Tag: expiration

Quiet Title: Cancelling an Expired Security Deed

Posted by Jeff on

Expiration of Security Deeds in Georgia

We have previously discussed that security deeds (i.e., a mortgage) can automatically expire in Georgia. If a security deed expires, the lender cannot foreclose, and the security deed no longer acts as a lien against the property, and the security deed can be canceled. Generally, under OCGA § 44-14-80, a security deed expires (1) seven years after the maturity date of the security deed, or (2) if there is a statement in the security deed that says the maturity date is perpetual or infinite, 20 years from the date of the conveyance.

Recent Quiet Title Action

The above statute was tested in a recent quiet title action. See Freeport Title & Guaranty, Inc. v. Braswell, A23A0442 (2023). In Freeport, a property owner, A, conveyed real estate to B in 2004. The owner financed the sale, meaning that B borrowed money from A to purchase the property and gave a security deed to A.

B defaulted on the loan, but A did not foreclose on the security deed until 2020. A claimed that the security deed was valid because the security deed has “perpetual/infinite” language and, therefore, the above 20-year rule applied. Conversely, B argued that the security deed (and the 2020 foreclosure) were invalid because the seven-year rule applied.

The Court of Appeals ruled for A, finding that the security deed contained sufficient language to activate the 20-year rule. The Court rejected B’s argument that the language in the security deed was insufficient to show intent for a perpetual duration.

Read the Security Deed

The lesson here is that you must closely read the security deed to determine the expiration date of a security deed. Please call us at 404-382-9994 if you have questions regarding whether a security deed on your property is enforceable and whether you are entitled to file a quiet title to remove the security deed.

Expiration of security deeds in Georgia

Posted by Jeff on

Do real estate mortgages expire after a certain amount of time? In Georgia, a security deed is the document that secures a loan on real estate. OCGA § 44-14-80 states that security deeds expire seven years after the maturity of the last installment date stated in the security deed. OCGA § 44-14-80 further says if the security deed contains no maturity date, the security deed expires after seven years.

When a security deed expires, title automatically “reverts” (goes back) to the borrower. In other words, if sufficient time has passed, the security deed is automatically cancelled. Most importantly, after the security deed is cancelled, the lender loses its lien against the property and cannot foreclose.

These concepts were the focus of a recent Georgia Court of Appeals case: Freeport Title & Guaranty. In that case, the parties disagreed whether a security deed had expired. The security deed had a space to insert a due date, but, whoever drafted the security deed, left the space blank. One party argued that the security had expired after seven years because the security deed had no maturity date. The other party responded that omitting the due date was a mistake. Instead, that party argued that the borrower and the lender had intended to include a due date.

The Georgia Court of Appeals found that the security deed had not expired after seven years. Even though the parties had not included specific date in the security deed. The court reasoned that the parties had intended to include a fixed date. In addition, the Court of Appeals ruled that the promissory note, which did include a due date, could be used to “fill in the blanks.”

The takeaway, when evaluating whether a security deed in Georgia has expired, is to consider the promissory note and the security deed . However, unlike security deeds, lenders do not record promissory notes on the public record. So getting a copy to review may be challenging.

If you have a question about a security deed, please call us at 404-382-9994 to discuss.