Columbus Day Hours

The Worcester Registry of Deeds will be closed on Monday, October 14, 2013, in observance of Columbus Day.

Homeowner Advisory

AG COAKLEY ADVISES HOMEOWNERS TO BE CAUTIOUS OF

“DEED COLLECTION SERVICES”

 

            BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is cautioning residents to beware of companies demanding money to obtain a copy of a deed to a home.

 

Mail solicitations from so-called “deed collection services” offer to sell homeowners a copy of the deed to their home at rates between $50 and $90. The solicitations sometimes appear to be from a government office or look like an invoice, demanding payment or compliance by a specific date. However, homeowners should know they are not obliged to pay these entities or to purchase a copy of their deed. Most homeowners receive a copy of the deed to their property at the closing for the purchase of their home. Homeowners can also obtain a copy of their deed for free or for a nominal fee, by visiting the Registry of Deeds in person or online.

 

“Homeowners should not spend a significant amount of money to obtain a copy of the deed to their home,” AG Coakley said. “We advise residents to contact their local registry with questions.”

 

            To date, a number of companies have solicited Massachusetts homeowners to purchase copies of the deeds to their homes at significantly more than the actual cost of obtaining the documents, including Record Transfer Services, Record Retrieval Department, Proxy Data Retrieval LLC, National Record Service, and Property Transfer Services.

 

In order to obtain a copy of the deed to their home, homeowners may:

 

·        Go to the Registry of Deeds in person, where copies are available for a minimal copying fee (generally $0.50 per page). Should a consumer desire a certified copy of their deed, they can obtain one from the appropriate Registry of Deeds for only a few dollars.

 

• Visit the Registry of Deeds’ website, where homeowners typically can download a copy free of charge, or for a small fee. Homeowners can find their local Registry of Deeds via the Secretary of State’s Office, at http://www.sec.state.ma.us/rod/.

First and Last Day Stats: May into June

The first and last days of each month have historically been busy days in terms of the number of documents recorded at the Registry of Deeds. To see stats from earlier in the year, click on the First/Last tag below the post.

May 31, 2013 - 1237 Documents Recorded (Up 34% from 2012)

June 3, 2013 - 776 Documents Recorded (Down 6% from 2012)

First and Last Day Stats: April into May

The first and last days of each month have historically been busy days in terms of the number of documents recorded at the Registry of Deeds. To see stats from earlier in the year, click on the First/Last tag below the post.

April 30, 2013 - 910 Documents Recorded (Down 17% from 2012)
May 1, 2013 - 579 Documents Recorded (Down 12% from 2012)

WINTER STORM NOTICE - Early closing on 2/8/13

The Worcester Registry of Deeds will be closing tomorrow, February 8th 2013, at 12:00 noon due to the expected winter storm.