A recorded mortgage must be discharged upon the record by the recorder having custody of the mortgage on the presentation of a certificate of discharge signed by the mortgagee, the mortgagee’s executors, administrators, guardians, trustees, assigns, personal representatives,    or special administrators appointed for that purpose, properly acknowledged or proved and certified as prescribed by chapter 47-19. The certificate of discharge must contain a brief description of the mortgage and must state that the mortgage has been paid in full or otherwise satisfied and discharged and that the officer is authorized to discharge the mortgage of record. Any person executing a certificate of discharge as a personal representative of the mortgagee first shall file and have recorded in the office of the recorder where the mortgage is recorded a power of attorney showing the person’s authority to discharge mortgages in behalf of the mortgagee and in the mortgagee’s name. The mortgagee shall present the certificate of discharge to the recorder for recording in the county in which the property is located within thirty days after the certificate of discharge is signed. The mortgagee may add the amount of the recording fee to the balance of the debt paid by the mortgagor. A certificate of the satisfaction of a mortgage may be made in substantially the following form:

Terms Used In North Dakota Code 35-03-16

  • following: when used by way of reference to a chapter or other part of a statute means the next preceding or next following chapter or other part. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
  • Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
  • Person: means an individual, organization, government, political subdivision, or government agency or instrumentality. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
  • Property: includes property, real and personal. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the territories. See North Dakota Code 1-01-49

This certifies that a certain mortgage executed by                         of                        , mortgagor, to                        of                     , mortgagee, dated the                         day of                         in the year                 , upon the                         (here describe the property covered by the mortgage) and recorded in the office of the recorder in and for the county of                         and state of North Dakota, in book                         of mortgages on page                     or as document number                 , is paid and satisfied; and                         hereby authorize and require the recorder to discharge the mortgage of record in the recorder’s office.

Witness                     hand this     day of                    A.D.

                                                     (Acknowledgment).