A mortgage promissory note is the agreement you sign at a mortgage closing which obligates both you and your lender to abide by the terms set out in the agreement. At a typical closing, three copies are usually signed: one for the lender's records, one for your records and one that is to be recorded at your local registry of deeds. If you need additional copies of your mortgage note, there are a couple different ways to get them.
Closing Documents
When you closed your loan, you likely received a package of documents. This package contains your income and employment documents that you gave to your lender for pre-qualification, and all of the documents you signed at your closing with your attorney or notary public. These will have included the HUD-1A, the rescission notice and the mortgage note. You might have an unsigned and a signed copy of the mortgage note in this collection of documents.
Lender
If you cannot find your closing documents, or have lost this paperwork, you can contact your current mortgage lender to obtain the original mortgage note. If you have a mortgage with a small local bank or credit union, it likely still services the loan and can provide you this note easily. However, if you obtained your mortgage through a broker, you need to find out exactly who services the loan because this is the company that will have the original closing paperwork for the loan.
Registry of Deeds
The local registry of deeds in your town or city has all the titles and land deeds for the area. While mortgage companies are not required to record a mortgage note, they may have recorded both the mortgage deed (the actual conveyance of a lien) as well as the mortgage note (which details the repayment and details of the loan). Check with your local registry of deeds and have it run a search for your property in its records. It might be able to give you a copy of your mortgage deed promissory note.
Broker
If you used a mortgage broker to complete your mortgage, she might have a copy of the original mortgage note on file, even if the brokerage is not servicing your loan. Contact your original loan officer at the brokerage to inquire. In addition, the broker could help you establish a relationship with your current mortgage servicer, particularly if your mortgage has been sold one or more times to different lenders.
Writer Bio
Based in Eugene, Ore., Duncan Jenkins has been writing finance-related articles since 2008. His specialties include personal finance advice, mortgage/equity loans and credit management. Jenkins obtained his bachelor's degree in English from Clark University.