E-Recording Update: The Worcester Model

Earlier this week I attended a meeting of the Massachusetts Registers of Deeds Association at the Worcester Registry of Deeds. One item discussed was the efforts by that registry in partnership with the Secretary of State’s Office and computer company ACS to develop a “governmental electronic recording portal.”

Currently, the four registries that are already doing electronic recording (Middlesex North, Hampden, Plymouth and Middlesex South) all use a model whereby the customer must sign-up with and submit electronic documents through a third party vendor. That vendor then passes the electronic documents through to the registry where they are recorded. The vendor is responsible for customer service and ensuring payment of all fees and excise taxes incurred by the customer.

Under the Worcester model, customers would be able to sign-up directly with the registry, by-passing the middleman. Or customers could continue to use the third party vendors (the “middlemen”) who would then submit directly to the registry just as any other customer would.

I’ll reserve judgment on this new system until I see it in operation which is not expected to occur until at least July 1, 2010.