Michigan Appeals Court: Failure To Record Mortgage Assignment Prior To Sale Sinks Foreclosure

From a press release from the Michigan law firm Warner Norcross & Judd:

• On January 12, 2012, the Michigan Court of Appeals issued its opinion in Kim v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, No. 302528. The foreclosure-by-advertisement statute, MCL 600.3204, provides, “If the party foreclosing a mortgage by advertisement is not the original mortgagee, a record chain of title shall exist prior to the date of sale under section 3216 evidencing the assignment of the mortgage to the party foreclosing the mortgage.” MCL 600.3204(3).



• In Kim, the defendant was the assignee of the mortgage, and it failed to record its ownership of the mortgage before foreclosing by advertisement.



• Thus, the Court held that the foreclosure sale was invalid because the defendant had not complied with MCL 600.3204’s requirements.

For more, see Court Sets Aside Foreclosure Sale Where Assignee Of Mortgage Failed To Record Its Interest Prior To Sale.

For the court ruling, see Kim v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, No. 302528 (Mich. Ct. of App., January 12, 2012).