North Carolina General Statutes
Article 4 - Satisfaction.
§ 45-37 - Satisfaction of record of security instruments.

45-37. Satisfaction of record of security instruments.
(a) Subject to the provisions of G.S. 45-36.9(a) and G.S. 45-73 relating to security instruments which secure future advances, any security instrument intended to secure the payment of money or the performance of any other obligation registered as required by law may be satisfied of record and thereby discharged and released of record in the following manner:
(1) Security instruments satisfied of record prior to October 1, 2005, pursuant to this subdivision as it was in effect prior to October 1, 2005, shall be deemed satisfied of record, discharged, and released.
(2) Security instruments satisfied of record prior to October 1, 2011, pursuant to this subdivision as it was in effect prior to October 1, 2011, shall be deemed satisfied of record, discharged, and released.
(3) Security instruments satisfied of record prior to October 1, 2011, pursuant to this subdivision as it was in effect prior to October 1, 2011, shall be deemed satisfied of record, discharged, and released.
(4) Security instruments satisfied of record prior to October 1, 2011, pursuant to this subdivision as it was in effect prior to October 1, 2011, shall be deemed satisfied of record, discharged, and released.
(5) Security instruments satisfied of record prior to October 1, 2005, pursuant to this subdivision as it was in effect prior to October 1, 2005, shall be deemed satisfied of record, discharged, and released.
(6) Security instruments satisfied of record prior to October 1, 2005, pursuant to this subdivision as it was in effect prior to October 1, 2005, shall be deemed satisfied of record, discharged, and released.
(7) By recording:
a. A satisfaction document that satisfies the requirements of G.S. 45-36.10,
b. An affidavit of satisfaction that satisfies the requirements of G.S. 45-36.16, or
c. A trustee's satisfaction that satisfies the requirements of G.S. 45-36.20, but only if the security instrument is a deed of trust.
The register of deeds shall not be required to verify or make inquiry concerning (i) the truth of the matters stated in any satisfaction document, affidavit of satisfaction, or trustee's satisfaction, or (ii) the authority of the person executing any satisfaction document, affidavit, or trustee's satisfaction to do so.
(b) It shall be conclusively presumed that the conditions of any security instrument recorded before October 1, 2011, securing the payment of money or securing the performance of any other obligation or obligations have been complied with or the debts secured thereby paid or obligations performed, as against creditors or purchasers for valuable consideration from the mortgagor or grantor, from and after the expiration of 15 years from whichever of the following occurs last:
(1) The date when the conditions of the security instrument were required by its terms to have been performed, or
(2) The date of maturity of the last installment of debt or interest secured thereby;
(1) The amount of debt unpaid, which is secured by the security instrument; or
(2) In what respect any other condition thereof shall not have been complied with; or
(1) Any payments that have been made on the indebtedness or other obligation secured by the security instrument including the date and amount of payments and
(2) The amount still due or obligations not performed under the security instrument.
The effect of the filing of the affidavit or the recording of a separate instrument made as herein provided shall be to postpone the effective date of the conclusive presumption of satisfaction to a date 15 years from the filing of the affidavit or from the recording of the separate instrument. There shall be only one postponement of the effective date of the conclusive presumption provided for herein. The register of deeds shall record and index the affidavit provided for herein or the separate instrument made as herein provided as a subsequent instrument in accordance with G.S. 161-14.1. This subsection shall not apply to any security instrument made or given by any railroad company, or to any agreement of conditional sale, equipment trust agreement, lease, chattel mortgage or other instrument relating to the sale, purchase or lease of railroad equipment or rolling stock, or of other personal property.
The lien of any security instrument that secured the payment of money or the performance of any other obligation or obligations and that was conclusively presumed to have been fully paid and performed prior to October 1, 2011, pursuant to the provisions of this subsection is conclusively deemed to have expired and shall be of no further force or effect. No release, satisfaction, or other instrument is necessary to discharge the lien of a security instrument that has expired; however, nothing in this section shall be construed as affecting or preventing the execution and recordation of any such release, satisfaction, or other document.
This subsection shall apply only to security instruments securing the payment of money or securing the performance of any other obligation or obligations that were conclusively presumed pursuant to this subsection to have been fully paid and performed prior to October 1, 2011. All other security instruments shall be subject to the provisions of G.S. 45-36.24.
(c) Repealed by Session Laws 1991, c. 114, s. 4.
(d) Repealed by Session Laws 2005-123, s. 1.
(e) Any transaction subject to the provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code, Chapter 25 of the General Statutes, is controlled by the provisions of that act and not by this section.
(f) Whenever this section requires a signature or endorsement, that signature or endorsement shall be followed by the name of the person signing or endorsing the document printed, stamped, or typed so as to be clearly legible.
(g) The satisfaction of record of a security instrument pursuant to this section shall operate and have the same effect as a duly executed and recorded deed of release or reconveyance of the property described in the security instrument and shall release and discharge (i) all the interest of the secured creditor in the real property arising from the security instrument and, (ii) if the security instrument is a deed of trust, all the interest of the trustee or substitute trustee in the real property arising from the deed of trust. (1870-1, c. 217; Code, s. 1271; 1891, c. 180; 1893, c. 36; 1901, c. 46; Rev., s. 1046; 1917, c. 49, s. 1; c. 50, s. 1; C.S., s. 2594; 1923, c. 192, s. 1; c. 195; 1935, c. 47; 1945, c. 988; 1947, c. 880; 1951, c. 292, s. 1; 1967, c. 765, ss. 1-5; 1969, c. 746; 1975, c. 305; 1985, c. 219; 1987, c. 405, s. 1; c. 620, s. 1; 1989, c. 434, s. 1; 1991, c. 114, s. 4; 1995, c. 292, ss. 1, 2, 5; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 604, s. 1; 2005-123, s. 1; 2006-226, s. 12; 2006-259, s. 2; 2006-264, s. 40(b); 2011-246, s. 4; 2011-312, s. 12.)