Register's Blog

The Plymouth County Registry of Deeds has agreed to accept electric recordings, or “e-recordings.” E-recording is a process of submitting and receiving unregistered land documents electronically over a secure internet connection and recording them through a third party intermediary.  Simplifile is the first such intermediary approved by Plymouth County.  

We initiated a pilot program six months ago and recorded over seven hundred non-time sensitive documents before recently accepting “live” deeds. We look at this new development as a continuing advancement in our modernization efforts and improvement in our services to our users and the general public. Closing attorneys will now be able to record documents faster, disburse funds and offer better overall service to their clients.

Beyond being a great service to the real estate bar and the general public, it will streamline the recording process resulting in a more efficient operation and reduce paper costs.

Simplifile is hosting an electric recording seminar at the Radisson Hotel, 180 Water Street in Plymouth on Tuesday, September 16, 2008 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. which is open to the public. See both a news release and a copy of the Simplifile invitation in the News Release section of this website.

For questions concernind electronic recording in Plymouth County, please contact Assistant Register of Deeds Michael P Holden at holden@plymouthdeeds.org or (508) 830-9292.

Our nation’s and state’s foreclosure crisis has gotten significant coverage by national and local media. In addition, as reported in our July Monthly Register’s Report, we are facing a very difficult time in the generation of new mortgages. July’s figures reported only 1688 mortgages recorded at the Plymouth County Registry of Deeds,  the lowest number of mortgages recorded with us in one month since February, 2000 when1614 mortgages were recorded. Although our final August figures are still a week away, it appears to be more of the same.

Clearly stricter standards used by lenders in response to fraudulent loans and our troubled national economy has had a major impact on mortage volume. So has sinking consumer confidence. What is particularly disturbing is the claim that mortgage fraud has continued to go on.  A report this week from the Mortgage Asset Research Institute (MARI) states mortgage fraud, ie. cases including misrepresentation of income, employment history and debts and assets have been found to have increased 42% across the country. MARI has concluded, on the national level, stricter requirements have done little to restrict fraudulent mortgages. 

A report this week from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) bodes well for the 2008 cranberry crop in Plymouth County. While their economic forecast calls for a five percent increase in the United States cranberry crop,the USDA predicts a twenty-five percent increase in barrels of cranberries here in Massachusetts.

While local growers are always cautious until the harvesting of berries is complete, Plymouth County growers, who comprise the largest share of Massachusetts growers,  should be the beneficiaries of less winter kill and our rainy July and August according to the report. The Department of Agriculture forecasts 1.9 million 100-pound barrels of cranberries from the 458 Massachusetts cranberry growers.

Beyond the beauty of our soon to come fall harvest are positive economic results for Plymouth County families. Historically, the cranberry industry has played an important part in the Plymouth County economy. Ocean Spray Cranberries, a growers’ cooperative which represents about 70% of the global cranberry business, began in a building on Main Street in Hanson. Ocean Spray Cranberries’ current headquarters is in Lakeville.

The harvesting season, which usually runs from mid-September to early November, also provides a great end of season tourism boost to Plymouth County.

This week, we made an addition to our Plymouth County Notable Land Records Collection.   As described in greater detail in the Notable Land Records Collection section of this website, we alternate copies of  notable land records  with a brief story that goes along with them in the entry corridor at our main office in Plymouth.

Samuel Woodward, a famous American Poet,  had a muti-faceted career after spending his boyhood on his family’s farm in Scituate.  He is best remembered for a poem he wrote in 1817, long after he had moved from Scituate.  In the poem he reminisced about his boyhood days on the family farm, especially the “old oaken bucket” he drank from on hot days in his front yard.  To read his poem, which some have called the most beautiful poem in the English language, go to http://www.contemplator.com/america/bucket.html

The Old Oaken Bucket Homestead is still standing today at 47 Old Oaken Bucket Road near the intersection of Routes 123 and Route 3A,  in the Greenbush section of Scituate.  It is listed on the National  Register of Historic Places.

The story of Samuel Woodward and the Old Oaken Bucket was brought forward to our volunteer Display Committee by John Zigouras, our Director of Operations, who lives with his family in Scituate.

Earlier this week,  President George Bush signed into law long awaited legislation that could have a significant impact on our current slowdown in the Plymouth County Real Estate Market, the “Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008″.  This massive and multi-faceted approach to the “subprime” mortage crisis and our general economic condition has been called by many the most significant piece of housing legislation in decades. 

Congressman Barney Frank, who represents many communities in Plymouth County, was the driving force on the House side in pushing this legislation forward.

The legislation, in part, is intended to make it easier for borrowers facing foreclosure to refinance into more affordable loans.

The legislation also makes a major financial commitment to those communities with neighborhoods deteriorated by foreclosures. The City of Brockton is among the state’s communities hit hardest by the upswing in foreclosure proceedings.  However, other Plymouth County communities like Plymouth and Wareham have seen dramatic increases over past years’ foreclosure activities. The bill contains nearly $4 billion in redevelopment money for home purchase and rehabilitation in troubled neighborhoods.

Various organizations in Plymouth County have been following the progress of  the legislation closely and are expected to act quickly to take advantage of these new opportunities.

This week the official website of the United States Senate includes a noteworthy event in the career of Daniel Webster.  On July 22, 1850, Webster ended his nineteen-year career as a United States Senator for Massachusetts to accept an appointment as United States Secretary of State.  There is a section of the Senate website, www.senate.gov,  called “This Week in Senate History” which describes Webster’s decision to leave the Senate months after his courageous stand in support of one of Henry Clay’s proposals for compromise legislation before the Senate.  Clay’s proposal  was a continuing effort to maintain the union of the United States at a very turbulent time in our country’s history on the issue of slavery.  At the time, Webster’s Massachusetts’ constituents were outraged at his alleged betrayal.

The story is spelled out in greater detail on the Senate website and was such a historical display of political courage that it became a chapter in the then Senator John F. Kennedy’s well known book, “Profiles In Courage”.

A description of some of Webster’s accomplishments and a copy of the deed to his Marshfield estate is included in the Plymouth County Notable Land Records Collection on this website.

Last week, President George Bush signed into law a bill sponsored by Congressman Stephen E. Lynch naming Brockton’s main Post Office on Commercial Street after Rocky Marciano. Rocky Marciano, a professional boxer,  was undefeated in forty-nine title fights and remains the only undefeated heavyweight champion in history. The story of his success as the son of Italian immigrants continues to be a point of pride for the people of Brockton and Italian-Americans.  

The Brockton High School football stadium is named after Marciano. The World Boxing Council will soon erect a statue of Marciano in Brockton, although the site has not yet been determined. A plaque honoring Rocky, can be found on a stone on the Dover Street side of the James Edgar Playground, across the street from his boyhood home.

A recognition of Rocky Marciano’s accomplishments, a copy of the deed to his boyhood home as well as a recognition of James Edgar and his accomplishments are included in the Plymouth County Registry’s Notable Land Records Collection, now available for viewing on-line on this website, thanks to Pat Carroll of our Information Systems Department.

On July 13, 2008, Governor Deval Patrick signed the FY ’09 budget which included outside sections amending Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 262, § 38 and Chapter 44B, § 8 to require additional recording fees for multiple documents/multifunctional documents.  The amendments provide that when a document includes multiple references to a document or instrument intending or attempting to assign, discharge, release, partially release, subordinate or notice any other document or instrument, each reference shall be separately indexed and separately assessed an additional recording fee.  Click here for full text of memorandum to Plymouth County Registry users.  July 2008 Memo Concerning Multiple Documents

As an invited guest and speaker at last winter’s Plymouth County Assessors’ Annual Meeting, I saw a very professional presentation of a series of photographs of Plymouth County.  Elizabeth “Libby” Bates of Pembroke, current president of the Association, who works in the Marshfield Assessors Office, put together pictures of town halls, historical sites and famous buildings from each of our twenty-seven communities.

From Ned’s Point Lighthouse in Mattapoisett to Nantasket Beach in Hull and a lot of places along the way, the presentation highlights the diversity and natural beauty of Plymouth County.  You can find the Assessor’s presentation in the Photo Gallery section of this website.

Particularly this summer, when a lot of us won’t be doing as much wandering as in previous summers, take a ride to one of the locations in the presentation you haven’t been before.  Go to an ice cream shop, a farmer’s stand or a local restaurant.  From point to point anywhere in Plymouth County is an hour or less.  You will see why the Assessors of Plymouth County are so proud of their communities.

Special thanks go to Libby Bates and the Plymouth County Assessors Association for allowing us to add this panorama of beautiful places to our new website.

Please be aware that residents of Plymouth County have recently been solicited again by National Deed Service, Inc., a Washington D.C. company offering to aquire for you a certified copy of the deed to your home for $59.50.  In the past, we have alerted local media and Plymouth County’s Councils on Aging about this practice.  This mailing seems to be particularly targeted to seniors.  Go to the News section of this website to see a complete copy of our consumer alert.

A copy of your deed can be oe obtained at our Plymouth, Brockton or Rockland office for $1.00 per page.  If you want to mail in a request for a copy of your deed, please send a request which notes the book and page number or certificate number of your deed to us with a self-addressed stamped envelope with a  $3.00 fee.

We will continue to update this consumer alert.