The secretary of state's office and registries of deedsthroughout Greater Boston are charging customers for on-line accessto data that can be viewed for free by anyone who walks into theiroffices.
Officials at the agencies said the charges are necessary tosupport the services. They also said customers are happy to pay fortime on line because it is cheaper than paying an attorney orparalegal to view the documents in person.The users are mostly lawyers, banks, real estate companies, lawenforcement agencies and anyone else interested in real estateinformation, which is offered by the registries, or corporate data,which is offered by the secretary of state's office.The services represent a fast-growing source of revenue for theagencies. The agencies in fiscal '96 raised a total of about$500,000.Overall, between fiscal '95 and '96, on-line revenues for fiveGreater Boston registry of deeds offices and the secretary of state'soffice increased about 25 percent.While revenue for some was small, at others it is significant.For instance, on-line revenue for the Middlesex South Registry ofDeeds in Cambridge increased from $108,000 to $145,000 between fiscal'95 and fiscal '96 -- a 34 percent rise."It's growing rapidly every year," said Eugene C. Brune,register for Middlesex South. In fiscal '96, the registry's LandTrakgrossed $145,000, and this year "we'll probably do $160,000."The county has raised more from its on-line system than any ofthe other registries in Greater Boston, according to data supplied bythe counties. (The secretary of state's office took in more than$202,000.)The number of customers using the services also has increasedsharply over the past few years. In Middlesex South, users haveincreased from 248 to 331 from fiscal '94 to fiscal '96, up 33percent.Brune said the system could attract more users and probablygross $250,000 a year, but he needs more money to update the data.The system allows users to fax themselves images of documents, apopular feature, but the images of real estate transactions only goback to 1988, he said. If the system went back 10 more years, itwould be much more popular, Brune said.All the money raised by the system goes to the county, and "thecounty won't give me money, because they don't have it," he said,referring to the county's money problems.Costs for users vary from agency to agency. All but two of theeight surveyed have a signup fee, an annual fee, or both. Sevencharge per-minute fees that range from 20 cents to 60 cents.The services work in a similar manner. The agencies have setup computer "bulletin boards" of information. Customers, usingspecial software, dial into the agency using their PC and modem.Once connected, customers are offered a menu of choices. Theycan search for information about buyers and sellers of real estate,what prices property sold for and which lender gave the mortgage,among other things.At several registries, on-line customers also can get copies ofreal estate records from the bound volumes faxed to them, which ispopular with customers and lucrative for the registries.On the secretary of state's "DirectAccess" system customers canperuse information filed annually by corporations, search forcorporate officer's names, and check tax liens, to list a fewchoices.Jack McCarthy, spokesman for the secretary of state, said themain users of the system are lawyers and banks. "Theyhistorically sent someone to search through the files," he said."It's a way for them to save money and a lot of time."Not all government agencies charge for access to documents.The state's Internet Service Group has set up a free Internet homepage called Magnet, which stands for the Massachusetts Access toGovernment Network. The World Wide Web site is at:http://www.magnet.state.ma.us.The site provides reams of information about and from stateagencies."The whole philosophy of Magnet is to provide free and easyaccess to government information," said Sarah E. Bourne, the actingdirector of the Internet Service Group.Bourne said she is opposed to fee-based government services,unless there is some value added. She understood the registries andsecretary of state's office might "charge for the convenience and torecover the cost of maintaining the information." But ingeneral, she said, if taxpayer money has been spent to collect theinformation, "then by golly, why should I pay again?"In Plymouth, Plymouth County Register of Deeds John C. Riordansees the on-line service as a high-growth service."Three years from now we'll probably be at $100,000 {in feeearnings}," he said. In fiscal '96, the TitleView system grossednearly $59,000. One sure way for it to grow is to find moresubscribers than the current 507, he said. "We could probablydouble that number of subscribers in the next five years." It hasmore users than any other registry in Greater Boston.Subscribers now are mainly lawyers.And while Plymouth's 60-cents-a-minute on-line fee is now thehighest of the registries in Greater Boston and some registries havecut fees and prices, Riordan believes the fee could be increased "atsome point . . . but I'm not saying it's in our plans."Once people are hooked they will find it an indispensibleservice," he said. The system has no signup or annual fee.J. Michael Dunphy, a real estate lawyer in Plymouth, said heuses the Plymouth County system to check on real estate titles."We can do it from the office. Otherwise, we'd have to go tothe registry," also in Plymouth, which would take a half-hour, hesaid. "We've been using it for two or three years," Dunphy said, andhe likes it.The costs are "very reasonable," especially when compared witheither sending someone from the office over to the registry or hiringsomeone at the registry.Stephen Marcus, a lawyer with Marcus Goodman Emmer & Brooks inBraintree, said, "We can find out in a half-hour what might takeseveral days for a title examiner to do."Jack McCarthy, spokesman for the secretary of state's office inBoston, said the main users of the DirectAccess system were lawyersand banks."They historically sent someone to search through the files," hesaid. "It's a way for them to save money and a lot of time."Of the fee-based on-line services, the secretary of state'soffice takes in the most revenue, by far. Revenue exceeded $200,000in fiscal '96, up from more than $177,000 in fiscal '95, an increaseof nearly 14 percent.The system costs $149 per year and 40 cents per minute.Norfolk County Register of Deeds Barry T. Hannon said theNorfolk-Compu-Search service has been popular. "The number of usersis constantly increasing. Hardly a day goes by when someone doesn'twant to sign up for it," he said.While the Worcester and Middlesex North registries cut theirper-minute charges to encourage more people to sign up, he said it isnot under consideration at the registry in Dedham."We don't get complaints about the price level, and I think itis fair," said Hannon. "Most people are very pleased with it."The service costs $25 to sign up. The first minute of usecosts $1; every minute after that costs 50 cents. In fiscal '96,the service grossed about $17,000. The registry does not have a faxservice, which keeps its revenue lower than some other registries,said.William E. LaPointe, a lawyer in Sharon who does real estatework, said he likes the on-line services because of the time andmoney they save.It would cost him between $35 and $50 typically for someone todo a "rundown" to the Norfolk Registry in Dedham, when he can pay"less than $5" and get the same information on line in a few minutes,he said.One feature he enjoys about the Norfolk system is that there isno yearly fee, unlike others, such as Middlesex South. However,he said the per-minute cost of the Norfolk system is "a littlesteep," and he wishes he were billed directly by the county ratherthan by Nynex.SIDEBARGovernment on lineOn-line services offered by county and state agencies:Signup Per minuteService name cost Annual fee charge *FY97 revenues FY96 revenuesCustomersEssex ComputerAccess $100 ***$150 Free *****$35,000 NA 353to $45,000Middlesex North TeleSearch $100 $0 20 cents ****$3,642 $5,251167Middlesex South LandTrak $0 $100 50 cents $55,000 $145,000 337Norfolk Norfolk-Compu-Search $25 $0 $1 first minute; NA $17,31016750 cents after thatPlymouth TitleView $0 $0 60 cents $25,815 $58,901 507Secretary of State DirectAccess $0 $149 40 cents NA $202,676NA**Suffolk Public Access Line $0 $0 50 cents NA $12,134 NAWorcester LandTrack $0 $50 25 cents $7,130 $24,966 156* FY97 through November.** Based on calendar year, not FY; 1997 is through October.*** Includes yearly dues and administrative charge; fees are paidto Essex County Bar Assn. or North Shore Assn. of Realtors.**** FY97 through December.***** Revenue is from fax service only.SOURCE: Registries and secretary of state's officeGlobe staff chart
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