A New Home for the Registry

Yesterday, March 21, 2020, the Middlesex North Registry of Deeds moved all of its operations to the Lowell Justice Center at 370 Jackson Street, Lowell MA 01852. After two months of intense preparation, the move went smoothly and by the time we left the new space yesterday afternoon, everything was set up and working.

There are a few things left to be done. For instance, at 8am tomorrow (Monday, March 23, 2020) our telephone lines will be ported over to our new service provider. We already had dial tone and could make outgoing calls on Saturday, but incoming calls will not be received until this transfer of service takes place. We don't expect any problems but we'll have multiple technicians on site just in case.

Also yesterday we were able to pull up documents that were submitted for electronic recording after we closed on Friday, so we know that system is still working. That should also be the case tomorrow morning but there may be some unforeseen delays in processing documents.

As for a drop-off recording service, I won't know if we are able to do that until sometime tomorrow morning. We will be opening in an entirely new setting with established protocols and security procedures and we will have to comply with them. However, if permitted to do so, we will definitely have a drop-off service for documents.

IF WE ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE DROP-OFF SERVICE, here is how I expect it to work:

A customer with documents to record that cannot be submitted electronically should bring them to the Lowell Justice Center. We will have a small table in the lobby of the building between the front doorway and the entrance to the security check point. The customer should drop their ready-to-record packet onto the table then call the registry at 978-322-9000 and say you have just left a document for recording. Then the customer should leave. Once that happens, a registry employee will go to the lobby and retrieve the document.

Documents submitted this way should be accompanied by a self-addressed envelope of sufficient size for us to mail back the original documents (there will be no scan and return service). Plans may be recorded in this way as well although original plans will not be returned.

We will be happy to answer questions about your recording BY TELEPHONE BEFORE YOU COME TO THE JUSTICE CENTER. Just call us at 978-322-9000 or email your question to lowelldeeds@comcast.net.

If you have Registered Land documents you must first email images of the documents you intend to record to lowelldeeds@comcast.net. Someone from our registered land staff will review the documents and send you an email that either tells you what else is needed or gives you notice that the packet is ready for recording (please print that email and put it on the top of the packet of originals that your drop at the registry).

As soon as possible in the morning - most likely around 10am - I will do another blog post here with an update on the status of drop-off recordings.