Veterans Day Closing

Just an early reminder that the Registry of Deeds will be closed Monday, November 12, 2007 in observance of Veterans Day. However, you can always access our records online at www.WorcesterDeeds.com

Mechanics Liens for the Real Estate Lawyer Seminar

The Worcester County Bar Association Real Estate Law Section will meet on Thursday, November 1, 2007 at 4:30 PM at the Registry of Deeds. The main presentation will be Mechanics Liens for the Real Estate Lawyer.

It will be presented by Attorney David Wilson of Corwin and Corwin LLP of Boston. The seminar will include: a short overview of the statute; steps, documents, and a clear timeline necessary to obtain a mechanics lien; common recording issues with documents; Subordination and waiver of liens; methods of releasing, dissolving, or bonding liens; priority of liens over other encumbrances including mortgages; and Title Insurance issues. Attorney Wilson is an experienced construction lawyer and has lectured on this topic in a number of forums.

Sad News

Sharon Henault, the Assistant Register of Deeds of the Berkshire Registry of Deeds in Pittsfield, recently suffered a brain aneurysm. We wish Sharon a full recovery and ask you to please keep her and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

2008 Formatting Standards

The Massachusetts Registers of Deeds Association has adopted new Document Formatting Standards that will go into effect on January 1, 2008:

DOCUMENT FORMATTING STANDARDS

Documents recorded after January 1, 2008 must meet the following requirements:

1. Be on white paper of sufficient weight to reproduce in registry scanners.

2. All document pages and attachments must be on paper that is no larger than 8.5 inches by 14 inches.

3. Printing shall be on one side only; double-sided pages will not be accepted.

4. Documents that contain printing, writing or other markings must be sufficiently dark in appearance to be legibly reproduced on standard registry scanners.

5. All printing and writing on a document must be of sufficient size to be legibly reproduced on standard registry scanners.

6. Margins on all sides of all document pages must be of sufficient size to be legibly reproduced on standard registry scanners.

7. The first page of all documents must contain a “recording information area” in the upper right hand corner measuring three inches from the top edge of the document and three inches from the right edge of the document that is free from all writing or printing.

8. Documents that do not comply with Formatting Standard 7 above may still be recorded when attached to an official registry Document Cover Sheet or through the use of some other method adopted by the registry.

As January 1st approaches look to this blog and worcesterdeeds.com for more information on the new standards.