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Promissory notes are legally binding whether the note is secured by collateral or based only on the promise of repayment. If you lend money to someone who defaults on a promissory note and does not repay, you can legally possess any property that individual promised as collateral.

A promissory note is a financial instrument that contains a written promise by one party (the note's issuer or maker) to pay another party (the note's payee) a definite sum of money, either on demand or at a specified future date.

The purpose of the document. A mortgage creates a security interest in the property (a lien) for the lender, while the promissory note serves as the borrower's written promise to repay the debt.

Promissory notes may also be referred to as an IOU, a loan agreement, or just a note. It's a legal lending document that says the borrower promises to repay to the lender a certain amount of money in a certain time frame. This kind of document is legally enforceable and creates a legal obligation to repay the loan.

"If you've had debt forgiven by a creditor – even if only in part – the amount of your debt forgiveness will be taxable, unless you qualify for an exemption," says Logan Allec, certified public accountant in Santa Clarita, California, and creator of the personal finance site Money Done Right.

A promissory note is a document between the lender and the borrower in which the borrower promises to pay back the lender, it is a separate contract from the mortgage. The mortgage is a legal document that ties or "secures" a piece of real estate to an obligation to repay money.

A promissory note is a key piece of a home loan application and mortgage agreement. It ensures that a borrower agrees to be indebted to a lender for loan repayment. Ultimately, it serves as a necessary piece of the legal puzzle that helps guarantee that sums are repaid in full and in a timely fashion.

A promissory note, sometimes called a promise-to-pay agreement, is a written promise in which one party agrees to repay another party. Borrowers who take out personal loans, student loans and mortgages may need to sign a promissory note. And businesses sometimes use these documents to raise funds.