Electronic Recording is almost here

Electronic recording is following an academic schedule - it took the summer off. We had a lot of activity back in May, thoroughly testing the system and demonstrating it for some potential users, but then things went on hold. Well summer vacation is just about over and electronic recording activity has resumed. We hope to have the system ready for regular, live recordings around the 1st of October. There are really two portions of the electronic recording system: the reception function and the submitter interface. When we purchased the ACS computer system several years ago, we paid for the electronic reception function as part of the overall purchase, so that's what we'll be using. We've tested it and it works very well. It will allow incoming electronic documents to merge seamlessly with paper documents recorded the traditional way. The ACS submitter interface is a different story. This is the Internet-based program that users will employ to send documents to the registry. The ACS model is a generic, nationwide one that will probably work very well for big mortgage companies that send us bunches of mortgages or discharges through the mail. In my opinion, however, the ACS submitter interface will be relatively difficult to use for the average Massachusetts conveyancing attorney. I'll try to state the basis of my opinion in coming blog entries. The good news is that ACS will not have a monopoly on the submitter side. Competing programs produced by other companies will also be able to submit documents electronically (just like your cell phone with Verizon service can communicate easily with my AT&T Wireless phone). With competition, the market will decide which system works best for Massachusetts users, and that's the way it should be. So if you know anyone who owns an Electronic Document Recording Company, have them give me a call. It might be a great business opportunity.