In May 2000, for the first time, the Court issued a set of Guidelines to assist registry personnel and the bar in determining the suitability of documents presented for filing and affecting registered land. The goal of the Guidelines was to offer a consistent, reliable set of requirements across the Commonwealth's registered land districts, to the extent possible. This second compilation reflects a revision of the 2000 Guidelines, and is informed by our shared experiences working with the Guidelines during the past several years.
This second compilation contains sixty-three guidelines, of which ten are new, and twenty-one are revisions of the originals. One original guideline has been deleted. The goal throughout the revision process has been two fold. First, the committee wanted to clarify matters that proved difficult to understand in practice. Second, the committee sought to eliminate the need for filing cases with the court unless such filings were absolutely necessary. Accordingly, under the revised Guidelines more decisions may be made at the registry district level, with the revised guidelines themselves affording sufficient guidance to the decision makers.
As we did in 2000, we emphasize that the Guidelines are not firm rules. We do not intend that they should eliminate the exercise of sound judgment by registry personnel in assessing whether a particular document may be accepted for filing. The registry districts retain the right to refer to the Court any question they may have about the propriety of documents presented for filing, if, in the judgment of registry personnel there exists a question regarding its suitability for filing – even where the document falls within the literal application of these Guidelines. Nonetheless, we have attempted to provide guidance that will allow treatment of most documents in a consistent manner.
The recent increase in foreclosures in Massachusetts reminds us that new issues arise daily. Accordingly, these Guidelines cannot be static. Revisions will continue to be required and will be made. Our goal, going forward, is to update the Guidelines more frequently, to respond to matters brought to our attention by registry personnel and the bar. We invite and look forward to your input.
The court is grateful to the many people, within and outside the Court, who participated in revising the Guidelines. Our appreciation to Attorneys Martin Loria, Kathleen Mitchell, Robert Moriarty, Samuel B. Moskowitz, Joel A. Stein, and Philip D. Stevenson, for their commitment to this project and for the generosity of their time and expertise. We also appreciate the assistance and input we received from the Registers of Deeds and their staffs, whose perspective is essential to this effort.
We are grateful to Justice Gordon H. Piper and Chief Title Examiner Edmund Williams for their invaluable insights and dedication, and to all of the Court's associate justices and title examiners whose time and input were instrumental in this effort.
We hope you find these Guidelines useful.
Chief Justice Karyn F. Scheier
Recorder Deborah J. Patterson
March 26, 2009
Boston, Massachusetts