Bill > H3229

This bill increases the community preservation surcharge fees for recording documents with registers of deeds and assistant recorders. Specifically, the bill raises the standard surcharge from a previous amount to $80 for most document recordings, with an additional $80 charged for each additional referenced document that requires separate indexing. For municipal lien certificates, the surcharge is set at $40, with similar additional charges for multiple references. These surcharges are designated to support community preservation efforts and will be forwarded to the Massachusetts Community Preservation Trust Fund. The bill maintains existing exemptions for certain documents, such as homestead declarations and subordinate mortgages from public or quasi-public agencies. The new surcharge amounts will take effect 120 days after the bill's passage, with documents received before the effective date continuing to be charged under the previous fee structure. This legislation aims to generate more revenue for community preservation initiatives by increasing filing and recording fees across various types of legal documents.

Budget and Finance

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H3229