ASSIGNMENT AND SATISFACTION OF REAL ESTATE AND CHATTEL MORTGAGES

RCW 61.16
in effect

RCW 61.16.010 Assignments, how made — Satisfaction by assignee.

Any person to whom any real estate mortgage is given, or the assignee of any such mortgage, may, by an instrument in writing, signed and acknowledged in the manner provided by law entitling mortgages to be recorded, assign the same to the person therein named as assignee, and any person to whom any such mortgage has been so assigned, may, after the assignment has been recorded in the office of the auditor of the county wherein such mortgage is of record, acknowledge satisfaction of the mortgage, and discharge the same of record. Any person to whom any real estate mortgage is given, or the assignee of any such mortgage, may, by an instrument in writing, signed and acknowledged in the manner provided by law entitling mortgages to be recorded, assign the same to the person therein named as assignee, and any person to whom any such mortgage has been so assigned, may, after the assignment has been recorded in the office of the auditor of the county wherein such mortgage is of record, acknowledge satisfaction of the mortgage, and discharge the same of record.

RCW 61.16.020 Mortgages, how satisfied of record.

Whenever the amount due on any mortgage is paid, the mortgagee or the mortgagee's legal representatives or assigns shall, at the request of any person interested in the property mortgaged, execute an instrument in writing referring to the mortgage by the volume and page of the record or otherwise sufficiently describing it and acknowledging satisfaction in full thereof. Said instrument shall be duly acknowledged, and upon request shall be recorded in the county wherein the mortgaged property is situated. Every instrument of writing heretofore recorded and purporting to be a satisfaction of mortgage, which sufficiently describes the mortgage which it purports to satisfy so that the same may be readily identified, and which has been duly acknowledged before an officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments or oaths, is hereby declared legal and valid, and a certified copy of the record thereof is hereby constituted prima facie evidence of such satisfaction. Whenever the amount due on any mortgage is paid, the mortgagee or the mortgagee's legal representatives or assigns shall, at the request of any person interested in the property mortgaged, execute an instrument in writing referring to the mortgage by the volume and page of the record or otherwise sufficiently describing it and acknowledging satisfaction in full thereof. Said instrument shall be duly acknowledged, and upon request shall be recorded in the county wherein the mortgaged property is situated. Every instrument of writing heretofore recorded and purporting to be a satisfaction of mortgage, which sufficiently describes the mortgage which it purports to satisfy so that the same may be readily identified, and which has been duly acknowledged before an officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments or oaths, is hereby declared legal and valid, and a certified copy of the record thereof is hereby constituted prima facie evidence of such satisfaction.

RCW 61.16.030 Failure to acknowledge satisfaction of mortgage — Damages — Order.

If the mortgagee fails to acknowledge satisfaction of the mortgage as provided in RCW 61.16.020 sixty days from the date of such request or demand, the mortgagee shall forfeit and pay to the mortgagor damages and a reasonable attorneys' fee, to be recovered in any court having competent jurisdiction, and said court, when convinced that said mortgage has been fully satisfied, shall issue an order in writing, directing the auditor to immediately record the order. If the mortgagee fails to acknowledge satisfaction of the mortgage as provided in RCW 61.16.020 sixty days from the date of such request or demand, the mortgagee shall forfeit and pay to the mortgagor damages and a reasonable attorneys' fee, to be recovered in any court having competent jurisdiction, and said court, when convinced that said mortgage has been fully satisfied, shall issue an order in writing, directing the auditor to immediately record the order.
Source: WA Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=61.16&full=trueFetched: 6/29/2026