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Contracts ConveyancingSettlementMEDIUM

Shortly before settlement, the buyer's solicitor finds a second registered mortgage on the title, and that lender has not joined the settlement to discharge it. What should happen?

Correct Answer

B) Settlement is deferred until a discharge of that mortgage is arranged

A buyer is entitled to title free of the vendor's mortgages unless the contract provides otherwise. If a registered mortgage will not be discharged at settlement, because its lender has not joined the settlement, the buyer should not complete. Settlement is deferred until the vendor arranges for that lender to provide a discharge that can be lodged with the transfer.

Answer Options
A
Settlement proceeds and the buyer takes title subject to the second mortgage
B
Settlement is deferred until a discharge of that mortgage is arranged
C
The buyer pays the price less the mortgage debt and settles anyway
D
The buyer's own lender discharges the mortgage some time after settlement

Why This Is the Correct Answer

Every registered mortgage the vendor has must be discharged at settlement so the buyer receives clear title. If one lender has not joined the settlement to provide its discharge, completing would leave the buyer with an encumbered title. Deferring settlement until the discharge is arranged protects the buyer, and the vendor bears responsibility for the delay.

Why the Other Options Are Wrong

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

unregistered mortgageclear titlesettlement postponementencumbrancetitle defect
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