Franklin July 2017

Page 26 Franklin Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com July 2017
Norfolk County Register of Deeds
William P. O’Donnell today reminded
homeowners about the importance of
filing a mortgage discharge after their
mortgage has been paid off.
The Register stated, “When a mortgage
is paid off, a mortgage discharge
document needs to be recorded with the
Registry of Deeds to clear a homeowner’s
property title relative to that loan. A
discharge is a document (typically one
page) issued by the lender, usually with
a title such as “Discharge of Mortgage”
or “Satisfaction of Mortgage.”
O’Donnell further stated, “In many
instances, discharges are filed directly
by banks or settlement closing attorneys
with the Registry as part of a property
sale or as a result of a refinancing
transaction. In other cases, the mortgage
discharge is sent to the property
owner who then becomes responsible
Register O’Donnell Stresses
Need to File Mortgage Discharges
for making sure the document is recorded.
Whether or not a discharge
is recorded by the lending institution
or the individual property owner, it is
prudent that the property owner make
sure that all necessary documents have
been recorded at the Registry of Deeds.
One way to check on your title is by accessing
the Registry’s online records at
www.norfolkdeeds.org and verifying if
all mortgages associated with the property
have been discharged.”
The Register further mentioned
that there have been cases where no
discharge has been recorded against a
long paid off mortgage. “Unfortunately,
Anita Bertone
some of the lending institutions that
provided funds Broker/Owner
for these mortgages are
no longer in existence. In other cases,
financial entities have merged with another
lending institution. Please remember
not having a mortgage discharged
31 Susan’s Way
Franklin, MA 02038
will result in a title issue that can impact
the sale of one’s home,” the Register
warned.
If a property owner needs to retrieve
an original discharge of a mortgage
and is unclear which lending institution
is now responsible for providing
the document, an option is to contact
the Massachusetts Division of Banks
at 1-800-495-2265. This government
agency can assist the consumer in tracking
down contact information for the
lending institution that is responsible
for the mortgage.
When recording a discharge, the
original document is required. The
Registry of Deeds does not accept
photo copies or faxed copies of documents.
The filing fee, set by state statute,
is $76.
In conclusion O’Donnell stated,
“After paying off all the mortgages on
their property, homeowners want the
peace of mind that they have clear title
to their property, especially if they are
contemplating selling. I strongly urge
homeowners to make sure their mortgage
discharge has been filed with the
Registry of Deeds once their mortgage
has been paid off. There is no reason
to wait.”
The Norfolk County Registry of
Deeds, 649 High Street, Dedham, is
staffed with a team of customer service
representatives who can be reached
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30
p.m. at (781) 461-6101 or registerodonnell@norfolkdeeds.org.
To learn more
like them at facebook.com/Norfolk-
Deeds or follow them on twitter.com/
NorfolkDeeds and instagram.com/
NorfolkDeeds. All land record research
information can be found on the Registry’s
website www.norfolkdeeds.org.
Anita Bertone
Broker/Owner
Direct: (774) 248-4630
abertonerealty@gmail.com
B R
BERTONE
R E A L T Y
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(774) 248-4630
abertonerealty@gmail.com