Powered by Lexis+®
Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom
CASE STUDY

“LexisPSL and the other Lexis solutions support our business in exactly the way we want. They enable us to quickly turn around work and deliver the best possible service to our clients.”

SBP Law

Access all documents on Mortgagee

Mortgagee meaning

What does Mortgagee mean?
In practice, the mortgagee is the secured lender (the chargee) in whose favour a mortgage or equivalent real security is granted to secure repayment of a loan or other obligations. The term is descriptive and widely used across real estate finance and secured lending; in England and Wales it appears in legislation (for example, the Law of Property Act 1925 treats a “mortgagee” as including a chargee), and it is also used in Irish legislation (including the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009). Across England and Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland, the mortgagee typically holds a legal charge over registered land (or a mortgage/charge over unregistered land). Key features are: priority established by registration, the benefit of covenants and insurance/maintenance undertakings, and enforcement rights on default, commonly including taking possession, exercising a power of sale and appointing a receiver, subject to statutory and contractual conditions. In Scotland, “mortgagee” is not the technical term. The functional equivalent is the creditor in a standard security under the Conveyancing and Feudal Reform (Scotland) Act 1970, with registration-based priority and enforcement via calling-up and sale. Usage is therefore broadly consistent in effect across the UK and Ireland, despite differing terminology in Scotland.
Speed up all aspects of your legal work with tools that help you to work faster and smarter. Win cases, close deals and grow your business–all whilst saving time and reducing risk.

View the related Checklists about Mortgagee

CHECKLISTS
Corporate Mortgages: Practitioners' Checklist on Capacity, Due Diligence, Documentation, Priority and Registration (England and Wales)

Scope of this Checklist This Checklist sets out the points to consider when a company is proposing to grant a mortgage. It proceeds on the basis that an English or Welsh company will be granting a mortgage to a lender situated in England or Wales. In this Checklist: the company granting the mortgage is the 'mortgagor' the party to whom the mortgage is granted is the 'mortgagee' the document recording the mortgage is the 'security document' Preliminary questions before taking security by way of a mortgage Is a mortgage the right method of taking security? A mortgage transfers title to the asset, while preserving the mortgagor's equity of redemption so that, once sums due have been paid in full, title can be transferred back to the mortgagor (note that some mortgages, such as over land, are statutory, meaning there is no transfer of title). The use and possession of the asset will remain with...

Read More Right Arrow
CHECKLISTS
Pre-contract property due diligence searches: practical checklist for buyers, tenants and mortgagees (England and Wales)

This Checklist outlines the pre-contract searches that a buyer, tenant or mortgagee ought to carry out as part of property due diligence. This is not a comprehensive list; further searches might be needed depending on the property’s nature, location and intended use, as necessary. For ease, any mention of the seller in this Checklist also includes a landlord or mortgagor, where appropriate. References to the buyer likewise cover a tenant or mortgagee. Search When is it required? ...

Read More Right Arrow
CHECKLISTS
Long lease acquisition due diligence: head lease forfeiture, insolvency provisions and mortgagee protection for lender security (England and Wales)

Flowchart Through this Flowchart, the requisite criteria are outlined for the court to find a transaction amounts to a preference and to order relief accordingly...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related Flowcharts about Mortgagee

FLOWCHARTS
Demerger routes: flowchart of tax considerations for choosing statutory, capital reduction or liquidation demergers

This Checklist is applicable when acting for the mortgagee in relation to the taking of a ship mortgage and where the security will be registered in the UK. Request a Transcript of Registry from the UK Ship Register to confirm the vessel’s security status. A charge applies for this and for several other documents noted below; the complete schedule can be found on the UK Ship Register website, and a full list is available there. The mortgagee should verify that the owner holds clear, unencumbered legal title to the ship and that their ownership has been correctly recorded, and confirm that it has been properly registered. Perform a Register of Companies search to confirm the owner’s incorporation in England and Wales. Ascertain whether any mortgages or charges concerning the ship are filed against the owner pursuant to Section 859A of the Companies Act 2006 (CA 2006), and confirm registrations relate to the ship...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related News about Mortgagee

NEWS
Banking and Finance weekly: English case law on jurisdiction and mortgagee conduct; EU CRR3 Pillar 3 hub; MiFIR OTC data; FCA crypto consultations; EMIR 3 and Hague Judgments key dates

In this issue: Lending Security Debt capital markets Derivatives Cryptoassets Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Useful information Lending Nova Leipzig Sarl v Gravity Fitness Ltd [2025] EWHC 1262 (Comm) An application to the Commercial Court sought a stay on the basis of forum non conveniens. The court held that Gravity Fitness Limited, an English company, had not satisfied its burden on the ‘More Appropriate Forum’ question. The defendant’s reliance on the potential application of German law was insufficient to establish that Germany was a more suitable forum than England, whether viewed from the parties’ interests or the broader interests of justice. Security Brooke Homes (Bicester) Ltd v Portfolio Property Partners Ltd (in administration) [2025] EWHC 1305 (Ch) This dispute examines equitable rights and duties between secured creditors after development land was sold by the first-ranking mortgagee, Desiman. The second-ranking creditor, Brooke Homes, sought an equitable account and pressed...

Read More Right Arrow
NEWS
English High Court banking and finance round-up (October 2024): mortgagee enforcement costs, LIBOR replacement implied term, letters of indemnity and undisclosed principals, and deed of priority interest and costs

Banking & Finance—October 2024 case round-up Brierley v Otuo and others [2024] EWHC 2549 (Ch) — Security: cost recovery on legal mortgages The court refused the mortgagee’s appeal against a 28 July 2023 order that barred recovery of sale and enforcement costs on specified properties. The decision followed the established rule on legal mortgages set out in Fisher & Lightwood’s Law of Mortgage (paragraph 55.6). Put simply, unless the mortgage contains an express term, there is no implied duty on the mortgagor to pay the mortgagee’s costs, charges and expenses, so they cannot be recovered from the mortgagor personally, save where personal liability has arisen in the particular case. Nevertheless, those costs are rolled into the secured indebtedness and, as against the mortgagor and anyone with an interest in the equity of redemption, they are treated as part of the amount owing under the security and must be satisfied as a condition of redemption......

Read More Right Arrow
NEWS
England and Wales property law update: HMLR requisitions data; third‑party rights; URS v BDW; planning/build‑out reforms; BNG; restrictive covenants; roof gardens/storeys; insurance rent; agricultural rates exemption

In this issue: Transferring property Commercial real estate finance Statutory compliance Property development Easements, rights and covenants Residential property Insurance Property taxes Additional property updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Trackers New Q&As Transferring property HMLR announces plans to share data on avoidable requisitions with customers HM Land Registry intends to provide firms with visibility of the proportion of their applications that include simple-to-avoid requisitions, such as mismatched names, missing documents, and witness information. These insights are scheduled for publication in Autumn 2025. Across firms, current levels vary, with between 0% and 24% of applications affected. In tandem, HMLR is refining its processes and systems to better support users: raising requisitions only where necessary and automatically validating certain details at the drafting stage. The goal is to achieve accurate registrations first time, without the need for extra clarification or additional supporting material. See: LNB...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related Practice Notes about Mortgagee

PRACTICE NOTES
Mortgage possession claims: rights, duties, mortgagor defences, tenant protections, pre-action protocol and procedure (England and Wales)

FORTHCOMING CHANGE On 27 October 2025, the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 obtained Royal Assent. For guidance on the Act’s effect on residential tenancies in England, see Practice Note: Renters’ Rights Act 2025—key provisions. This Practice Note sets out mortgagee possession claims, including the mortgagee’s right to seek possession and their duties once in possession, the mortgagor’s right to request time to pay under the Administration of Justice Act 1970, the position of any tenants of the mortgagor, the pre-action protocol, and the process for bringing a claim. For guidance on the range of remedies available to mortgagees, see Practice Note: Mortgages and land—enforcement of mortgages and legal charges over land. The right to possession Where a mortgagor has fallen into default, the mortgagee will often wish to sell the property and may first need to secure possession. However, it is also possible to: sell without taking possession: a sale subject to a tenancy can be especially attractive for a commercial property let at a...

Read More Right Arrow
PRACTICE NOTES
Receivers’ agency on mortgagor insolvency: effects on status, personal liability, mortgagee risk and HM Land Registry practice for fixed charge, LPA and administrative receivers (England and Wales)

A receiver commonly operates as the mortgagor's agent in collecting income and in disposing of the assets in respect of which that receiver has been appointed. This Practice Note considers the effect of bankruptcy or liquidation on the position of the receiver as agent of the mortgagor, and the consequences of a receiver losing that agency in that capacity in practice. The receiver's status is important because it affects: the potential liability of both the receiver and the appointing mortgagee for acts carried out by the receiver, and for omissions by the receiver to do those acts how any documentation is structured, ie whether the receiver enters into an agreement as principal, or as the mortgagor's agent Where the receiver cannot act as the mortgagor's agent, they will either act as principal or, less preferably from the mortgagee's point of view, as the mortgagee's agent, in such circumstances as applicable. For an explanation of the different types of receivers, see...

Read More Right Arrow
PRACTICE NOTES
Appointing LPA or Fixed Charge Receivers: Security Validity, Defaults and Notices, Insolvency Checks, Appointment and Filings (England and Wales)

Under section 101(1)(iii) of the Law of Property Act 1925 (LPA 1925), a mortgagee may appoint a receiver (an LPA receiver) if the mortgage takes effect by deed. The scope of an LPA receiver’s authority is prescribed by section 109(3) LPA 1925 and is confined to calling in income (such as rent) from the charged property. It is essentially a right to receive monies that the property yields. An LPA receiver lacks any authority to dispose of the property by sale. Because the statutory powers are narrow, security instruments typically add express terms allowing the secured party to appoint a receiver in stated events, and to confer wider powers than those available under the LPA 1925. These frequently include a power to sell the asset by that receiver. Authority to effect a sale will ordinarily be sourced from the security’s express terms. The security document may also exclude or modify certain provisions of the LPA 1925. A receiver appointed under such contractual powers is commonly described as a ‘fixed charge...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related Precedents about Mortgagee

PRECEDENTS
Deed of Planning Obligation under Section 106 TCPA 1990 (England): Precedent covering financial contributions, section 278 Highways Act 1980 works, open space, affordable housing, public art and biodiversity net gain

This Agreement is entered into on [ insert date ] of [ insert month ] [ insert year ] by and between: [ insert name ], of [ insert address ] (' Council '); [ insert name ], of [ insert address ] (' County Council '); [ insert name ], a company duly incorporated and registered in [ insert details ] under number [ insert details ], whose registered office is at [ insert address ] (' Developer '); [ Additional parties as necessary eg owner, landlord, mortgagee, option holder etc. ] (' [ insert additional parties as necessary eg owner, landlord, mortgagee, option holder etc ] '). Recitals The Council is the local planning authority for the purposes of section 106 of the 1990 Act for the area within which the Land is situated and is the body by whom the obligations contained in this Deed are enforceable. The County Council is the local highway...

Read More Right Arrow
PRECEDENTS
Deed of Release and Extinguishment of Easement (England and Wales): Precedent with Mortgagee Consent, HM Land Registry Cancellation and Optional Removal of Works

DATE [ date ] PARTIES [ name of owner of Dominant Land ], of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with registered office at OR [ address ] (Releasor) [ name of owner of Servient Land ], of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with registered office at OR [ address ] (Grantor) [ name of Mortgagee ], of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) having its registered office at [ address ] (Mortgagee) ...

Read More Right Arrow
PRECEDENTS
Precedent: Residential property sale contract by mortgagee exercising statutory power of sale (England and Wales)

Date [ date ] Parties [ name of mortgagee ] [ of OR incorporated in England and Wales (company registration number [ number ]) with its registered office at ] [ address ] (Seller) [ name of (first) Buyer ] [ and [ name of second Buyer ] both ] of [ address ] ([ together ] Buyer) 1 Definitions In this Agreement, the following terms shall have these meanings: Actual Completion Date – the day on which the Transfer is actually finalised; [ Buyer’s Solicitors – [ name ] of [ address ] (reference [ details ]); ] Completion Date – [ date ]; [ Contents – the items specified in Appendix 2; ] [ Contents Price – £[ amount in figures ] ([ amount in words ] pounds); ] Deposit – [ figure ]% of the Price; [ Documents – the documents identified in the Schedule; ] Legislation...

Read More Right Arrow

View the related Q&As about Mortgagee

Q&As
Land Registry: are superior title (Form N) consents required to register a s.56 1993 Act lease extension?

Where a long residential lease is extended under section 56 of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 (LRHUDA 1993) and the freehold is subject to a Form N restriction in respect of a charge to the freeholder’s lenders, will the HM Land Registry require lender consent to be submitted in order for the lease extension to be registered notwithstanding that the lease extension is pursuant to statute? A restriction entered on the register indicates that the proprietor’s power to deal with the land is constrained in some manner. Its practical effect is either to bar registration of a disposition, or to oblige the applicant to satisfy specified requirements before registration can proceed, for example by producing evidence of consent from the person entitled to the benefit of the restriction. A restriction may apply to every disposition, or be confined to a defined class of disposition. It can prevent any entry from being made permanently, for a stated period, or until a stated...

Read More Right Arrow
Q&As
Unregistered CH1 second mortgagee: block undervalue sale; market-value order

Proceeding on the basis that the legal mortgage is valid and duly executed, the only flaw is a failure to register. The question concerns what remedies are available where a mortgage remains unregistered. Where a valid charge is created by way of legal mortgage but not entered on the register, it takes effect in equity as an equitable mortgage...

Read More Right Arrow
Q&As
Mortgagee in possession: duties to creditors on power of sale where charging order noted by unilateral notice

Under sections 101 and 103 of the Law of Property Act 1925 (LPA 1925), a mortgagee in possession is empowered to dispose of the property, usually once possession has been obtained; however, the parties may by agreement contract out of this statutory power. When the power of sale is exercised, the mortgagor’s equitable right to redeem is brought to an end, and the mortgagee holds any surplus sale proceeds on trust for the mortgagor and other interested parties...

Read More Right Arrow