Green Tree Financial Lien Release Department: Newrez and Ditech

There is no Green Tree Financial lien release department to contact, because Green Tree became Ditech Financial in 2015 and Ditech filed for bankruptcy in 2019. If a Green Tree lien is still showing on your property, your contact depends on what happened to your loan: reach the active servicer that took it over (often Newrez), or use the September 7, 2021 bankruptcy court order that released all remaining Ditech-held liens and take it to your county recorder yourself.¹

Why There Is No Department to Call

Green Tree Financial Servicing Corporation was incorporated in 1994, renamed Conseco Finance Servicing Corp. in 1999, converted to Green Tree Servicing LLC in 2003, and merged into Ditech Financial LLC in August 2015.² Ditech then filed for Chapter 11 in 2019. During the bankruptcy, some loan portfolios were sold to other servicers; the rest stayed with what became the Ditech Wind Down Estates.

The bankruptcy court has since made clear that the Plan Administrator and Wind Down Estates have no obligation to respond to individual title or lien inquiries. There is no staffed department processing legacy Green Tree lien releases. Your path depends on which of two situations you’re in.¹

First, Find Out Who Holds Your Loan Now

Before doing anything else, figure out whether your loan was transferred to an active servicer or stayed with Ditech through bankruptcy. If an active servicer is billing you or sent you a transfer notice, that company is who releases the lien.

Search MERS ServicerID by your property address, or call (888) 679-6377.³
Use the Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac lookup tools to see if either agency owns the mortgage; the result will identify the servicer.⁴
Send a written request to the last servicer you had contact with. Under federal law, a mortgage servicer must give you the name, address, and phone number of the loan owner in response to a qualified written request.⁴

If Newrez Took Over Your Loan

Some former Green Tree and Ditech loans were acquired by Newrez, which also operates under the Shellpoint Mortgage Servicing brand. You can reach Newrez at (888) 673-5521 or write to Newrez, PO Box 10826, Greenville, SC 29603-0826.⁵

Request the lien release in writing, reference your loan number and payoff date, and keep copies of everything. After payoff, the servicer prepares and records a satisfaction or release with your county. Every state sets a deadline for that filing.

If the servicer misses the deadline or ignores you, file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau online or at (855) 411-2372.⁶ You can also complain to your state’s consumer protection office.⁷ Document every call, letter, and financial consequence of the delay, such as a refinance or sale held up by the unreleased lien.

If MERS or a written request points you to a servicer other than Newrez, that company handles the release the same way. Contact them directly rather than trying to work through any Green Tree or Ditech channel.

If Your Loan Stayed With Ditech Through Bankruptcy

When no active servicer holds the loan, the September 7, 2021 bankruptcy court order is your release document. The order states that the Wind Down Estates “are deemed to abandon any and all interests, to the extent any, in and release all liens” related to title or lien inquiries, and it expressly permits borrowers to present a copy as evidence of the release.¹

You can download the Lien Release Order from the Ditech bankruptcy case page hosted by Epiq, the court-appointed claims administrator, at dm.epiq11.com under the Ditech Holding Corporation case.

Recording the Order With Your County

Take a certified copy of the order to your county recorder’s office and ask them to record it against your property. Some counties accept the bankruptcy order and update their records. Others may require additional documentation or refuse to record it without a formal release signed by the lienholder, which is impossible now that the lienholder no longer exists.

Bring the Lien Release Order, your property deed, and any loan documents you still have: the original promissory note, mortgage or deed of trust, and payoff records. Recording fees typically run from $10 to $84 depending on the county.

Filing a Quiet Title Action If Recording Fails

If the recorder won’t accept the court order alone, a quiet title action asks a court to declare your title free of the old lien. The Ditech bankruptcy order specifically authorized third parties to “commence and continue non-monetary quiet title actions,” so this doesn’t conflict with the bankruptcy proceedings.¹

The general steps:

Obtain a current copy of your deed from the county clerk or recorder.
Hire a real estate attorney. Quiet title suits involve court filings and legal standards that are hard to handle alone.
File the complaint, naming the defunct lender as defendant.
Serve notice, which usually happens by publication or notice to the bankruptcy estate’s counsel because the lender no longer exists.
Obtain a judgment. If no one contests, the court enters an order clearing your title.

Costs typically fall between $1,500 and $5,000. Timelines run from about eight weeks to over a year depending on the court’s schedule and whether anyone contests.

Documents to Gather Before You Start

Whichever route applies, pull the paperwork together first:

Payoff confirmation: any letter, statement, or receipt showing the loan was paid in full.
Loan documents: the original promissory note and mortgage or deed of trust. Copies from your closing file work as supporting evidence if you can’t find the originals.
Payment history: bank statements showing your final payments, especially if you lack a formal payoff letter.
Property deed: a current copy from your county recorder showing the lien still recorded.
The Ditech Lien Release Order, if your loan was held by Ditech at bankruptcy.¹

If the original promissory note is gone, a lost note affidavit, which is a sworn, notarized statement describing the note and explaining how it was lost, can substitute in many situations. Attaching a copy of the note strengthens it.

Who Cannot Help You

The FDIC handles lien releases only for failed banks it was appointed to manage as receiver. Its website explicitly states it cannot process lien releases for mortgage and finance companies, and directs borrowers to the appropriate Secretary of State office instead.⁸ Green Tree Financial was a mortgage servicing company rather than a bank, so the FDIC route does not apply here. The Plan Administrator for the Ditech Wind Down Estates has also been relieved of any duty to respond to lien or title inquiries, which is why the court order itself, not a phone call, is the mechanism.¹

1
Epiq. Ditech Holding Corporation Overview Case 19-10412
2
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Ditech Financial LLC Certificate of Formation and Related Documents
3
MERS. MERS ServicerID Search
4
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Can I Tell Who Owns My Mortgage
5
Newrez. Contact Us
6
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Submit a Complaint
7
USAGov. Where to File a Complaint About a Mortgage Company
8
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Obtaining a Lien Release