Seeks your support in Register of Deeds race
Dear Editor:
On Thursday, September 8th, Suffolk County Democrats will go to the polls to nominate their candidate for Suffolk County Register of Deeds. This position has long been referred to as the “velvet coffin†– a cushy gig for a retired or ousted politician to sit back, relax, and collect a big paycheck. Suffolk County deserves more.
As a legal professional who has worked for the last 10 years with Registries across the Commonwealth, I am the only candidate who has the vision and experience to lead the office into the 21st century.
The Register is the custodian of all property records for Suffolk County, and how the registry operates matters to everyone buying a house, selling a house, or transferring property.  This office should be a launching pad for fresh perspective and ideas, rather than a landing pad for politicians that are finished elsewhere like City Hall. As someone who works with clients transferring and managing property in divorce and estate matters, and with those facing foreclosure in bankruptcy, I am acutely aware of how the Registry has the potential to change people’s lives. But, the office has been stagnant for years, and much is to be done.
As Register, I will work to transform the office into a leader of consumer protection and an efficient, service-oriented agency by advocating for and implementing:
- improved access to the registry, including electronic filing services and extended recording hours
- proactive consumer protection services, such as a consumer notification service which allow homeowners to opt-in and be notified when documents are recorded on their properties
- a link on the front page of the Registry website that informs the public of newly registered plans for developments with five or more units
- advisory programs to help homeowners understand solar panel contracts, and the impact of lien provisions they typically contain
- homebuyer 101 programs in conjunction with other cities and organizations in Suffolk County.
- a partnership with the Attorney General’s office to help protect residents, especially seniors, from predatory lending scams.
- advisory program to ensuring that homeowners are filing homestead declarations when they close on their home sales, so their most important and valuable asset is protected
- lawyer assistance programs for constituents facing foreclosure or title issues
- expanded translation of registry documents the many languages spoken by Suffolk County residents
Given the seriousness of the work, and the potential to help so many, this office should not be held by a serial office seeker or career politician looking for a paycheck. I am a serious candidate, committed to showing up for work every day and believe the people of Suffolk County deserve a full-time Register who will work to make a difference in people’s lives.
I am a professional, not a politician, and I have never run for office before, unlike most others in this race. When it comes to your home, your property, and your financial security, who will you trust? It’s not just politics to me.
My name is Katie Forde, and I ask for your vote for the Suffolk Register of Deeds in the Democratic primary on Thursday September 8.
Please see my website, www.katieforde.com, for more information.
Katie Forde
Candidate for Suffolk County Registry of Deeds
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Supports Kennedy for Governor’s Council
Dear Editor,
I have known current Governor’s Councillor Terrence (Terry) Kennedy since 1977, when I worked for then-Congressman Ed Markey in his Boston office, and Terry was an intern while a student at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Terry has been committed to outstanding public service for almost forty years.
Terry has served on the Governor’s Council since being elected in 2010, and has vetted over 200 judicial appointments by Governors Deval Patrick and Charlie Baker over the past five years. As our representative, he has carefully considered those nominees during hundreds of hours of hearings, and has only voted to approve those whom he deemed to be the most qualified with the temperament necessary to both guarantee fairness to a defendant, as well as to provide an environment where real justice can be forthcoming for the victims of crime and their families.
Terry is a graduate of Boston College School of Law, and has spent his entire professional career working in a wide variety of legal endeavors which make him uniquely qualified to serve as a Governor’s Councillor. He has served as a Law Clerk in the Suffolk Juvenile Court System, as an Assistant District Attorney in both Norfolk and Middlesex Counties, and as an Instructor in the law for both the Suffolk County Lawyers for Justice Mock Trial program as well as the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education program.
For the past thirty two years, Terry has maintained a private law practice in Everett, specializing in complex civil and criminal matters and has appeared as an Attorney in virtually every county and courthouse in the Commonwealth. As a resident of Lynnfield since 1993, he has served as a volunteer member of the Lynnfield Board of Appeals and as a volunteer soccer and Little League coach.
Terry has been married for thirty years to his wife Cheryl, a teacher of pre-school children, and is the proud father of three children: Peter, a senior at New York University; Julie, a graduate of Stonehill College with a graduate degree in higher education; and Alycia, an associate at a large law firm in Boston.
I urge voters to re-elect Terrence Kennedy as their Governor’s Councillor in the upcoming Democratic Primary on Thursday, September 8th.
Bill Schmidt
32 Buchanan Street
617-846-1392