By chattel mortgage, personal property is recorded in the Chattel Mortgage Register as a security for the performance of an obligation. If the movable, instead of being recorded, is delivered to the creditor or a third person, the contract is a pledge and not a chattel mortgage.
A chattel mortgage must adhere to a prescribed form and execution process: It must be signed by the mortgagor in the presence of two witnesses. An affidavit affirming the mortgage's purpose and validity must be included and signed by the parties involved. The affidavit must be certified by an authorized officer.