Budget Amendment ID: FY2012-S3-20

OTH 20

Registry of Deeds

Mr. Rosenberg moved that the proposed new text be amended by inserting after Section _____, the following new Section:-

"SECTION ____.  SECTION ___.  Chapter 36 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out sections 1 and 2, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, and  inserting in place thereof the following 2 sections:-

Section 1. There shall be 1 registry of deeds for each of the following counties: Barnstable, Berkshire, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester.

The counties of Barnstable, Dukes, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Suffolk shall have an office for the registry of deeds in a shire town thereof.

The counties of Berkshire, Bristol, Essex, Middlesex and Worcester shall maintain regional district offices. The regional district offices shall be under the authority of the registry of deeds of the county. The offices shall be located as follows:

(i) in Berkshire, the middle district, with its office in Pittsfield, comprising Pittsfield, Becket, Dalton, Hinsdale, Lee, Lenox, Otis, Peru, Richmond, Stockbridge, Tyringham and Washington; the northern district, with its office in Adams, that portion of the county lying north of the middle district; and the southern district, with its office in Great Barrington, that portion of the county lying south of the middle district;

(ii) in Bristol, the southern district, with its office in New Bedford, comprising, New Bedford, Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven and Westport; the Fall River district, with its office in Fall River, comprising Fall River, Freetown, Somerset and Swansea; and the northern district, with its office in Taunton, the remainder of that county;

(iii) in Essex, the northern district, with its office in Lawrence, comprising Lawrence, Andover, Methuen and North Andover; the southern district, with its office in Salem, the remainder of that county;

(iv) in Middlesex, the northern district, with its office in Lowell, comprising Lowell, Billerica, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Tewksbury, Tyngsborough, Westford and Wilmington; the southern district, with its office in Cambridge, the remainder of that county; and

(v) in Worcester, the northern district, with its office in Fitchburg, comprising Fitchburg, Ashburnham, Leominster, Lunenburg and Westminster; the Worcester district, with its office in Worcester, the remainder of that county.

Section 2. In each county, a register of deeds, who shall be a resident of the county, shall be elected, as provided in section 157 of chapter 54, for a term of 6 years, beginning with the first Wednesday of January following the register’s election, or until the register’s successor is otherwise qualified.

SECTION ___.  Chapter 54 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 157, as so appearing, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 157. At the biennial state election in 2012 and in every sixth year thereafter, a register of deeds of each county shall be chosen by the voters of the county.

SECTION ___.  SECTIONS ___ and ___ shall take effect on January 1, 2012, and shall apply to the biennial state election in 2012; provided, however, that nothing in this act shall affect the incumbent in office on the effective date of this act; and provided further, that a person holding the position of register of deeds on the effective date of this act shall continue in office until the first Wednesday in January following the biennial state election in 2012 or until a successor is otherwise qualified."