If you've ever looked at a mortgagee clause, you've seen it: ISAOA/ATIMA printed right after the lender's name. Most insurance professionals know it needs to be there. Fewer know exactly what it does.
ISAOA: Its Successors and/or Assigns
Mortgages get sold. Constantly. Your borrower's loan might originate with one lender and later move to a servicer, investor, or secondary-market holder.
ISAOA ensures that whoever currently holds the mortgage is automatically protected by the insurance policy, without requiring a policy endorsement every time the loan changes hands.
Without ISAOA, every mortgage transfer could require a new endorsement naming the new holder. Servicing transfers are common, so most lender lines include ISAOA to avoid that rework.
ATIMA: As Their Interests May Appear
ATIMA means as their interests may appear. It limits the lender's share of a property loss payment to its actual insurable interest—typically the unpaid loan balance—not the full claim when other parties also have an interest.
ISAOA and ATIMA solve different problems: ISAOA addresses who holds the loan after a transfer; ATIMA addresses how much of a loss payment goes to the lender relative to that interest.
Include it when the lender's clause specifies it. Which is almost always.
If a lender's mortgagee clause reads "JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. ISAOA/ATIMA," you type it exactly that way on the dec page. Don't abbreviate it. Don't skip it. Don't paraphrase it.
Some carriers auto-populate ISAOA/ATIMA when you add a mortgagee. Others require you to type it manually. Verify the output matches the clause.
When ISAOA/ATIMA is absent
A few scenarios where you might not see it:
- Loss payee clauses for personal property (vehicles, equipment) typically don't use ISAOA/ATIMA.
- Very old loans originated before the language became standard may have simpler clauses.
- Government-backed loans (FHA, VA) may use different language specifying the government agency's interest.
If the lender's clause doesn't include ISAOA/ATIMA, don't add it yourself. Match the clause exactly as provided.
Common mistakes
Putting ISAOA/ATIMA on a separate line. It goes on the same line as the lender name: "JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. ISAOA/ATIMA" — not on the address line.
Using only ISAOA or only ATIMA. They serve different purposes. If the clause includes both, include both.
Confusing ISAOA/ATIMA with loss payee language. They're related but different. ISAOA/ATIMA is specific to mortgagee clauses on real property. Loss payee applies to personal property.
Look it up
Every clause in the MortgageeClauses.com database includes the correct ISAOA/ATIMA designation. Search any lender, copy the clause, and paste it directly — no guessing whether to include it.