For a definitive answer, you should have an attorney review the documentation and circumstances in detail with you. As a general rule of thumb, time of recordation would not affect priority if there were terms in one or both loans stating their respective priority. For example, if the mortgage was denominated a first mortgage and the home equity line of credit a second mortgage, or the HELOC was stated to be subordinate to either first mortgages generally or this mortgage in particular, then then terms setting priority would control and the mortgage would have higher priority. Also if both were with/through the same lender, that lender can, and presumbly, establish the relative priority of its loans.