Registry sets up foreclosed property hotline

SALEM – Residents concerned about homes in their neighborhood left vacant or dilapidated by mortgage foreclosures can find out who owns the property by calling a new Registry of Deeds telephone number.Register John O’Brien said Registry Customer Service Department workers will provide callers with the name of the lending institution that is currently the property’s owner of record.The department’s number is 978-741-0201, ext. 258.O’Brien said he set up the number in response to inquiries from residents trying to track down the names of owners of vacant homes or properties they know are in foreclosure.”We are finding that most of the property that is being left vacant and in some instances un-kept are owned by out-of-state lending institutions. These mortgage companies have no stake or presence in the local community. We have not received any inquires about properties that are owned by local banks. It is the out-of-state lenders that need to address this problem head on,” O’Brien said.Less than 300 foreclosure notices were advertised for Essex communities in 2006 compared to 780 in 2007. Banks and mortgage companies sought to take possession of 94 properties in Lynn in 2006 because the owners had not paid their mortgages.That number more than tripled in 2007.”With the increase in foreclosures comes the abandoned homes and that poses a major problem to our neighborhoods,” O’Brien said.The Registry is located in Salem and records property transactions and other documents. O’Brien said lenders, notably ones located in other states, must be accountable for property they helped finance.He said properties that are not assigned for inspections and maintenance by loan holders become targets for vandals and a source of complaints about unsightly conditions.”I can understand how frustrated people are because I have experienced this in my own neighborhood. My neighbors contacted me to find out the name of the lender who owned a piece of property adjacent to my street in Lynn that was falling into disrepair.”Residents can also contact the Registry by going to its Web site at www.salemdeeds.com