage Electronic Registration System , Inc. (MERS), which keeps track of who owns which loans. With MERS, lenders are no longer required to do a separate assignment every time a loan is transferred. That’s because MERS keeps track of the transfers. It’s crucial for MERS to maintain a record of assignments and endorsements because these land records can tell who actually owns the debt and has a legal right to start the foreclosure process.

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Assignment of Mortgage Requirements and Effects

The assignment of mortgage needs to include the following:

The original information regarding the mortgage. Alternatively, it can include the county recorder office’s identification numbers. 

The borrower’s name.

The mortgage loan’s original amount.

The date of the mortgage and when it was recorded.

Usually, there will also need to be a legal description of the real property the mortgage secures, but this is determined by state law and differs by state.

Notice Requirements

The original lender doesn’t need to provide notice to or get permission from the homeowner prior to assigning the mortgage. But the new lender (sometimes called the assignee) has to send the homeowner some form of notice of the loan assignment. The document will typically provide a disclaimer about who the new lender is, the lender’s contact information, and information about how to make your mortgage payment. You should make sure you have this information so you can avoid foreclosure.

Mortgage Terms

When an assignment occurs your loan is transferred, but the initial terms of your mortgage will stay the same. This means you’ll have the same interest rate, overall loan amount, monthly payment, and payment due date. If there are changes or adjustments to the escrow account, the new lender must do them under the terms of the original escrow agreement. The new lender can make some changes if you request them and the lender approves. For example, you may request your new lender to provide more payment methods.

Taxes and Insurance

If you have an escrow account and your mortgage is transferred, you may be worried about making sure your property taxes and homeowners insurance get paid. Though you can always verify the information, the original loan servicer is responsible for giving your local tax authority the new loan servicer’s address for tax billing purposes. The original lender is required to do this after the assignment is recorded. The servicer will also reach out to your property insurance company for this reason.  

If you’ve received notice that your mortgage loan has been assigned, it’s a good idea to reach out to your loan servicer and verify this information. Verifying that all your mortgage information is correct, that you know who to contact if you have questions about your mortgage, and that you know how to make payments to the new servicer will help you avoid being scammed or making payments incorrectly.

Let's Summarize…

In a mortgage assignment, your original lender or servicer transfers your mortgage account to another loan servicer. When this occurs, the original mortgagee or lender’s interests go to the next lender. Even if your mortgage gets transferred or assigned, your mortgage’s terms should remain the same. Your interest rate, loan amount, monthly payment, and payment schedule shouldn’t change. 

Your original lender isn’t required to notify you or get your permission prior to assigning your mortgage. But you should receive correspondence from the new lender after the assignment. It’s important to verify any change in assignment with your original loan servicer before you make your next mortgage payment, so you don’t fall victim to a scam.

Attorney Todd Carney

Attorney Todd Carney is a writer and graduate of Harvard Law School. While in law school, Todd worked in a clinic that helped pro-bono clients file for bankruptcy. Todd also studied several aspects of how the law impacts consumers. Todd has written over 40 articles for sites such... read more about Attorney Todd Carney

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Mortgage Assignment Laws and Definition

(This may not be the same place you live)

  What is a Mortgage Assignment?

A mortgage is a legal agreement. Under this agreement, a bank or other lending institution provides a loan to an individual seeking to finance a home purchase. The lender is referred to as a creditor. The person who finances the home owes money to the bank, and is referred to as the debtor.

To make money, the bank charges interest on the loan. To ensure the debtor pays the loan, the bank takes a security interest in what the loan is financing — the home itself. If the buyer fails to pay the loan, the bank can take the property through a foreclosure proceeding.

There are two main documents involved in a mortgage agreement. The document setting the financial terms and conditions of repayment is known as the mortgage note. The bank is the owner of the note. The note is secured by the mortgage. This means if the debtor does not make payment on the note, the bank may foreclose on the home. 

The document describing the mortgaged property is called the mortgage agreement. In the mortgage agreement, the debtor agrees to make payments under the note, and agrees that if payment is not made, the bank may institute foreclosure proceedings and take the home as collateral .

An assignment of a mortgage refers to an assignment of the note and assignment of the mortgage agreement. Both the note and the mortgage can be assigned. To assign the note and mortgage is to transfer ownership of the note and mortgage. Once the note is assigned, the person to whom it is assigned, the assignee, can collect payment under the note. 

Assignment of the mortgage agreement occurs when the mortgagee (the bank or lender) transfers its rights under the agreement to another party. That party is referred to as the assignee, and receives the right to enforce the agreement’s terms against the assignor, or debtor (also called the “mortgagor”). 

What are the Requirements for Executing a Mortgage Assignment?

What are some of the benefits and drawbacks of mortgage assignments, are there any defenses to mortgage assignments, do i need to hire an attorney for help with a mortgage assignment.

For a mortgage to be validly assigned, the assignment document (the document formally assigning ownership from one person to another) must contain:

• The current assignor name.
• The name of the assignee.
• The current borrower or borrowers’ names. 
• A description of the mortgage, including date of execution of the mortgage agreement, the amount of the loan that remains, and a reference to where the mortgage was initially recorded. A mortgage is recorded in the office of a county clerk, in an index, typically bearing a volume or page number. The reference to where the mortgage was recorded should include the date of recording, volume, page number, and county of recording.
• A description of the property. The description must be a legal description that unambiguously and completely describes the boundaries of the property.

There are several types of assignments of mortgage. These include a corrective assignment of mortgage, a corporate assignment of mortgage, and a mers assignment of mortgage. A corrective assignment corrects or amends a defect or mistake in the original assignment. A corporate assignment is an assignment of the mortgage from one corporation to another. 

A mers assignment involves the Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS). Mortgages often designate MERS as a nominee (agent for) the lender. When the lender assigns a mortgage to MERS, MERS does not actually receive ownership of the note or mortgage agreement. Instead, MERS tracks the mortgage as the mortgage is assigned from bank to bank. 

An advantage of a mortgage assignment is that the assignment permits buyers interested in purchasing a home, to do so without having to obtain a loan from a financial institution. The buyer, through an assignment from the current homeowner, assumes the rights and responsibilities under the mortgage. 

A disadvantage of a mortgage assignment is the consequences of failing to record it. Under most state laws, an entity seeking to institute foreclosure proceedings must record the assignment before it can do so. If a mortgage is not recorded, the judge will dismiss the foreclosure proceeding. 

Failure to observe mortgage assignment procedure can be used as a defense by a homeowner in a foreclosure proceeding. Before a bank can institute a foreclosure proceeding, the bank must record the assignment of the note. The bank must also be in actual possession of the note. 

If the bank fails to “produce the note,” that is, cannot demonstrate that the note was assigned to it, the bank cannot demonstrate it owns the note. Therefore, it lacks legal standing to commence a foreclosure proceeding.

If you need help with preparing an assignment of mortgage, you should contact a mortgage lawyer . An experienced mortgage lawyer near you can assist you with preparing and recording the document.

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MERS & Mortgage Securitization

Mers & The Debt MERS does record the assignment in the actual real property records system. The actual note itself, is the creation of the legal obligation to have the loan/note repaid for the debt. Thus the note is the actual legal document which backs the debt. The debt itself has not been transferred or negotiated by MERS

• MERS does record the assignment in the actual real property records system. The actual note itself, is the creation of the legal obligation to have the loan/note repaid for the debt. Thus the note is the actual legal document which backs the debt. The debt itself has not been transferred or negotiated by MERS

• MERS is not legally entitled to receive monthly payments from the borrower. MERS cannot legally be entitled to benefit from a foreclosure in any sale of the home in a foreclosure sale.

• MERS does not own the mortgage note, thus it cannot attempt to foreclose.

• MERS cannot have any legal claim or interest in the loan interest, the debt, security instrument which MERS serves as a nominee.

MERS and Securitization of Residential Mortgage Loans

Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS) has been named the beneficiary for this loan. MERS was created to reduce in need of executing and recording of assignment of mortgages, with the idea that MERS would be the mortgagee of record. This would allow “MERS” to foreclose on the property, and at the same time, it would assist the lenders in avoiding the recording of the Assignments of Beneficiary on loans sold. This helped to save money for the lenders in manpower and helped to reduce the costs of recording these notes. It was also designed to “shield” investors from liability as a result of lender misconduct regarding the process of mortgage lending. MERS is imposed to overcome certain laws and other legal requirements dealing with mortgage loans holding an “artificial” entity. Because of designating certain member employees to be MERS corporate officers, the foreclosing agency and MERS “designated officer” has a conflict of interest. MERS and the servicer both have not a beneficial interest in the note even they don’t receive the income from the payments. And actually the service employee can’t sign the Assignment in the name of MERS because the Assignment execution of MERS employee is illegal. The new party has not executed the Assignment from the actual owner of the note. An assignment will result in a nullity because of a mortgage in the absences of the assignment and physical delivery of the note. It must also bear in mind that the lender or other holder of the note registers the loan on MERS. Thereafter, all sales or assignments of the mortgage loan are accomplished electronically under the MERS system. MERS never acquires actual physical possession of the mortgage note, nor do they acquire any beneficial interest in the Note. From the beginning MERS has indicated numerous violations of Unfair and Deceptive Acts and Practices because of conflicting nature and identity of the servicer and the beneficiary. As these practices were intentionally designed, it misleads the borrower and benefits the lenders. So the main point becomes, is MERS the Servicer or the foreclosing party? As the Servicer is the party who initiate the foreclosure and they take the documents to their own employee who are designated as a “Corporate Officer of MERS”, and who conveniently signs the document for MERS, aren’t they the “foreclosing party”?

Is MERS the Beneficial Owner of the Note? 1. MERS is named after the beneficiary on the Deed of Trust and holding only legal title to the interest granted by Borrower in this Security Instrument…has the right: to exercise any or all of those interest, including, but not limited to, releasing and canceling this security instrument. 2. MERS can claim to hold the Note but it has not any actual possession of the Note 3. MERS don’t get any payments or income from the monthly payments. Ultimate Investor gets this money. The Investor has the beneficial interest in the Note because the Investor receiving the payments. 4. MERS agreement indicates that MERS will comply with the instructions of the holder of mortgage loan promissory notes at all time. It also indicates that “When the beneficial owner will not give contrary instructions , MER may depends on instructions from the servicer shown on the MERS system in accordance with these rules and the procedures with respect to transfers of beneficial ownership. 5. MERS is not the beneficial owner of the note that has been testified in Florida Courts. Assignment of Beneficiary MERS does not keep the record of the assignment of beneficiary though it is required by law, until the foreclosure process starts and the Notice of Default has been filed, and apparently, only when it appears that the borrower will not be able to reinstate the loan and then foreclosure is inevitable. It maintains itself as the beneficiary throughout the entire process up to foreclosure. MERS has represented in Florida Courts that its sole purpose is as a system to track mortgages. It has stated that the lenders and servicers do entry for themselves and it does not do the entries itself, but. When an Assignment of Beneficiary is executed, it is the member servicer or lender that goes to the website, downloads the necessary forms, completes the forms and then takes it to the designated “MERS officer” to sign. MERS agreements state that MERS and the Member agree that: (i) the MERS System is not a vehicle for creating or transferring beneficial interest in mortgage loans, (ii) transfer of servicing interests reflecting on MERS System are subject to the consent of the beneficial owner. Since MERS and the servicer both haven’t a beneficial interest in the note, they don’t receive the income from the payments, and since it is actually an employee of the servicer signing the Assignment in the name of MERS, this begs the question: Is the assignment executed by the MERS employee even legal, since the actual owner of the note has not executed the assignment to the new party? A good indicator might be in Sobel v Mutual Development, Inc, 313 So 2d 77 (1st DCA Fla 1975). An assignment of a mortgage in the absence of the assignment and physical delivery of the note in question is a nullity.

Possession of the Note & Holder in Due Course Coming to the forefront, possession of the Note is a key argument. The foreclosing entity has to prove possession and ownership of the original Note in order to foreclose. A survey reported that upwards of 40% of the Notes are missing and cannot be found that’s why this comes to the forefront. And MERS is once again involved in this. MERS foreclosure lawsuits often include a Lost, Missing, or Destroyed Affidavit In Judicial Foreclosure states. The Note cannot be found, and that the Note prior to being lost was in the possession of MERS which was “testified” by this affidavit. This has become very problematic for MERS,As they have admitted in Courts that they do not own the Note or even hold the Note. If this is so, then MERS is likely filing fraudulent Affidavits. When challenged, one defense that MERS uses to support its “legal standing” is that the servicer has possession of the Note and Deed. MERS, by the act of having its own “Officers” as employees of the servicer, entitles it to foreclose on behalf of the servicer and the beneficiary. When confronted with this defense, the response should be for the servicer to produce the note. It should also be noted that the lender or other holder of the note registers the loan on MERS. Then, under the MERS system all sales or assignments of the mortgage loan are accomplished electronically. MERS never acquires actual physical possession of the mortgage note, and they don’t acquire any beneficial interest in the Note. Securitization Process Securitization is the name for the process by which the final investor for the loan ended up with the loan. It entailed the following: 1. Mortgage broker had client who needed a loan and delivered the loan package to the lender. 2. The lender approved the loan and funded it. This was usually through “warehouse” lines of credit. The lender most of the times used warehouse line instead using their own money and that had been advanced to the lender by major Wall Street firms like J.P. Morgan. 3. The lender “sold” the loan to the Wall Street lender, earning from 2.5 – 8 points per loan. This entity is known also as the mortgage aggregator. 4. The loan, and thousands like it, are sold together to an investment banker. 5. Securities banker buys loans from Investment banker 6. Securities banker sells the loans to the final investors, as a Securitized Instrument, where a Trustee is named for the investors, and the Trustee will administer all bookkeeping and disbursement of funds. 7. The issue with the securitization process is that when the Securitized Instrument was sold, it was split apart and sold in tranches, (in slices like a pie). There were few or no records kept of which notes went into which trancheand there are no records of how many investors bought into each particular tranche. Additionally, there were no

Assignments designed or signed in anticipation of establishing legal standing to foreclose. 8. Rating Agencies rated the tranches at the request of the Investment Bankers who paid the Rating Agencies. 9. When the tranches were created, each “slice” was given a rating, “AAA, AA, A, BBB, BB, etc. which tranche got “paid” first out of the monthly proceeds determined the ratings. If significant numbers of loans missed payments, or went into default, then the AAA tranche would receive all money due, and this went on down the line. The bottom tranches with the most risk would receive the leftover money. These were the first tranches to fail. Even if the defaulting loans were in the AAA tranche, the AAA tranche would still be paid and the lowest tranche would not. Wall Street, after the 2000 Dot.com crash, had large amounts of money sitting on the sidelines, looking for new investment opportunities. Returns on Investments were dismal, and investors were looking for new opportunities. Wall Street recognized that creating Special Investment Vehicles offered a new investment tool that could generate large commissions. Other Pertinent Facts of Securitization 1. In Wall Street pooling agreements they defined in the agreements that the loans that they would accept for each investment vehicle. The lenders were executed agreements by them, with the lenders and then immediately issued warehouse lines of credit to the lenders. 2. Lenders then informed brokers to know the loan parameters to meet the pooling agreement guidelines and the brokers went out and found the borrowers. 3. Wall Street took all the loans, packaged them up and sold them as bonds and other security instruments to other investors, i.e. Joe’s Pension, and paid off original investors or reissued new line of credit, and earned commissions on both ends. 4. The process was repeated time and again. 5. What we do know now is that in most cases, the reality is that the reported lender on the Deed of Trust was NOT the actual lender. The actual lender who lent the money was the Wall Street Investment Bank. They simply rented the license of the lender, so that they would not run afoul of banking regulations and/or avoid liability and tax issues. For all purposes, Wall Street was the true lender and there are arguments that suggest that Disclosures should have been required naming Wall Street as the lender. Now it can be easier to understand how possession of the Note and ownership of the Note play a vital role. In most cases, which tranche will contain any particular note, it is unknown. And will not it be known how many investors, and who bought the individual tranches without significant and time-consuming investigation. Hence, any foreclosure that was securitized may be completely unlawful. Without the “True Owners” of the note stepping forward to demand foreclosure,

Assignee Liability Assignee liability is another issue being contested. Under TILA and RESPA, If on the face of the loan documents gives evident that there are violations of the statutes, then assignees have a significant liability when they assume the loan. Moreover, the question arises as to if assignee liability can be claimed only if there are no violations on the face of the documents. It is believed that MERS became the “beneficiary” for so many notes to address the Assignee Liability problem. Since MERS works as the beneficiary, and it doesn’t keep the record of assignments, it becomes more difficult to determine assignee liability and holder in due course issues. This could offer “cover” for all the parties who are participating in the Securitization process, since no there were recorded of Assignments and “proof of ownership” of the note could not be easily determined. Tracking the monthly payments made to the investors, determining which party received the monthly payment will be the only way to determined ownership of the Notes. This would be time consuming and likely only Discovery would prove the process necessary to get this information. In Cazares v Pacific Shore Funding, CD. Cal. Jan 3, 2006, assignee that actively participated in original lender’s act and dictated loan terms may be liable under UDAP. The question then arises as to assignments further down the “chain of title”. Under these circumstances, to attack the lenders, the UDAP codes can be utilized. The contracts can be “voided or rescinded for showing fraud and other causes of action, ” common law and UDAP codes, especially CA B&P § 17200, and CA Civil Code §1689, which allows for contract rescission.

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18.5 Discharges Involving Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS)

When MERS is the record holder of a mortgage, the mortgage shall be discharged only by MERS.  A valid discharge may be issued by (1) MERS, or (2) a member of MERS acting through a certifying officer of MERS.

Comment 1.     MERS was created for the purpose of streamlining the mortgage process by eliminating the need to record assignments. When MERS is the mortgagee of record, a discharge is executed by an officer of MERS.  MERS may also act as nominee for the lender and servicer and, if named as nominee, MERS remains as nominee regardless of how often the mortgage is sold.

Comment 2:     MERS serves as mortgagee of record or as nominee for the beneficial owner of the mortgage loan. MERS becomes the mortgagee of record by assignment or in the original security instrument (MERS as Original Mortgagee or “MOM”). Once MERS is the mortgagee of record, subsequent assignments of the mortgage are not necessary upon a transfer of servicing to another MERS member or the sale of the beneficial interest in the note because MERS remains the mortgagee on behalf of the current owner and servicer. The servicer of a MERS-registered loan has the legal authority to discharge the mortgage on behalf of MERS because, as a member of MERS, authority was granted to their officers through a corporate resolution.  The person authorized to sign discharges is sometimes referred to as a “certifying officer” by MERS.

Comment 3:     A title examiner who finds a discharge signed by a member of MERS may presume that the signer was a duly appointed certifying officer.

Example: A Mortgage from “John and Mary Doe to MERS as nominee for ABC Bank” may be discharged by either: (a) a MERS certifying officer from ABC Bank or (b) by a MERS member other than ABC Bank acting through a certifying officer.

Comment 4:     For assistance in obtaining a discharge or getting help from MERS, determining whether a particular lender is a member of MERS, information may be obtained from:

• MERS website: www.mersinc.org
• MERS Help Desk: 1.888.680.6377
• provide the Borrower’s SSN or the Mortgage Identification Number (MIN) on the mortgage and the automated system will provide  the name of the current servicer.

Comment 5.     A title examiner may consider information within the discharge to determine that the discharge was executed on behalf of MERS and is, therefore, a valid discharge of a MERS mortgage.  Such information may include the existence of a MIN (MERS Mortgage Identification Number), a reference in the body or signature line to MERS, or a reference to an assignment to MERS.

September 26, 2008:        This standard was added.

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Promissory Notes, Mortgage Assignments, and MERS’ Role in Real Estate

After the fall out of the subprime mortgage crisis that triggered the Great Recession, the effects still linger when looking at homeownership statistics in the United States. Nearly 10 million homeowners lost their homes to foreclosure between 2006 and 2014. Damaged credit and traumatized psyches paired with stricter lending standards and soaring median home prices mean that some former homeowners will never own another home.

Today, the United States is seeing the highest rates of unemployment since the Great Depression at nearly 15%  due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and of those who still own a home, nearly 4.1 million borrowers are struggling to make their monthly payments. Many are turning to forbearance for momentary relief from their mortgages.

For many homeowners, the question of what happens to their mortgage after closing day might not ever come up. Until the threat of foreclosure or the need for forbearance arises, most borrowers simply send in their monthly payments with no questions asked.

Now is a good time to consider the process after closing, and how it affects their property rights. Here are some of the questions to ask.

What happens after a real estate closing?

• At closing, the borrower signs the mortgage, the deed, and the promissory note
• The mortgage and the deed are recorded in the public record
• The promissory note is held by the lender while the loan is outstanding
• Payments are sent to the mortgage servicing company
• The mortgage may be securitized and sold to investors
• The mortgage may be transferred to another bank
• The mortgage servicing rights may change to another company
• When the mortgage is paid in full, a mortgage lien release or satisfaction with a number referencing the original mortgage loan is recorded in the public record to show the debt is no longer outstanding
• The promissory note is marked as paid in full and returned to the borrower

Banks often sell and buy mortgages from each other as a way to liquidate assets and improve their credit ratings. When the original lender sells the debt to another bank or an investor, a mortgage assignment is created and recorded in the public record and the promissory note is endorsed.

What are Loan Transfer Documents?

Assignments and endorsements prove who owns the debt and subsequently who has the authority to bring foreclosure action.

Mortgage Assignments

A Mortgage Assignment is a document showing a mortgage loan has been transferred from the originator to a third party.

Note Endorsements

In addition to the assignment, the originator of the loan or the most recent holder of the loan must endorse (or sign over) the promissory note whenever the loan changes hands. Sometimes, the note is endorsed “in blank,” which means that any party that possesses the note has the legal authority to enforce it.

While these documents are supposed to be recorded in the public land records systems, sometimes there’s a “break” in the chain. A missing mortgage satisfaction or assignment can cause a huge headache for homeowners when they go to sell. Without knowing who the official mortgage lienholder of the property is, the home can’t be sold. The title agent in charge of the closing is tasked with fixing the issue so that clear ownership rights can be established and the final mortgage payoff can be sent to the right lender if needed.

What is Mortgage Securitization?

In the last 30 years or so, the buying and selling of mortgage loans between lenders, banks, and investors has grown more complicated. When a mortgage is turned into a security, it’s pooled with similar types of loans and sold on the secondary mortgage market. The purchasers or investors in these securities receive interest in principal payments.

Securitization is good for lenders because it allows them to sell mortgage loans from their books and use that money to make more loans.

Where securitization goes wrong, as we saw during the housing crisis, is when bad or “toxic” assets are pooled together and sold on the secondary market to unsuspecting investors. Subprime mortgage-backed securities had received high ratings from credit agencies and offered a higher interest rate, but they also were the first to hemorrhage losses when borrowers began defaulting on homes with underwater mortgages.

Securitization isn’t an inherently good or bad process, it’s simply a mechanism by which banks liquidize assets, increase their credit and ratings, and clear their balance sheets.

For homeowners, securitization means that the mortgage isn’t owned by a single lender and is instead part of a pool of mortgages owned by investors. A mortgage service company is responsible for collecting the mortgage payments and sending it to the proper investors. Securitization also means that tracking the note and who has the authority to enforce it can get messy.

What is the Mortgage Electronic Registration System, Inc. or MERS?

The MERS system is a private, third-party database system used to track servicing rights and ownership of mortgages in the United States. This system of registering the promissory note and mortgage was created to make transferring these documents easier on the secondary mortgage market.

How does MERS work?

For some real estate transactions, the mortgage originator will designate MERS as the mortgagee at closing. These loans are called MERS as Original Mortgagee (MOM) loans. When buying a home, a borrower should see clear language on the mortgage or deed of trust document granting and conveying legal title of the mortgage to MERS as mortgagee. This gives the company the right to act on behalf of the current and subsequent owners of the loan.

In other transactions, the loan may be assigned to MERS in the public record at a later date after closing.

After MERS is designated as a nominee to act on behalf of the lender, it tracks the transfers of the loans between parties and acts as a nominee for each holder. This eliminates the need to file separate assignments in the public record each time the loan is transferred. If a lender sells the loan, MERS will update this information in their system.

Even though MERS is designated as the mortgagee, it doesn’t own the debt or hold the promissory note. MERS doesn’t service mortgages or collect payments on mortgages.

Benefits of MERS

Some of the benefits of the MERS system include:

• No document drafting fees
• Eliminates the need for multiple assignments each time the loan changes hands
• Reduces recording costs
• Saves time and administrative costs for lenders and servicers
• Provides the identification of servicers and investors for free for homeowners and lenders
• Used by Lenders to find undisclosed liens
• Used by municipalities to find companies responsible for maintaining vacant and abandoned properties
• Mortgage Identification Numbers (MIN) are assigned to each loan for easy tracking
• Selling of loans and servicing transfers are more efficient in the secondary market
• Obtaining lien releases when a lender goes out of business is simplified
• Cost savings by the mortgage industry is theoretically passed on to homeowners

Does MERS really save consumers money?

The MERS system is not meant to act as a replacement for public land records. However, some states, including Kentucky, New York, Texas, Alabama, and Delaware have sued the company that controls MERS for lost revenue from missing record filing fees. In the case of Kentucky , the state alleged that MERS did not record mortgage assignments with Kentucky County Clerks as they were transferred between banks. At $12 a recording, all those transfers without corresponding mortgage assignments add up to big bucks.

Despite numerous lawsuits challenging MERS over its mortgage assignment authority, the company that controls MERS usually receives favorable judgments . In 2016, courts in Texas ruled that MERS’ mortgage assignments were valid and dismissed two cases. County recorders in Pennsylvania also brought cases claiming that MERS and MERS System members failed to record mortgage assignments when transferring promissory notes, a violation of Pennsylvania recording laws. MERS emerged as the winner of these lawsuits as well.

Kentucky and other states argue that skipping out on these fees hurt the consumers and taxpayers in their states.

What is MERS role in foreclosures?

Depending on the state, a foreclosure process might be either judicial (reviewed by a judge in court) or nonjudicial. In the past, MERS, acting on behalf of lenders, has been named as the plaintiff in foreclosure proceedings. Sometimes MERS was even listed as the beneficiary in nonjudicial notices.

Whether or not MERS has the authority to file foreclosure as either the plaintiff or beneficiary is hotly contested. Some states have ruled that MERS doesn’t have standing to foreclose since it doesn’t have any financial interest in either the property of the promissory note.

MERS Splits the note and the mortgage

A court case from 1872, Carpenter v. Longan , established that where the promissory note goes, a deed of trust or mortgage must follow and, according to the United State’s Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) , the promissory note must also have a clear chain of title.

Foreclosure proceedings during the Great Recession proved to be complicated by the MERS system. Within the MERS system, a note and mortgage may be transferred multiple times, so to avoid an endorsement each time, the note is “endorsed in blank.” In one foreclosure after the other, borrowers were able to demonstrate that the subsequent assignments of the promissory note had gone unendorsed.

Although the MERS systems has helped the mortgage industry, title agents, and even borrowers better manage and understand who has the servicing rights and holds the authority to foreclose, several borrowers facing foreclosure have argued that the system impermissibly “splits” the note and the mortgage between the note holder and MERS as the beneficiary of the deed of trust or mortgage.

This process of bifurcation, it’s claimed, causes the relationship between the mortgage and note to become defective and subsequently unenforceable.

Homeowners facing foreclosure, especially in the aftermath of the housing bubble burst of 2008, were successful in delaying or avoiding foreclosure by arguing that the authority to foreclose was not satisfactorily established due to breaks in the chain of assignments and endorsements.

However, Article 3 of the UCC establishes anyone who possesses the note has the legal authority to enforce it. So foreclosing parties have countered that possession of the note should be enough.

As a result, some states, like Michigan, have ruled in favor of these borrower’s arguments by requiring reunification through valid assignment before foreclosures may proceed. Others have ruled that reunification is not necessary since MERS would be authorized to foreclose for the note holder on their behalf. In 2015, The Nevada Supreme Court actually clarified previous rulings by stating that the involvement of MERS actually cures the defect. This is because the note holder could potentially or theoretically direct or compel MERS to assign the deed of trust, resulting in reunifying the instruments.

Homebuyers should always ask questions

With the advent of eClosing solutions, eNotes, eVaults, and the MERS eRegistry , the real estate, title, and mortgage industry continues to build systems that improve the homebuying experience.

Despite all the advancements, homebuying can be a confusing and overwhelming process. It’s important to ask questions of the right real estate professionals. Hiring your own attorney to represent your interests in the real estate transaction is always a good idea.

While the pros and cons of MERS is debated, homeowners today will want to keep up with recommendations from the CFPB should they fall behind on their mortgage payments and reach out to their mortgage servicer as soon as possible.

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Amanda Farrell is a digital media strategist at PropLogix. She enjoys being a part of a team that gives peace of mind for consumers while making one of the biggest purchases of their lives. She lives in Sarasota with her bunny, Buster, and enjoys painting, playing guitar and mandolin, and yoga.

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Coffee Talk: A Q&A with NTC Experts on MERS Compliance & Exception Handling

• October 11, 2023

Roughly 65% of all active mortgages are registered on MERS, so having a deep understanding of the “ins” and “outs” of the MERS system is critical in managing compliant lien release and assignment activity. In this edition of “Coffee Talk” we’re sitting down with two of NTC’s leading subject matter experts on MERS and doc prep for lien releases: Brian Ernissee, and Jeremy Pomerantz, Vice President of Document Production and Senior Vice President of Strategic Business Development, respectively.

Q. MERS was developed to make it easy for lenders, servicers and investors to keep track of transfers and modifications to servicing rights and ownership of the loans. But is it fair to say that it isn’t always easy to work within the MERS system when it comes to preparing loans for lien release or assignment?

Brian: MERS was a big step forward for our industry. It was the first national database that tracks who owns what, and it makes the origination, servicing and transfer processes much more efficient. Having said that, if you are not intimately familiar with MERS rules, with the wording and the nuances of how different states interact with MERS, it is easy to make mistakes that can cloud title and cause members to fail MERS audits. This is not to say MERS is difficult to work with. In many cases the process goes smoothly. But in a significant number of cases “exceptions” must be dealt with, often outside of the MERS platform, before the loans can compliantly exit MERS and the releases can be recorded. These are some of the reasons why it is difficult to fully automate the deactivation and lien release processes for MERS loans.

Q. Can you give us a sense of how often “exceptions” crop up and how severe they are?

Brian: NTC is the industry leader in lien release and assignments of mortgage, we handle hundreds of thousands of transactions each year for both MERS and non-MERS loans. Recently, we looked at MERS loans where releases or assignments were prepared through July of this year and found an exception rate in the 25-30% range. These exceptions fell into 95 different categories with an average severity of 2 on a 1-3 scale. Severity is defined as the complexity to cure the exception.

At NTC, we are set up to handle these exceptions and to do it at scale. We review the loan and the documents and then procedurally, if it’s good to go, we’ll release it as MERS. If there’s an exception, we research and cure it or go back to our client and have them fix it. We’ve been working within MERS for many years, so we have the knowledge, best practices and procedures in place to detect and correct issues. We have automated everything that makes sense without sacrificing the integrity of the diligence needed for a sound process.

However, there are limits to what we can correct.

For example, suppose a loan was never transferred properly to the client. If it’s still active in MERS when it should be paid in full, the client is obligated to go into MERS to fix it. That’s because the way MERS is set up, the seller’s transfer and the buyer’s acceptance must take place within the MERS system. Think of it as a mutual handshake. So, in these instances all we can do is keep our clients informed and in check with MERS requirements and standards.

If lenders are handling releases in-house or trying to rely exclusively on technology, they need to make sure they have good procedures in place or chances are they’re going to make errors.

Q. You mentioned technology and its limitations when it comes to MERS releases. Could you expand on that, Jeremy?

Jeremy: As Brian mentioned, exception-clearing is the biggest challenge in trying to automate MERS releases, but it is not the only one. Different types of securities and transactions require specific MERS verbiage, and so the technology would need to be able to identify these situations and respond with the correct MERS verbiage.

In addition, there are nuances in how different states interact with MERS that need to be taken into consideration. For example, in Oregon, Washington and Montana, MERS is referred to as the designated nominee of the beneficiary. Meanwhile in Louisiana and Colorado, the investor or the servicer is listed as the beneficiary on MERS releases instead of MERS, because MERS or the state itself does not allow members to sign lien releases as MERS in those states.

Most of the competitive technology platforms—and there are only a few of them—aren’t set up to handle these challenges with automated controls. They are designed for smaller servicers and meant for basic manually managed releases.

NTC’s new PerfectDocs platform supports and advises on a jurisdictional level additional requirements that cannot be easily automated – examples would be reciting assignment chains, any recorded modifications, PIN/TIN, options for short or long legal descriptions, etc. It calculates recording fees along the way based on each county’s nuances for that document and allows you to track how much was collected and if any refunds are due to borrowers. We’ve continued to add functionality to provide a comprehensive solution for the entire payoff workflow or related assignment process, not just the document itself.

When we built PerfectDocs we designed it to be a system of record for MERS and non-MERS loans. We incorporated the MERS requirements into our system so that based on the type of security instrument and type of transaction and state, whether it’s an assignment or a release, the system recites the appropriate MERS verbiage accurately. For example, the correct use of grantor and/or beneficiary based on the type of security instrument. It also recognizes states that require special handling.

When an exception is identified in PerfectDocs, it alerts the client and provides curative options. In more complex situations, the clients can elevate the exception to NTC and have our full-service team further research and/or cure it.

Q. What has PerfectDocs meant to clients?

Jeremy: PerfectDocs was designed to give our clients more options when it comes to doc prep and lien releases. It lets them balance their workload by deciding what releases they want to handle and what they want push to NTC during periods of high demand.

It complements our full-service offering, and it incorporates the 35 years of experience that NTC has in perfecting document preparation for lien release and assignments of mortgage. The unified reporting on pipelines allows clients to be able to retire other legacy systems and save overall costs.

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MERS’s “Maine” Purpose: Recognizing Key Differences Between MERS Mortgages

• A line of judicial opinions from Maine’s Supreme Court calls into question the ability of foreclosing lenders to rely on mortgage assignments from Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. when proving ownership of the mortgage.
• However, not all MERS mortgages are the same. Some have key differences that could distinguish them from Maine’s more problematic MERS rulings.
• Before writing off assets or otherwise determining courses of action on MERS mortgages, foreclosing lenders in Maine should check whether they can distinguish the language in their mortgage from the language Maine’s Supreme Court found controlling.

Maine’s Supreme Court recently held that a foreclosing lender’s equitable interest in the mortgage does not by itself equate to ownership of the mortgage and does now allow courts to compel the mortgage’s assignment. * Beal Bank USA v. New Century Mortg. Corp. , 2019 ME 150, ¶ 15. The opinion revives concerns over the viability of foreclosing Maine mortgages involving Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc. (MERS).

MERS operates as an electronic mortgage registry whereby borrowers taking out mortgage loans give the mortgage to MERS as nominee for the lender’s successors and assigns. Although MERS mortgages generally include standardized language, different model mortgages utilize different descriptions of MERS’s core functions and purpose. Typically, the different MERS language makes little substantive difference in its powers. However, where state courts interpret MERS’s authority based on specific language in the mortgage, as Maine’s courts do, foreclosing lenders should check their specific mortgage language before proceeding.

In 2010, Maine’s Supreme Court analyzed MERS language with the following description in the paragraph defining MERS: “For purposes of recording this mortgage, MERS is the mortgagee of record.” Mortg. Elec. Reg. Sys. v. Saunders , 2010 Me. 79, ¶ 9 (emphasis removed). Relying at least in part on this language, the court held that MERS lacked standing to foreclose because the borrower gave MERS the right to only record the mortgage. Four years later, the court extended its MERS analysis from Saunders to mortgage assignments from MERS, holding that the assignments transfer only MERS’s right to record the mortgage. See Bank of America, N.A. v. Greenleaf , 2014 Me. 89, ¶ 17. This can create problems for foreclosing lenders who often rely on assignments from MERS to demonstrate their ownership of the mortgage.

Maine’s Supreme Court recently confirmed that the original lender can ratify a prior MERS assignment to give it the same effect as if the original lender assigned its interests in the mortgage rather than MERS. U.S. Bank N.A. v. Gordon , 2020 Me. 33, ¶ 10. This allows foreclosing lenders to correct the chain of assignments with an assignment or other document from the original lender acknowledging the transfer. Similarly, language in later documents, such as loan modification agreements, sometimes separately conveys full rights in the mortgage to a subsequent entity other than MERS, validating mortgage assignments from those entities.

What can foreclosing lenders do when the original lender no longer exists, and no other documents can demonstrate a transfer of the original lender’s full mortgage interest to the foreclosing lender? Before writing off the asset or making other decisions about how to proceed, lenders should confirm that their specific mortgage includes the same relevant MERS language that Maine’s Supreme Court considered controlling in Saunders and its progeny. As discussed below, some MERS mortgages include key differences relevant to the Saunders analysis.

Proof of Mortgage Ownership

Maine law requires the lender to establish the following elements to foreclose a delinquent mortgage: (1) the existence of the mortgage; (2) proof of ownership of the mortgage and note, including all assignments and endorsements; (3) a breach of the condition in the mortgage; (4) the amount due on the note, including attorney’s fees and costs; (5) the order of priority and any amounts that may be due to other interested parties; (6) evidence of a properly served notice of default and a mortgagor’s right to cure per 14 M.R.S. § 6111; (7) proof of completed mediation (or a waiver or default of mediation); and (8) SCRA compliance affidavit. See Chase Home Fin. LLC v. Higgins, 2009 ME 136, ¶ 11.

For the second element (proof of ownership of the mortgage and note), most foreclosing lenders rely on their status as the mortgage note’s holder along with a chain of mortgage assignments from the original lender to the foreclosing lender. Under the MERS system, the borrower usually gives the mortgage note to the original lender while separately conveying the mortgage to MERS as nominee for the original lender and the original lender’s successors and assigns. See, e.g., Saunders , 2010 Me. 79, ¶ 8. In many judicial foreclosure states, MERS then assigns the mortgage to a subsequent note holder when necessary to permit foreclosure. Case law from Maine’s Supreme Court has long complicated this system.

Saunders , Greenleaf , and Beal

In Saunders , MERS filed a foreclosure action in its own name, seeking to foreclose the mortgage as the nominee for the note holder. Maine’s Supreme Court held that MERS lacks standing to foreclose under Maine law. Saunders , 2010 Me. 79, ¶ 15. The court specifically quoted the applicable language in the mortgage at issue there:

C) “MERS” is Mortgage Electronic Registrations Systems, Inc. MERS is a separate corporation that is acting solely as a nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns. MERS is organized and existing under the Laws of Delaware, and has an address and telephone number of P.O. Box 2026, Flint, MI 48501- 2026, tel. (888) 679-MERS. FOR PURPOSES OF RECORDING THIS MORTGAGE, MERS IS THE MORTGAGEE OF RECORD. * * * [Borrowers] mortgage, grant and convey the Property to MERS (solely as nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns), with mortgage covenants, subject to the terms of this Security Instrument, to have and to hold all of the Property to MERS (solely as nominee for Lender and Lender’s [***9] successors and assigns), and to its successors and assigns, forever. * * * [Borrowers] understand and agree that MERS holds only legal title to the rights granted by [Borrowers] in this Security Instrument, but, if necessary to comply with law or custom, MERS (as nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns) has the right: (A) to exercise any or all of those rights, including, but not limited to, the right to foreclose and sell the Property; and (B) to take any action required of Lender including, but not limited to, releasing and canceling this Security Instrument. * * * [Borrowers] grant and mortgage to MERS (solely as nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors in interest) the Property described [below].

Saunders , 2010 Me. 79, ¶ 9 (emphasis in original).

Relying on this quoted language, Maine’s Supreme Court found that “[t]he only rights conveyed to MERS in either the [borrower’s] mortgage or the corresponding promissory note are bare legal title to the property for the sole purpose of recording the mortgage.” The court noted that “[e]ach reference to MERS within the [borrower’s] mortgage describes MERS solely as the ‘nominee’ to the lender,” and it explained (quoting Black’s Law Dictionary 1149 (9th ed. 2009)) that “[a] nominee is a ‘person designated to act in place of another, [usually] in a very limited way,’ or a ‘party who holds bare legal title for the benefit of others or who receives and distributes funds for the benefit of others.’”

The Saunders court further noted that under the mortgage, the borrowers expressly gave the lender—not MERS—the rights provided for in the mortgage, and that the borrowers did not make any of the mortgage covenants to or in favor of MERS. Saunders , 2010 Me. 79, ¶ 10. Accordingly, the court determined that MERS did not qualify as a mortgagee under Maine’s foreclosure statute (discussing 14 M.R.S. §§ 6321–6325).

The Saunders court next considered MERS’s standing under traditional standing rules that require a plaintiff to “show that it has suffered an injury fairly traceable to an act of the mortgagor and that the injury is likely to be redressed by the judicial relief sought.” Saunders , 2010 Me. 79, ¶ 14. Noting again that “[t]he only right MERS has in the [borrower’s] mortgage and note is the right to record the mortgage,” the court held that “MERS lacked standing to institute foreclosure proceedings and could not invoke the jurisdiction of our trial courts.”

Maine’s Supreme Court later extended its Saunders ruling to mortgage assignments from MERS. See Greenleaf , 2014 Me 89. In Greenleaf , the court analyzed identical mortgage language as the language at issue in Saunders . As in Saunders , the court quoted the specific MERS language at issue, including the definition paragraph for MERS that read: “ FOR PURPOSES OF RECORDING THIS MORTGAGE, MERS IS THE MORTGAGEE OF RECORD. ” (Emphasis in original.)

Based on this specific language, Maine’s Supreme Court reiterated that “the mortgage conveyed to MERS only the right to record the mortgage as nominee for the lender.” Greenleaf , 2014 Me. 89, ¶ 15. Thus, the court found that “[w]hen MERS then assigned its interest in the mortgage . . . it granted . . . only what MERS possessed—the right to record the mortgage as nominee.” Accordingly, the record the foreclosure plaintiff provided to show ownership of the mortgage “demonstrate[d] only a series of assignments of the right to record the mortgage as nominee, but no more.”

After Saunders and Greenleaf , foreclosing lenders in Maine “continued to argue that a holder of a note secured by a mortgage has an equitable pre-foreclosure right to compel an assignment of the mortgage.” Fannie Mae v. First Magnus Fin. Corp. , No. RE-2016-110, 2019 Me. Super. LEXIS 104 *3 (Penobscot C’ty Oct. 24, 2019). Unfortunately, Maine’s Supreme Court recently rejected that work-around. See Beal , 2019 Me. 150.

In Beal , the court considered Maine’s equitable trust doctrine that “one who takes a mortgagee’s title holds it in trust for the owner of the debt to secure the debt for which the mortgage was given.” 2019 Me. 150, ¶ 7 (quotations omitted). It rejected the plaintiff’s argument that it could compel the original mortgagee to assign it the mortgage because the original mortgagee held the mortgage in trust for the plaintiff. Noting that “the language of the mortgage was identical to that in [ Greenleaf ]”, the court held that applying the equitable trust doctrine in the situation presented “would be at odds with our holding in Greenleaf .”

These three decisions— Saunders , Greenleaf , and Beal —call into question the viability of mortgage foreclosures involving some MERS mortgages and assignments. However, they should not apply to all MERS mortgages in Maine.

Distinguishing Saunders , Greenleaf , and Beal

Importantly, Saunders , Greenleaf , and Beal all specified that the language in the mortgages at issue there included the identical “for purposes of recording this mortgage, MERS is the mortgagee of record” language. See Saunders , 2010 Me 79, ¶ 9; Greenleaf , 2014 Me. 89, ¶ 14; Beal , 2019 Me. 150, ¶ 3 n.4. Other courts in Maine to have considered issues affected by Saunders and its progeny have also expressly confirmed that the language is the same. See U.S. Bank v. Gordon , 2020 Me 33, ¶ 25 (Horton, J. concurring); Knope v. Green Tree Servicing , 2017 Me. 95, ¶ 3 n.1 (referencing specifically the “for purposes of recording this mortgage” language) (capitalization removed); First Magnus , 2019 Me. Super. LEXIS 104, *2 n.1.

However, not all MERS mortgages include the “for purposes of recording” language. For example, at least some MERS mortgages approved for use in Maine by the Fair Housing Association (FHA) instead read:

This Security Instrument secures to Lender: (a) the repayment of the debt evidenced by the Note, with interest, and all renewals, extensions and modification of the Note; (b) the payment of all other sums, with interest, advanced under paragraph 7 to protect the security of this Security Instrument; and (c) the performance of Borrower’s covenants and agreements under this Security instrument and the Note. For this purpose, Borrower does hereby mortgage, grant and convey to MERS (solely as nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns) and to the successors and assigns of MERS the following described property . . . .

* * * Borrower understands and agrees that MERS holds only legal title to the interests granted by Borrower in this Security Instrument; but, if necessary to comply with law or custom, MERS (as nominee for Lender and Lender’s successors and assigns) has the right: to exercise any or all of those interests, including, but not limited to, the right to foreclose and sell the Property; and to take any action required of Lender, including, but not limited to, releasing or canceling this Security Instrument.

Mortgage, at 1–2 (emphasis added). These alternate MERS mortgages differ from the MERS mortgages discussed in Saunders and its progeny in key respects.

Whereas Maine’s Supreme Court interpreted the mortgage at issue in Saunders as limiting MERS’s status as nominee to “purposes of recording this mortgage,” the alternative MERS mortgages quoted above expressly confirm that the borrower grants the mortgage to MERS for the purpose of securing repayment of the debt to the lender. This distinction is important because even to the extent that Saunders and Greenleaf focused on MERS’s status as nominee, the term “nominee” by itself does not mean “party limited to recording a document.” Rather, Maine’s Supreme Court describes a nominee as “a person designated to act in place of another, usually in a very limited way.” Saunders , 2010 Me. 79, ¶ 10 (internal quotations omitted). Those limitations naturally arise from the contract itself, i.e., the specific mortgage language at issue.

The Saunders court construed the mortgage’s language there to mean that the borrower gave the mortgage to MERS as the lender’s nominee for the purpose of recording the mortgage. See Saunders , 2010 Me 79, ¶ 10. Yet under other MERS mortgages, the borrower conveys the mortgage to MERS for the purpose of securing repayment to the lender. The borrower further expressly agrees that the interest it gives to MERS—which it gives for the purpose of securing repayment—includes the right to exercise “any or all” of the lender’s interests “if necessary to comply with law or custom.” Those rights specifically include without limitation “the right to foreclose and sell the Property.”

Thus, under some MERS mortgages’ alternative language, the borrower grants MERS a mortgage interest allowing it to exercise the lender’s right to foreclose for the purpose of securing repayment. In other words, the mortgage bestows on MERS a contractual right to foreclose, or more importantly for this articles purposes, a contractual right to take any action “necessary to comply with law or custom” to secure repayment to the lender through foreclosure.

Maine’s Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized that MERS can assign only the mortgage rights it has. See, e.g., Greenleaf , 2014 Me. 89, ¶ 16. In Saunders and its progeny, the mortgages at issue limited those rights to “purposes of recording,” at least according to Maine’s Supreme Court. 2019 Me. 79, ¶ 9. The language in other MERS mortgages does not limit the rights to the purpose of recording; it limits them only to any interests necessary to comply with law or custom to secure repayment to the lender.

Moreover, MERS’s lack of standing to foreclose should not impact this analysis. Maine’s Supreme Court acknowledges that its standing analysis is separate and distinct from the question of mortgage ownership. See Greenleaf , 2014 Me. 89, ¶ 22 n.13. This suggests that MERS’s lack of standing to foreclose should not limit its ability to assign its contractual rights under the mortgage to a party who could demonstrate standing.

Under Maine law, MERS lacks standing to foreclose because it does not qualify as a mortgagee under the applicable statute and because it does not suffer an injury sufficient to give the court jurisdiction. See, e.g., Saunders , 2010 Me. 79, ¶¶ 10, 14–15. However, because standing and ownership are separate issues, Maine law could still allow MERS to assign its contractual rights under the alternative MERS mortgages, including its right “to exercise any or all of [the lender’s] interests, including, but not limited to, the right to foreclose.”

Put differently, MERS can assign whatever interest it has in the mortgage to another party. See, e.g., Greenleaf , 2014 Me. 89, ¶ 16. For MERS mortgages that do not limit MERS’s authority to recording purposes, those interests include rights beyond just recording. If MERS assigns those interests to a subsequent note holder who can establish standing, then the note holder should properly acquire all the same interests in the mortgage that the original lender had, and no legal mechanism should preclude the note holder from foreclosing.

Notably, this analysis fully comports with Maine’s traditional understanding of a nominee as holding “bare legal title for the benefit of others.” Saunders , 2010 Me. 79, ¶ 10. As nominee, MERS holds legal title to the mortgage interests for the benefit of the lender and the lender’s successors and assigns. When MERS assigns that legal title to the party for whom it holds it—i.e., the lender’s successor and assign—MERS’s legal title merges into the beneficiary-assignee’s interests, and the beneficiary-assignee acquires full rights under the mortgage. Where the mortgage limits MERS’s interest to “purposes of recording” under Maine case law, MERS can only transfer that limited interest. See, e.g., Greanleaf , 2014 Me. 89, ¶ 17. However, mortgages that do not limit MERS’s interest to recording purposes should not create similar impediments to foreclosure.

The impact of different MERS mortgage language under Saunders and Greenleaf appears untested in Maine courts. Until the Beal decision, lenders could still seek foreclosure under the position that the original lender holds any mortgage interest MERS itself could not assign in equitable trust for the party to whom MERS assigned its interests, meaning the foreclosing lender could compel a mortgage assignment from the original lender and continue with the foreclosure. See Beal , 2019 Me. 150, ¶ 8. Now that Maine’s Supreme Court has shot down the equitable trust argument, however, foreclosing lenders must seek alternative arguments to enforce their mortgage rights. Before they decide how to proceed, they should check their Maine mortgage to see how it describes MERS’s main purpose.

*  Kevin M. Hudspeth serves as of counsel to Maurice Wutscher LLP, a national financial services law firm, where he practices in the appellate, consumer credit, and regulatory compliance groups. He has extensive experience with real estate litigation in Ohio, Illinois, and other jurisdictions throughout the country. He regularly advises attorneys and clients about contested foreclosure issues arising in multiple states.

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What Is the Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS)?

Julia Kagan is a financial/consumer journalist and former senior editor, personal finance, of Investopedia.

Erika Rasure is globally-recognized as a leading consumer economics subject matter expert, researcher, and educator. She is a financial therapist and transformational coach, with a special interest in helping women learn how to invest.

Pete Rathburn is a copy editor and fact-checker with expertise in economics and personal finance and over twenty years of experience in the classroom.

What Is a Mortgage Electronic Registration System—MERS?

The Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS) is a database created by the mortgage banking industry. A confidential electronic registry of mortgages originated in the United States, it keeps track of transfers of and modifications to servicing rights and ownership of the loans. It is used by the real estate finance industry for residential and commercial mortgage loan recording trading.

MERS, which also refers to the privately held company that manages the database, is approved by such government-sponsored enterprises as the Federal National Mortgage Association ( Fannie Mae) , the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ( Freddie Mac) , and the Government National Mortgage Association ( Ginnie Mae) , along wth such government agencies as the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the Department of Veterans Administration (VA) that are involved in housing loans. The California and Utah Housing Finance Agencies and all major Wall Street rating agencies make use of it as well.

Key Takeaways

• Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS) is a privately owned database that the mortgage banking industry created to simply the registration and transfer of mortgages.
• By tracking mortgage transfers electronically, MERS eliminates the need of a lender to register the transfer with the county recorder every time the loan is sold from one bank to another.
• Sometimes MERS itself is designee as the mortgage lender (mortgagee).
• While MERS can save time and recording costs, it has drawn criticism for making it difficult to see who actually is the current owner of a mortgage.

Understanding the Mortgage Electronic Registration System—MERS

Each time a mortgage is sold from one bank to another, an assignment—a document showing that the mortgage has been transferred—is, theoretically, prepared and recorded in the county land records. The assignment transfers all of the interest the original lender had under the mortgage to the new bank.

By tracking loan transfers electronically, MERS eliminates the long-standing practice that the lender must record an assignment with the county recorder every time the loan is sold from one bank to another.

The MERS system is used by mortgage originators, servicers, warehouse lenders, wholesale lenders, retail lenders, document custodians, settlement agents, title companies, insurers, investors, county recorders, and consumers. County and regulatory officials and homeowners can access MERS free of charge. Homeowners can look up information on their own mortgages that are registered with the system.

In order to use the electronic tracking, the servicer of the mortgage assigns it with a mortgage identification number (MIN) and then registers the loan with the MERS database. Sometimes, MERS itself is designated as the mortgagee, as the original lender is officially called in the mortgage documents; such a loan is known as an original mortgagee (MOM) loan. From there, the seller can originate the mortgage with MERS as a nominee of the lender (also referred to as the beneficiary), and then assign or record the assignment of the loan to MERS in the county land record. This would make MERS the mortgagee of record.

While MERS can act as mortgagee in county land records, it doesn't actually own the mortgage loan.

If the lender sells the loan, MERS will update its information regarding the mortgage. The servicer of a mortgage can have it removed from the MERS database by sending a request to have it deactivated. MERS will, in turn, notify Fannie Mae. If the servicer of a mortgage wants to end their membership with MERS entirely, it must also notify Fannie Mae as soon as possible.

Pros and Cons of the Mortgage Electronic Registration System—MERS

As an electronic, one-stop site for mortgage documents—deeds of trust and promissory notes—MERS greatly simplifies the mortgage process. MERS can act as a cost-saving measure to some degree because, by acting as a mortgagee, it cuts the expense of recording the transfer of a mortgage from one lender to another. Having the loan in MERS’ name (as nominee) in the land records saves time and recording costs because multiple assignments aren't necessary each time the loan changes hands.

The database has drawn some criticism, though. During the 2008 housing crisis , the system made it difficult at times to sort out who actually owned mortgages. That created a challenge for homeowners facing foreclosure or relief from their loans, as they needed to know who held their mortgages in order to work out some form of remedy.

MERS. " About Us Frequently Asked Questions ."

MERS. " Quick Facts ," Page 1.

MERS. " Homeowners ServicerID ."

MERS. " MERS System Frequently Asked Questions ."

Govinfo.gov. " Problems in Mortgage Servicing from Modification to Foreclosure ."

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