Dear Friend of the Registry and Registry Stakeholders,
The fees for the Community Preservation Act are set by the State Legislature on land documents recorded here at the Norfolk County Registry of Deeds. I thought the chart on the reverse side would be of interest to you. It provides an illustration of the funds generated by the Community Preservation Act (CPA) in your community based on recorded real estate filings during the 2021 calendar year.
The Community Preservation Act was signed into law on September 14, 2000. Today there are 187 Massachusetts communities that have adopted this act. 19 communities out of the 28 communities that make up Norfolk County have adopted the law. As of December 31, 2019, fees collected for the Community Preservation Act were increased to $50.00 for most land documents recorded and $30.00 for municipal lien certificates. The Registry of Deeds, at no additional cost to the Commonwealth or local communities, collects these revenues once a land document is recorded and forwards the monies to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue on a monthly basis. The funds forwarded to the Commonwealth are then redistributed back to the communities that have adopted the Community Preservation Act.
As you may or may not be aware the Norfolk Registry of Deeds has been fighting to keep its 2-person permanent onsite direct report Registry IT Technology Department. This department which includes a Registry Chief Information Officer that heads it has been key in implementing technology and modernization initiatives. There are also cyber security and ransomware risks when you look at not just the CPA monies collected but the over 82 million dollars the Norfolk Registry of Deeds collected in calendar year 2021. Please see the attached resolution, as voted by the Town of Millis Select Board.
Please urge the Norfolk County Commissioners to keep the onsite direct report Registry IT Department as to continue to do otherwise is an unsound public policy that is negatively impacting Registry operations and the services it provides. Their contact information is attached along with the representatives to the Norfolk County Advisory Board. The failure to have a permanent onsite Registry CIO and a permanent direct report onsite Registry IT Technology Department is evidently going to be taken up as part of the county budget process. Please contact your Norfolk County Advisory Board members as well as your Select Boards, City Councilors and Mayors who appoint your community’s Norfolk County Advisory Board member to urge keeping the Registry IT Technology Department with a Registry CIO like it has had for well over 35 years.
Thank you for any assistance you can give in this matter. 2021 has certainly been a very challenging year. I wish you and yours a happy and healthy new year in 2022.
Sincerely yours,
William P. O’Donnell
Norfolk County Register of Deeds
NORFOLK COUNTY REGISTRY OF DEEDS
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT (CPA)
SURCHARGES BY TOWN FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2021
TOWN | TOTAL |
AVON | $64,775.00 |
BELLINGHAM | $257,975.00 |
BRAINTREE | $460,750.00 |
BROOKLINE | $605,800.00 |
CANTON | $359,525.00 |
COHASSET | $151,925.00 |
DEDHAM | $338,425.00 |
DOVER | $94,225.00 |
FOXBOROUGH | $223,975.00 |
FRANKLIN | $440,125.00 |
HOLBROOK | $142,425.00 |
MEDFIELD | $201,000.00 |
MEDWAY | $186,850.00 |
MILLIS | $138,375.00 |
MILTON | $366,525.00 |
NEEDHAM | $444,575.00 |
NORFOLK | $173,300.00 |
NORWOOD | $333,600.00 |
PLAINVILLE | $116,625.00 |
QUINCY | $887,050.00 |
RANDOLPH | $361,225.00 |
SHARON | $255,625.00 |
STOUGHTON | $367,625.00 |
WALPOLE | $349,300.00 |
WELLESLEY | $349,950.00 |
WESTWOOD | $224,400.00 |
WEYMOUTH | $707,775.00 |
WRENTHAM | $197,725.00 |
Link to the Norfolk Deeds letter -> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1XVah_ejUdPHcplsLKWWxU4EYMxd9wyGd/view?usp=sharing
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| Norfolk County Registry of Deeds |
