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2013: In April, The Mass
General Laws Acts of 2012 have amended the Declaration of Homestead form to
provide protection from foreclosure for deployed service members. Click
here for more information or click
here for our Homestead FAQ's
On January 20, Southern
Register of Deeds seeks Restitution Click
here to read the article
On January 9, Please be advised that
companies are contacting property owners and implying that "A Substantial
Tax Lien" has been recorded at the Registry of Deeds against their
property. These companies are offering to assist property owners to locate and
release these Liens for a considerable fee. The Registry of Deeds will assist
you in locating these documents at no cost to you. Should a Lien be found we
will explain the steps necessary to Release the Lien. Please contact Customer
Service at 978-542-1704 with any additional questions.
2012: On September 5, CBS News:
Homeowners, Advocates want bank Reps jailed for Foreclosure Fraud Click
here to view the article and interview
On June 22, Henrietta
Eaton and the Boston Foreclosure Party Click
here to read more
On February 17, Register
O'Brien warns of settlement scam. People have been receiving scam phone calls
claiming to have information for consumers eligible to receive
money from the mortgage settlement. It is unknown if the
callers are posing as bank employees or as a third party working
on behalf of the banks, but they are asking for consumers' bank
account information in order to direct deposit the money.
Borrowers should contact their mortgage servicers directly in
order to obtain information on what they may qualify for under
the settlement. Register O'Brien wants to remind you to
always be cautious when discussing personal information over the
phone.
On January 27, Register
John O'Brien works with Mayor James Fiorentini and Chairman of The House Ways
and Means Brian Dempsey to land a grant for the City of Haverhill. Click
here to read the article
Click
here to see the picture
On January 18, O'Brien
calls for criminal action against the big banks; says they acted like
"Criminal Enterprise" Click
here to read the press release
2011: On December 2,
John O'Brien interviewed by Lisa Myers, Senior Investigative
correspondent for NBC "Nightly News with Brian Williams." Click
here to see the video
Salem News
reports: "Salem register 'thrilled' by
AG suit vs. banks"
Click
here to read the article
On December 1,
Register O'Brien on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams.
Click
here to see the video from 12/1/11
On November 18, The Registry of Deeds kicked off its 2nd
annual food drive to benefit local food pantries.
Employees and customers are encouraged to donate a few
nonperishable or canned goods.
Our
motto is "how may we help you?" and this holiday
season we ask you to help us help others. Please bring a few
nonperishable goods to the Registry, there are collection boxes
placed around the building.
Thank you!
On October 21,
AMVONA reports: "Houston, we've got a problem - Bevilacqua." Click
here to read the article.
On October 7,
Salem News editorial: Big banks to face bay state test, Click
here to read the editorial.
On October 6,
Attorney General Martha Coakley announces her intention to sue the banks; Click
here to read the article from the Lynn Item.
In August, To
read REBA's Letter regarding MERS from 8/8/11, Click
here
To
Read Register O'Brien's Response from 8/30/11 Click
here
To
read Register O'Brien's Response from 9/20/11 Click
here
On August 24, Essex County Register of Deeds
John O'Brien today expressed outrage at the removal of New York Attorney
General Eric Schneiderman from a leadership role in the bank foreclosure
settlement talks. O'Brien, who has been leading the national effort to
hold the banks accountable for the fraudulent recordings in Registries across
the country said, "Eric Schneiderman has been one of the few voices for
Main Street, not Wall
Street when it comes to these negotiations." "It is a travesty of
justice to have him removed when he is speaking on behalf of the American
homeowners. We need more Eric Schneidermans fighting the fight,"
O'Brien continued.
According to O'Brien, referring to this unprecedented decision, the Iowa
Attorney General, Tom Miller should step down. "Miller has received
hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the very
bankers and their associates that he purports to regulate. It seems to me that
he has become the voice of Wall Street and he has abandoned Main Street. If
property rights mean anything in this country, the Attorneys General will cease
all talks with these banks immediately, and I am urging the American people to
contact their Attorney General and ask them to do just that."
On July 26, MA
Attorney General takes up Register O'Brien's fight against big banks;
Intensifies investigation into Foreclosure Fraud
Click here
to read the story in the Lynn Item
Click here
to read the story in the Salem News
Click
here
to read the story in the Boston Herald
Click here
to read the story in the Boston Globe
On July 19, Hank Phillippi Ryan Investigates:
Suspicious Mortgage Signatures. Click
here to see the Channel 7 video.
Associated Press reports: "Lawmakers call for hearings
on robo-signing" Click
here to read the article.
On July 18, "Mortgage industry document 'robo-signing'
continues" Click
here to read the National AP story
On July 14, County Registrar takes stand against
Robo-Signers
Click here to read
the Boston Globe article
On July 5, Huffington Post: Mass Register John
O'Brien's presentation draws crowd of Recorders in Atlantic City
Click
here to read the news story from 7-5-11
Boston Herald: Activist Official: Mortgage flaws pervasive
'Crime'
Click
here to read the News story from 7-5-11
Boston Herald: Paperwork for Sarah Palin's Arizona home
problematic
Click
here to read
the News story from 7-5-11
On July 1, Salem News: AG needs to get tough on faulty
Mortgages. Click here to read the opinion piece
Lynn Item: No quick
settlement on Foreclosure crisis. Click here to read the editorial piece
On June 29, Southern Essex Registry of Deeds audit
reveals that 75% of Assignments of Mortgage are invalid; O'Brien says banks
responsible for an epidemic of fraud, once again urges Attorney's General to
stop bank settlement talks. Click here to
read the Press Release
To view the full audit Click here
June, To search 25,187 "Robo-Signed"
documents Click here
To view the list of active "Robo-Signers"
identified by McDonnell Property Analytics Click
here
To view the Linda Green signature variations Click
here
June, Find out who owns your Mortgage. To download the Lender
Compliance Letters and Instructions. Click
here
On June 13, "MASS
Registry of Deeds: A Household Name in Foreclosure Households" Click
here to read the Huffington Post article by Richard Zombeck
On June 9, Mass Analyst says Palin may have Deed
Problem. Click
here to read the article from the Boston Globe 6-9-11
Mortgage Mess Victim: Sarah Palin? Click
here to read the article and see the video from NECN
On June 8, Register refuses to accept "Robo-Signed"
Documents.
Click here to read the article from the Lynn
Item
Click here to read the
article from the Salem News
Click here to read
the article from the Newburyport Times
On
June 7, Massachusetts Register of Deeds John O'Brien is first in
the Nation to say no to recording ROBO-SIGNED documents; North
Carolina Register of Deeds, Jeff Thigpen agrees. Click
here to read the release from 6/7/11, Click
here to read the Rejection Letter, Click
here to see the Affidavit of Authenticity,
On May 25, To View
Channel 7's Hank Phillippi Ryan's Mortgage Fraud Story Click
here
To Search "LINDA
GREEN" Documents, Click
here
On May 17,
The Lynn Daily Item Reports: O'Brien takes on Big
Banks.. Click
here to read the article
On May 10,
The National Association of Counties Reports:
County Recorders, Registers of Deeds: We're losing money to MERS Click
here to read the article from 5/10/11
On May 5, Newburyport
News: Probe has big banks on the run, Click
here to read the article. Salem News: Big Banks on
the hot seat Click
here to read the article.
On April 15,
The Boston Business Journal reports: John O'Brien: Taking on Bank of
America. Click
here to read the article
On April 7,
The Gloucester Times reports: Register targets Bank of America on fees, CPA
funds. Click
here to read the article
On April 6,
The Eagle Tribune reports: So. Essex Registry able to move money out of Bank of
America. Click
here to read the article
On April 5,
"Register of Deeds takes on Bank of America over mortgage
fees." Click
here to read the article from the Eagle Tribune. Click
here to read the article from the Newburyport Daily News. Click
here to read the Press Release from Register O'Brien
On April 3, 60
Minutes airs an expose on Mortgage Fraud. Click
here to see the video and read the article, and see what Register
O'Brien has been saying for months.
On March 17,
the Salem News reports: Official: Lost fees impact preservation. Click
here to read the story
On March 16, Register
of Deeds and Endicott College students produce Homestead PSA.
Click
here to read the Beverly Citizen article
On March 10,
Gloucester Times reports: City, towns lose $400k for CPA. Click
here to read the story
The Newburyport News reports:
Scheme costs city $205k in CPA funds. Click
here to read the story
The Salem News' Nelson Benton: Tale of Two
Registers. Click
here to read the story
On March 7,
NBC News Reports: Counties Seek Millions From Mortgage Giant. Click
here to read the story
On February 24, Salem
News Reports: Official slams a 'Scheme' to avoid paying mortgage
fees. Click
here to read the article from 2/24/11
On February 24, Boston Business Journal:
Register wants to take on mortgage giant. Click
here to read the article from 2/24/11
On February 23, MERS may owe
Commonwealth $200 million.
Click
here to read the Mass Lawyers Weekly article from 2/23/11
Click
here to read the Banker & Tradesman article from 2/24/11
On February 22, O'Brien
calls on MERS to come clean and Pay Up: Says Essex County Owed $22
Million.
Click
here to read the Press Release from2/22/11
Click
here to see the Lost MERS Revenue by town
On February 3, New Federal Program to
Help Homeowners effective MARCH 2011. Click
here to read the Boston Globe article from February 3, 2011
On
January
10, Massachusetts Courts to
Banks on Foreclosurers: The Law Matters
Click
here to read the article at the Huffington Post
On January 7, News on Banking
Scandal: SJC Rules Against Banks - Register
John O'Brien said, "The Massachusetts Supreme Court has
ruled that these Major Banks must follow the same laws as
everyone else and that assignments are not optional in
Massachusetts. It's obvious they didn't want the public
to know what they were doing, coupled with their greed in
trying to deliberately avoid the payment of the required
recording fees, has placed them in the mess that they are in
today. This is a huge win for the taxpayers, this case
will send shock waves throughout the MERS community as they
now have been exposed and they are going to have to get their
checkbooks out and reimburse the taxpayers. These major
banking conglomerates' deliberate scheme to not file the
proper paperwork together with the 'robo-signers scandal' are
the major reasons why our housing market is in the economic
turmoil it is in today. I want to assure the people of
Essex County that I will do everything in my authority to
ensure that these major lenders reimburse the taxpayers for
every cent they are owed. I will pursue them as vigorously as
they would pursue you if you owed fees to their banks."
O'Brien said. Click
here to read the decision from the SJC
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