(a) As used in this section, “mortgage debt” means a debt or other obligation secured by mortgage, assignment of rent or assignment of interest in a lease.

(b) Whenever any mortgage debt is assigned by an instrument in writing containing a sufficient description to identify the mortgage, assignment of rent or assignment of interest in a lease, given as security for the mortgage debt, and that assignment has been executed, attested and acknowledged in the manner prescribed by law for the execution, attestation and acknowledgment of deeds of land, the title held by virtue of the mortgage, assignment of rent or assignment of interest in a lease, shall vest in the assignee. An instrument substantially in the following form is sufficient for such assignment:

Know all Men by these Presents, That .... of .... in the county of .... and state of .... does hereby grant, bargain, sell, assign, transfer and set over a certain (mortgage, assignment of rent or assignment of interest in a lease) from .... to .... dated .... and recorded in the records of the town of .... county of .... and state of Connecticut, in book .... at page ....

In Witness Whereof .... have hereunto set .... hand and seal, this .... day of .... A.D. ....

Signed, sealed and deliveredin the presence of

(SEAL)

(Acknowledged)

(c) In addition to the requirements of subsection (b) of this section, whenever an assignment of any residential mortgage loan (1) made by a lending institution organized under the laws of or having its principal office in any other state, and (2) secured by mortgage on residential real estate located in this state is made in writing, the instrument shall contain the name and business or mailing address of all parties to such assignment.

(d) If a mortgage debt is assigned, a party obliged to pay such mortgage debt may discharge it, to the extent of the payment, by paying the assignor until the party obliged to pay receives sufficient notice in accordance with subsection (f) of this section that the mortgage debt has been assigned and that payment is to be made to the assignee. In addition to such notice, if requested by the party obliged to pay, the assignee shall furnish reasonable proof that the assignment has been made, and until the assignee does so, the party obliged to pay may pay the assignor. For purposes of this subsection, “reasonable proof” means (1) written notice of assignment signed by both the assignor and the assignee, (2) a copy of the assignment instrument, or (3) other proof of the assignment as agreed to by the party obliged to pay such mortgage debt.

(e) If a mortgage debt is assigned, a party obliged to pay such mortgage debt who, in good faith and without sufficient notice of the assignment in accordance with subsection (f) of this section, executes with the assignor a modification or extension of the mortgage, assignment of rent or assignment of interest in a lease, shall have the benefit of such modification or extension, provided, the assignee shall acquire corresponding rights under the modified or extended mortgage, assignment of rent or assignment of interest in a lease. The assignment may provide that modification or extension of the mortgage, assignment of rent or assignment of interest in a lease, signed by the assignor after execution of the assignment, is a breach by the assignor of the assignor's contract with the assignee.

(f) Notice of assignment is sufficient for purposes of subsections (d) and (e) of this section if the assignee notifies a party obliged to pay the mortgage debt (1) by mailing to the party obliged to pay, at the party's last billing address, a notice of the assignment identifying the instrument and mortgage debt assigned, the party obliged to pay such debt, the names of the assignor and assignee, the date of the assignment, and the name and address of the person to whom payments should be made, (2) by giving notice of the assignment pursuant to 12 USC Section 2605, Section 6 of the federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act of 1974 and the regulations promulgated pursuant to said section, as from time to time amended, or (3) by giving actual notice of the assignment, reasonably identifying the rights assigned, in any other manner. No signature on any such notice is necessary to give sufficient notice of the assignment under this subsection and such notice may include any other information.

(g) Recordation of an assignment of mortgage debt is not sufficient notice of the assignment to the party obliged to pay for purposes of subsection (d) or (e) of this section.

(h) Notwithstanding the provisions concerning remittance and retention of fees set forth in section 7-34a, the recording fees paid in accordance with subsections (a), (d) and (e) of said section 7-34a by a nominee of a mortgagee, as defined in subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of said section 7-34a, shall be allocated as follows: (1) For fees collected upon a recording by a nominee of a mortgagee, except for the recording of (A) an assignment of mortgage in which the nominee of a mortgagee appears as assignor, and (B) a release of mortgage, as described in section 49-8, by a nominee of a mortgagee, the town clerk shall remit one hundred ten dollars of such fees to the state, such fees shall be deposited into the General Fund and, upon deposit in the General Fund, thirty-six dollars of such fees shall be credited to the community investment account established pursuant to section 4-66aa; the town clerk shall retain forty-nine dollars of such fees, thirty-nine dollars of which shall become part of the general revenue of such municipality and ten dollars of which shall be deposited into the town clerk fund; and the town clerk shall retain any fees for additional pages beyond the first page in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of said section 7-34a; and (2) for the fee collected upon a recording of (A) an assignment of mortgage in which the nominee appears as assignor, or (B) a release of mortgage by a nominee of a mortgagee, the town clerk shall remit one hundred twenty-seven dollars of such fee to the state, such fee shall be deposited into the General Fund and, upon deposit in the General Fund, thirty-six dollars of such fee shall be credited to the community investment account, and, until October 1, 2014, sixty dollars of such fee shall be credited to the State Banking Fund for purposes of funding the foreclosure mediation program established by section 49-31m; and the town clerk shall retain thirty-two dollars of such fee, which shall become part of the general revenue of such municipality.

(i) An assignment executed in accordance with this section shall operate to assign the interest of the assignor in the mortgage which is the subject of the assignment, even if such interest is, in fact, acquired by the assignor after executing such assignment or does not appear of record until after the execution of such assignment. Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to limit the effect of any assignment of mortgage debt recorded before, on or after October 1, 2006.

(1949 Rev., S. 7114; P.A. 75-24; P.A. 79-602, S. 70; P.A. 83-564, S. 1; P.A. 98-147, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1, S. 88; P.A. 06-156, S. 3; P.A. 13-184, S. 97; 13-247, S. 81.)

History: P.A. 75-24 applied provisions with respect to assignment of rent or assignment of interest in lease and added form for instrument of assignment; P.A. 79-602 substituted “is” for “shall be” and “that” or “the” for “such” where appearing; P.A. 83-564 added Subsec. (b) concerning the assignment of residential mortgage loans; P.A. 98-147 added new Subsec. (a) defining “mortgage debt”, redesignated existing Subsecs. (a) and (b) as Subsecs. (b) and (c), and added new Subsecs. (d), (e), (f) and (g) requiring sufficient notice of assignment by assignee and reasonable proof of assignment before party obliged to pay assignee; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 98-1 made technical changes in Subsec. (c); P.A. 06-156 added Subsec. (h) re operation of assignment executed in accordance with section; P.A. 13-184 added new Subsec. (h) re allocation of recording fees paid by a nominee of a mortgagee, and redesignated existing Subsec. (h) as Subsec. (i), effective July 1, 2013; P.A. 13-247 added new Subsec. (h) re allocation of recording fees paid by a nominee of a mortgagee, and redesignated existing Subsec. (h) as Subsec. (i), effective July 15, 2013.

See Sec. 7-34a re town clerks' fees.

Cited. 121 C. 267. Assignment held valid even though assignee gave no consideration and did not know of assignment until after the death of the assignor. 148 C. 466. Cited. 202 C. 566. Distinctions established by Subsec. (h) are rationally related to legitimate public interests and do not offend equal protection provisions of state or federal constitution; Subsec. (h) does not discriminate impermissibly against interstate commerce and does not offend the dormant commerce clause of federal constitution. 320 C. 448.

Cited. 2 CA 98. Section does not indicate that a flaw in the instrument or its recordation would make it inadmissible as evidence. 51 CA 733. Assignment of note evidencing a debt automatically carries with it assignment of the mortgage even when mortgage is in the hands of another. 52 CA 374. There is no requirement that a party use the exact language or form provided for in Subsec. (b). 134 CA 699.

Validating act of 1933 cured the assignment of a mortgage which was defective because it was not under seal. 3 CS 321.