Law of Property Act 1925

115 Reconveyances of mortgages by endorsed receipts. E+W

(1) A receipt endorsed on, written at the foot of, or annexed to, a mortgage for all money thereby secured, which states the name of the person who pays the money and is executed by the chargee by way of legal mortgage or the person in whom the mortgaged property is vested and who is legally entitled to give a receipt for the mortgage money shall operate, without any reconveyance, surrender, or release—

(a) Where a mortgage takes effect by demise or subdemise, as a surrender of the term, so as to determine the term or merge the same in the reversion immediately expectant thereon;

(b) Where the mortgage does not take effect by demise or subdemise, as a reconveyance thereof to the extent of the interest which is the subject matter of the mortgage, to the person who immediately before the execution of the receipt was entitled to the equity of redemption;

and in either case, as a discharge of the mortgaged property from all principal money and interest secured by, and from all claims under the mortgage, but without prejudice to any term or other interest which is paramount to the estate or interest of the mortgagee or other person in whom the mortgaged property was vested.

(2) Provided that, where by the receipt the money appears to have been paid by a person who is not entitled to the immediate equity of redemption, the receipt shall operate as if the benefit of the mortgage had by deed been transferred to him; unless—

(a) it is otherwise expressly provided; or

(b) the mortgage is paid off out of capital money, or other money in the hands of a personal representative or trustee properly applicable for the discharge of the mortgage, and it is not expressly provided that the receipt is to operate as a transfer.

(3) Nothing in this section confers on a mortgagor a right to keep alive a mortgage paid off by him, so as to affect prejudicially any subsequent incumbrancer; and where there is no right to keep the mortgage alive, the receipt does not operate as a transfer.

(4) This section does not affect the right of any person to require a reassignment, surrender, release, or transfer to be executed in lieu of a receipt.

(5) A receipt may be given in the form contained in the Third Schedule to this Act, with such variations and additions, if any, as may be deemed expedient; F1 . . .

(6) In a receipt given under this section the same covenants shall be implied as if the person who executes the receipt had by deed been expressed to convey the property as mortgagee, subject to any interest which is paramount to the mortgage.

(7) Where the mortgage consists of a mortgage and a further charge or of more than one deed, it shall be sufficient for the purposes of this section, if the receipt refers either to all the deeds whereby the mortgage money is secured or to the aggregate amount of the mortgage money thereby secured and for the time being owing, and is endorsed on, written at the foot of, or annexed to, one of the mortgage deeds.

(8) This section applies to the discharge of a charge by way of legal mortgage, and to the discharge of a mortgage, whether made by way of statutory mortgage or not, executed before or after the commencement of this Act, but only as respects discharges effected after such commencement.

(9) The provisions of this section relating to the operation of a receipt shall (in substitution for the like statutory provisions relating to receipts given by or on behalf of a building F2 . . . society) apply to the discharge of a mortgage made to any such society, provided that the receipt is executed in the manner required by the statute relating to the society F1 . . .

(10) This section does not apply to the discharge of a [F3 registered charge (within the meaning of the Land Registration Act 2002)].

(11) In this section “mortgaged property” means the property remaining subject to the mortgage at the date of the receipt.

Textual Amendments

F1 Words repealed by Finance Act 1971 (c. 68), Sch. 14 Pt. VI

F2 Words repealed by Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 (c. 12), Sch. 5 and Friendly Societies Act 1971 (c. 66), Sch. 3

F3 Words in s. 115(10) substituted (13.10.2003) by Land Registration Act 2002 (c. 9), ss. 133, 136(2), Sch. 11 para. 2(11) (with s. 129); S.I. 2003/1725, art. 2

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 115 extended by Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965 (c. 12), s. 33; s. 115 extended by Friendly Societies Act 1974 (c. 46, SIF 55:1), s. 57

C2 S. 115(1)(3)(6)(8) extended by Building Societies Act 1986 (c. 53, SIF 16), ss. 13(7), 54(3)(a)(5), 119(5), Sch. 4 para. 2(2); and (1.12.1997) by 1986 c. 53, Sch. 2A para. 1(2) (as inserted (1.12.1997) by 1997 c. 32, s. 7(2), Sch. 2; S.I. 1997/2668, art. 2, Sch. Pt.I)

C3 S. 115(9) excluded by Building Societies Act 1986 (c. 53, SIF 16), ss. 13(7), 54(3)(a)(5), 119(5), Sch. 4 para. 2(3); and (1.12.1997) by 1986 c. 53, Sch. 2A para. 1(3) (as inserted (1.12.1997) by 1997 c. 32, s. 7(2), Sch.2; S.I. 1997/2668, art. 2, Sch. Pt.I)