GOOD DEEDS: The Personal Touch

It’s no secret that people like personalized service. People have groceries and dinners sent to their homes. Others hire people to shop for them. So, it made a lot of sense to me when I first became Register of Deeds in 2002 about bringing Registry services directly to the people of Norfolk County.

Today, through our community outreach program, we provide essential services and educational information to all 28 communities in Norfolk County. Our most popular community program is our office hours, usually held at your local town hall, whereby you can save time and money by getting your business done without driving to our Dedham location.

GOOD DEEDS: The Personal Touch

During my 2024 office hours tour I have had the pleasure of visiting various communities throughout Norfolk County taking the time to speak with various community groups to let their members know about Registry services and how they can easily access them from the convenience of their home computer. These local groups include: councils on aging, retirees, chambers of commerce, business associations, veterans, libraries, and men’s and women’s clubs. Another beneficial part of our traveling road show is the opportunity to meet with local town leaders and staff who work to keep the communities in our county running smoothly.

Thanks to the blending of modern technology and old fashioned customer service, we were able to give printouts of deeds (most popular request), check to see if individuals had any outstanding mortgages on their property, or whether a mortgage had been discharged, and help fill out a Homestead form that once recorded provides owners with limited protection of up to $500,000 against unsecured debt when it comes to a forced sale of their principal residence.

Furthermore, we also acted as a courier bringing back documents that individuals needed to have recorded at the Registry. I can’t tell you how many times people have said to me at office hours, “Thanks so much. I am glad you’re here. It’s not a long trip to Dedham but this saves me that trip.” And for some people that can be a long ride, since Norfolk County stretches from Cohasset to communities near the Rhode Island border like Bellingham and Wrentham.

If you missed our scheduled office hours and want to get a copy of your deed, don’t worry. All you have to do is go online at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds website at www.norfolkdeeds.org click on ‘Online Research’ at the top of the bar and when the pop-up box appears click on ‘Search for Your Deed,’ and you can print a non-certified copy for free. If you would like a certified copy, the cost is usually very inexpensive. Certified deeds cost a dollar a page, and most deeds are two pages. Add a dollar on for mailing, and a certified copy of your deed will be sent to your home for $3.00! all you have to do is visit or call our well regarded Customer Service Center, Monday through Friday between 8:30AM to 4:30PM at 781-461-6101.

I want to take the opportunity to thank all of the individuals who came and visited us during our office hours and I hope that by doing so we were able to give you a bit of convenience and save you some time. I also want to thank the community leaders and town staff who worked with registry staff to coordinate these office hour events and gave us the opportunity to bring the Registry of Deeds and its records to the residence and property owners of Norfolk County.

By William P. O’Donnell

Norfolk County Register of Deeds