How can I tell if my real property is recorded or registered land?

In the large majority of cases your real property is recorded land. Your evidence of title will be a quitclaim deed that has a book and page number assigned by the Registry of Deeds.

If your property is registered land, you will have a certificate of title number perhaps in addition to a land registration office book and page. Instead of a quitclaim deed, you may have received a certified copy of your certificate of title. Prior to April 9, 1997, a large document called an owner’s duplicate certificate of title was issued instead. If you are not sure whether your real property is recorded or registered, contact the Registry of Deeds.

Chapter 395 of the Acts of 2010 states that all existing estates of homestead in effect on the effective date of this Act, March 16, 2011, shall continue in full force and effect notwithstanding the repeal of any law under which they were created. Additionally, all existing estates of homestead shall now be governed by this new statute even though the execution of each does not comply with the new M.G.L. Chapter 188, Section 5.