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An Act To Protect Consumers against Residential Real Estate Title Defects
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  33 MRSA §508  is enacted to read:
§ 508. Nominee mortgagees
 
1.  Authority presumed.     A person or entity that is named as nominee to hold a mortgage for another person or entity, in an instrument creating or assigning the mortgage, is presumed to have the authority to execute an assignment, partial release, discharge or other instrument that affects the title to the mortgaged property unless the person or entity on whose behalf the nominee is named:
 
A.  Explicitly negates such authority within the instrument in which the nominee is named; or
 
B.  Executes a separate instrument that explicitly negates such authority and that is recorded in the registry of deeds within the county or district in which the mortgaged property is located.
 
2.  Instrument valid.     An assignment, partial release, discharge or other instrument affecting the title to mortgaged property or any interest in the property that is otherwise valid and that is executed by a nominee mortgagee with authority as provided in subsection 1 is valid even if the assignment, partial release, discharge or other instrument does not state the authority of the nominee mortgagee to take the action.
 
3.  Statement not a limitation of authority.     A statement in an instrument described in this section to the effect that, for purposes of recording, the nominee mortgagee is the mortgagee of record, or any statement of similar meaning, may not be considered to be a limitation upon the authority of the nominee mortgagee.
 
4.  Application.     This section applies exclusively to any discharge or partial release issued prior to the effective date of this section, whether made by a nominee mortgagee or by a subsequent assignee; to discharges or partial releases issued on or subsequent to the effective date of this section, whether made by a nominee mortgagee or by a subsequent assignee; and to any assignment or other instrument affecting title to a mortgaged property that is the subject of a foreclosure judgment or other legal judgment affecting title to a mortgaged property for which, as of the effective date of this section, either the period for appeal has run with no appeal having been filed or all rights of appeal have been exhausted.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 127th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.