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Norfolk County Register of Deeds William P. O’Donnell was sworn into a new term on January 1, 2025, during a ceremony at the State House Library in Boston. Conducting the swearing in was Secretary of the Commonwealth William F. Galvin.
In order to execute a critical part of his official duties as Norfolk County Register of Deeds, Register O’Donnell was also sworn in as Norfolk County’s Assistant Recorder of the Land Court by Chief Justice Gordon Piper of the Massachusetts Land Court at the Great Hall of the John Adams Courthouse, which is the original location of the Massachusetts Land Court.
Register O’Donnell a Norwood resident, who has been the Register of Deeds since 2002, was re-elected during the November 5, 2024 election.
“I would like to thank the residents of Norfolk County for the support and trust they have shown me over the years. It has been a privilege and honor to serve as your Register of Deeds. You can rest assured that the Registry of Deeds will continue to be an efficient customer-oriented operation, and that at the Registry of Deeds we are as committed as ever to sound management practices and service to the residents and businesses of Norfolk County,” said Register O’Donnell.
Register O’Donnell, explained the role of Assistant Recorder of the Land Court. “Massachusetts has two classifications of land: recorded land and registered land. The Massachusetts Land Court is responsible for resolving disputes involving land or real property. Once the case is resolved by the Land Court, I, as Register of Deeds, am responsible for overseeing the recording and safe keeping of these registered land records in Norfolk County. The Land Court also sets out rules for the recording of Registered Land documents. This is why the Register of Deeds is required to be sworn in as an Assistant Recorder of the Land Court.”
In the case of Norfolk County, approximately 80% of the property is classified as recorded land and the remaining 20% is considered registered land or “Land Court property.” Register O’Donnell noted, “Whether the land in question is recorded or registered land, I take my responsibilities as an Assistant Recorder of the Land Court very seriously. The citizens of Norfolk County can be assured that the county’s approximately 13.1 million land documents are being recorded accurately, efficiently and are available online for viewing via our state-of-the-art computer system.
“Finally, I want to thank Secretary Galvin and Chief Justice Piper, and their staffs for their graciousness and kind remarks extended to me at the swearing-in ceremonies. The level of cooperation and mutual respect exhibited between the state and county has been critical to achieving our goals with regard to the recording and safekeeping of land documents.”
