ACRIS Mortgages, Assignments and Satisfactions
Decode NYC ACRIS mortgage records: MTGE, AGMT and CEMA, assignments, satisfactions and co-op UCC filings, and how to tell if a loan is still open.
6 min read · Updated
To see whether an NYC property has a mortgage and who holds it, search its block and lot in ACRIS and list every mortgage-class document: the newest MORTGAGE or consolidation agreement names the lender, any later ASSIGNMENT names who it was transferred to, and a SATISFACTION OF MORTGAGE shows it was paid off. A mortgage with no matching satisfaction is probably still open.
Co-op apartments work differently: their loans are filed as UCC financing statements, not mortgages. This guide decodes both.
At a glance
- Loan recorded
- MTGE
- Borrower → lender
- Loan transferred
- ASST
- Old lender → new lender
- Loan paid off
- SAT
- Due within 30 days of payoff
- Co-op loan
- UCC1 (INIC)
- Lasts 50 years with addendum
The mortgage document codes
| Code | ACRIS description | Party 1 → Party 2 | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| MTGE | Mortgage | Borrower → lender | A new loan secured by the property. The amount is the principal debt. |
| AGMT | Agreement | Party 1 → party 2 | A general agreement. Consolidation, extension and modification agreements (CEMAs) may be indexed under a broad type like this; read the title on the image. |
| M&CON | Mortgage and consolidation | Mortgagor → mortgagee | A new mortgage combined with earlier ones into a single loan. |
| SPRD | Mortgage spreader agreement | Mortgagor → mortgagee | Extends an existing mortgage to cover more property. |
| ASPM | Assumption of mortgage | Borrower → lender | A new owner took over the existing loan. |
| ASST | Assignment, mortgage | Old lender → new lender | The loan was transferred. The new lender now holds it. |
| SAT | Satisfaction of mortgage | Borrower → lender | The loan was paid off and the lien released. |
| PSAT | Partial satisfaction | Borrower → lender | Part of the debt released, not all of it. |
| PREL | Partial release of mortgage | Party one → party two | Some of the property (for example one condo unit or lot) released from a larger mortgage. |
| AL&R | Assignment of leases and rents | Assignor → assignee | The owner assigns the building’s leases and rents to a lender as added security for a loan. |
| CORRM | Correction mortgage | Borrower → lender | Fixes an error in a recorded mortgage. |
ACRIS’s code list has no type called “CEMA.” A consolidation agreement is indexed under a broader category, so open the image: the first page will say “Consolidation, Extension and Modification Agreement” if that is what it is. CEMAs exist because New York taxes a supplemental mortgage only on new or further debt (Tax Law §255). See CEMA loans in New York.
How much of each was recorded in 2025
Source: our query of the ACRIS Real Property Master dataset on NYC Open Data, documents dated in calendar 2025 in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens, extract through September 30, 2026. Mortgage and consolidation (M&CON) documents numbered 1,573.
Is the loan still outstanding? Step by step
- 1
List every mortgage-class document on the BBL
Search the parcel in ACRIS and note each MTGE, AGMT, M&CON, ASST, SAT and PSAT with its date and amount. See how to search ACRIS. - 2
Start after the current owner’s deed
Mortgages from before the latest deed should have been paid off at that sale, unless the buyer assumed one (look for ASPM). Find the deed date first; see ACRIS deeds. - 3
Match each mortgage to a satisfaction
Open each satisfaction image. It identifies the mortgage being released, so you can tick that loan off your list. - 4
Follow assignments and consolidations
If a mortgage was assigned, the satisfaction will come from the new lender. If several mortgages were consolidated, one satisfaction can release all of them. - 5
Anything left unmatched is likely open
A recent mortgage with no satisfaction is normal for an owner with a loan. An old one with no satisfaction can be a paid-off loan the lender never discharged.
Who holds the loan now?
The lender named on the most recent mortgage or assignment is the holder of record. Two things can make that out of date:
- MERS. Many mortgages name Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems (MERS) as a party. In our check of real property documents with 2025 document IDs, about 32,600 named MERS (spelled out or abbreviated) as party 2. The CFPB points borrowers to the MERS website to look up who services their loan, which is not always the owner.
- Servicer vs owner. The CFPB notes that the company you pay each month may not own the loan. Your servicer must tell you, to the best of its knowledge, the name, address and phone number of the owner if you ask.
Co-op loans and other UCC filings
A co-op apartment is personal property (shares and a lease), so a co-op loan is perfected with a UCC financing statement. New York’s UCC §9-501 sends co-op financing statements to the office that records mortgages, which in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens is the City Register. DOF says block and lot numbers must appear on every co-op financing statement, so you can find them with a parcel search or by UCC file number.
| Code | ACRIS description | Recorded in 2025 | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| INIC | Initial co-op UCC1 | 9,489 | A new co-op loan on an apartment’s shares |
| INIT | Initial UCC1 | 11,730 | An initial UCC1 financing statement filed under the general type |
| TERM | UCC3 termination | 20,972 | The secured party released the filing, usually after payoff |
| CONT | UCC3 continuation | 4,734 | Extends a filing before it lapses |
| AMND | UCC3 amendment | 4,561 | Changes to a filing |
| ASGN | UCC3 assignment | 3,857 | Loan moved to a new secured party |
| FL | Federal lien – IRS | 3,047 | A federal tax lien against the owner |
| RFL | Release of federal lien | 2,255 | The federal lien was released |
Most UCC financing statements expire after five years unless continued. A co-op financing statement filed with a cooperative addendum lasts 50 years under UCC §9-515(h), so an old INIC with no TERM may still be in effect on paper even if the loan was paid. A co-op seller should ask the lender for a UCC3 termination at payoff. See co-op share loans vs mortgages.
Limits
- ACRIS shows what was recorded, not the current balance. Only the lender or servicer knows how much is owed.
- Amounts on AGMT and M&CON records may reflect the consolidated total, not new money.
- Staten Island mortgages are recorded with the Richmond County Clerk, not ACRIS.
- This is general information, not legal advice. For a purchase, a title search by a title company is the reliable way to confirm open liens; see title insurance explained.
Document codes, descriptions and party labels from ACRIS Document Control Codes (7isb-wh4c); there is no CEMA-specific code. 2025 counts: real property documents by document_date in 2025 (bnx9-e6tj, extract through 2026-09-30); UCC/personal property documents by recorded_datetime in 2025 (sv7x-dduq). MERS party count from ACRIS Real Property Parties (636b-3b5g), party type 2, document IDs beginning 2025, names matching MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION* or MERS variants: 32,581 distinct documents (corrected from an earlier 18,000 figure that counted only the spelled-out name). All other 2025 counts re-run 2026-10-12 and matched. Statutes and CFPB page re-read 2026-10-12. RPAPL §1921: satisfaction to be presented for recording within 30 days of payoff; $500/$1,000/$1,500 penalties at 30/60/90 days (lenders making fewer than five loans a year excluded). Tax Law §255: supplemental instruments taxed only on new or further indebtedness. UCC §9-501: co-op financing statements filed where mortgages are recorded (City Register in the Bronx, Kings, New York and Queens). UCC §9-515(h): co-op financing statements with a cooperative addendum last 50 years; others 5 years. CFPB: servicer may not own the loan; servicer must identify the owner on request.
Sources
- ACRIS Document Control Codes dataset · NYC Open Data / NYC DOF (accessed October 12, 2026)
- ACRIS Real Property Master dataset · NYC Open Data / NYC DOF (accessed October 12, 2026)
- ACRIS Personal Property Master dataset · NYC Open Data / NYC DOF (accessed October 12, 2026)
- Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) financing statements · NYC Department of Finance (accessed October 12, 2026)
- NY RPAPL §1921: discharge of mortgage · New York State Senate (accessed October 12, 2026)
- NY Tax Law §255: supplemental mortgages · New York State Senate (accessed October 12, 2026)
- NY UCC §9-501: filing office · New York State Senate (accessed October 12, 2026)
- NY UCC §9-515: duration of financing statements · New York State Senate (accessed October 12, 2026)
- How can I tell who owns my mortgage? · Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (accessed October 12, 2026)
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules change; confirm with the agency or a professional before you act.