Paying off a home loan does not, by itself, clear the title. The mortgage stays on the register until a discharge of mortgage is signed by the lender, stamped and registered at the National Land Agency’s Titles Office, which then endorses the discharge on both the original title and the owner’s duplicate certificate.
The discharge form gives the title’s Volume and Folio, the mortgage number, date of registration and loan amount, and the lender’s name exactly as it appears on the title. It is signed by the lender, usually under company seal or by authorised officers, then sent for stamping before lodgement; partial discharges and discharges by government institutions and credit unions are not charged stamp duty. The NLA’s own registration fee is small, listed at J$100 per mortgage plus J$20 for each extra title affected, but attorney’s fees and stamp duty can bring the total to many times that. A partial discharge releases one title or part of the debt when only some of the security is being sold.
If a private lender has died, left Jamaica or cannot be traced, the owner can apply to the Registrar of Titles with proof of full payment for the mortgage to be discharged. When selling, the seller’s mortgage is usually discharged from the sale proceeds at completion. After any payoff, keep the receipt and confirm with a title search that the discharge has actually been registered.
Related terms: Mortgagee, Certificate of title, Endorsement on Title, Duplicate Title, Mortgage Act, Title search, Rights of the mortgagee.
Accurate as at October 2026. Fees are reviewed periodically.
