Can a county recorder of deeds charge a fee to release a lien after I paid off my home equity loan?

I recently paid off a home equity loan. Now the lender sent me a letter saying I need to pay them a fee of $43.50 because that's what the County Recorder of Deeds is charging to release the lien on my property.

This doesn't make sense to me. It's not a mortgage. I'm just borrowing against the house. Why is there a lien to be released? I still have 15 years left on my mortgage.

YEP, absolutely. Filling fee for the Release of lien. Makes it an item of record. It WAS TOO a mortgage, that's what you had, a second mortgage, a line of credit or a HELOC. Lender can't charge a fee, but county can and does.

A home equity loan IS a mortgage. You used your house as collateral..thus the mortgage.

You do remember signing a mortgage note at the closing of you HOL.