Ensuring Correct County Recordings

As of July, 2021, the Atlanta metro area includes 11 counties. Having an Atlanta mailing address does not mean the property is in the official city limits. A house can have an Atlanta address and be located in Cobb, DeKalb, or Fulton county.   

When a homeowner refinances or sells property and pays off a mortgage, the mortgage lender files a release in the county records.  Many times, the lender will use just the city name and zip code to file the release, meaning they are often filed in the wrong county.  When a title search shows an open mortgage that we expect was paid in full, Origin Title searches to see if it was filed in the wrong county. Most of the time, we discover that it was.  Origin Title will then get a certified copy of the release and file it in the correct county to keep problems from arising in the future.  

We recommend that borrowers keep copies of any releases from mortgage lenders. This will reduce the chance of delays when the property is being sold or refinanced due to an old mortgage still showing as open in the county public records.