The SC in Cosmos Co. Operative Bank Ltd. v. Central Bank of India,[1] has held that a ‘legal mortgage’ will hold precedence over an ‘equitable mortgage’, irrespective of whether the ‘equitable mortgage’ is created earlier in time. The SC held that a mortgage over immovable property, created by depositing title-deeds, in accordance with Section 58(f) of the Transfer of Property Act, 1884, is a ‘legal mortgage’, and takes precedence over a mortgage created by depositing part-deeds or documents purporting title or evincing intention of parties to create an interest, which is only in the nature of an ‘equitable mortgage’. The SC further held that while a legal mortgage would take priority, an equitable mortgage may still be enforced as a secondary charge on the property.
[1] Cosmos Coop. Bank Ltd. v. Central Bank of India, 2025 SCC OnLine SC 352.