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The long-running conflict between William P. O'Donnell, Register of Deeds for the County of Norfolk, and the three Commissioners that call most of the shots in Norfolk dates back more than two years and focused on, among other things, whether the Register could continue to employ a "chief information officer" to ensure that the millions of records held by the county would remain secure and accessible.
The three commissioners saw things differently, cut the position, and otherwise did their best to bring O'Donnell to heal, leading to acrimonious legal actions.
In a letter shared by his office Friday, he brings matters up to date from his perspective:
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August 30, 2024 Dear Registry of Deeds stakeholder, ____It is timely to update Registry stakeholders and taxpayers of the status of the second “Registry law suit”. On June 28, 2024 Judge Cloutier of the Norfolk Superior Court ruled that the Norfolk County Commissioners and Norfolk County have violated a number of state laws. See the attached written decision William P. O’Donnell, vs. Joseph P. Shea, Peter H. Collins et al. ____The Norfolk Superior Court ruled favorably for the Registry of Deeds. The Norfolk County Commissioners and Norfolk County violated Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 64D sections 11 and 12 when they failed to provide the required budgetary funding to the Registry of Deeds and when they spent funds and removed funds from a designated Registry of Deeds account. ____Judge Cloutier found the County Commissioners’ actions to be unlawful. As Register of Deeds I was left with no choice but to litigate and prosecute this case on my own without the benefit of independent legal counsel which the Defendants have had throughout the court process. The law suit was prosecuted to insure the “automation, modernization and operation of the registries of deeds” as noted in the state law. ____The Norfolk County Commissioners and Defendants filed a Motion to Reconsider despite Judge Cloutier pointing out in footnote #10 on page 11 that “…prior to 2020, the County’s interpretation of the statutes was largely consistent with the court’s interpretation.” This Motion to Reconsider was denied in a court ruling dated August 23, 2024 and received by the Registry of Deeds on August 28, 2024. Sincerely yours, |
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William P. O’Donnell Norfolk County Register of Deeds P.S. ._The above case should not be confused with the other Registry lawsuit against Norfolk County Director John J. Cronin and the Norfolk County Commissioners – Joseph Shea, Peter Collins and Richard Staiti. A different Norfolk Superior Court judge ruled that County Director Cronin and the Norfolk County Commissioners violated state law in this case. See the written decision in 2282 CV 01001 attached. |
