Register of Deeds John L. O’Brien Jr. shows his analysis of robo-signed mortgage documents.
Southern Essex District Register of Deeds John L. O’Brien Jr.
A force in exposing national mortgage foreclosure fraud, Southern Essex District Register of Deeds John L. O’Brien Jr. this morning said he is suffering from a form of progressive dementia, but will seek reelection.
O’Brien, 64, said he has Lewy body dementia with Parkinsonian symptoms. It is the second most common type of progressive dementia after Alzheimer’s disease and affects 1.4 million Americans. He decided to make the announcement during April because it is Parkinson’s Awareness month.
“If I worked in private industry I would want my boss to know,” O’Brien said. “I have an obligation to let people know that I have this disease. I know as an elected official it may surprise some people that I am making this disclosure, but I feel the more these disorders are brought to the public’s attention, the more people will realize that people afflicted with this disorder can go forward and lead a meaningful, fulfilling and satisfying life.
He said he will continue working and seek re-election to the Salem-Mass.-based post.
“Obviously, staying at home was never an option for me. I fully intend to keep performing my duties as Register of Deeds and seek re-election for another term. People know me well enough to realize that should I, at any time, reach the point where I could not perform my duties and responsibilities I would step aside. Hopefully that day is a long time down the road. What I am attempting to do in making this announcement is to put a face to a disease that has affected millions of people and without a cure will only affect millions more.”
O’Brien has served as register of deeds since 1976 and is the longest-serving register in Essex County history. He first won office in 1971, when he was elected to the Lynn City Council when he was only 20.
He was one of the first to expose Wall Street and big banks for their practice of fraudulently recording robosigned mortgage documents in registries of deeds across the country. He led a nationwide effort against the Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS), identifying and rejecting documents containing the signatures of three known robo-signers, Linda Green, Korell Harp, and Linda Burton.
“I find this practice very troubling on many levels. It has completely jaded my understanding that a notarized document was something that could be relied upon,” O’Brien said at the time.
The register has also been lauded for embracing the internet early on and placing deeds online.
Who is going to decide when he can no longer perform his duties as stated in his job description? Are we going to have to put up with having a non-functioning Register until HE decides to resign —- and then also be required to pay someone else – in addition to O;Brien to do the job?
“He was one of the first to expose Wall Street and big banks for their practice of fraudulently recording robosigned mortgage documents in registries of deeds across the country. He led a nationwide effort against the Mortgage Electronic Registration System (MERS), identifying and rejecting documents containing the signatures of three known robo-signers, Linda Green, Korell Harp, and Linda Burton.” –
Of particular note, Members of CONgress, including our own Niki Tsongas voted by way of unanimous voice vote to implement the MERS system. The one thing that Obama has done during his tenure that was of benefit to ALL The People of this country by vetoing the MERS legislation. Of course, thanks to a corrupt, crony, and sold out State Attorney Generals Office, as well as an absentee State Legislature on this issue, our state, and especially our city, are still suffering from the fall out (via Zombie Foreclosures) due to the lack of prosecuting the fraudulent offenders. This, after having Landmark Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Decisions in favor of homeowners, Ex-AG Coakley folded and settled for pennies on the dollar with Wall Street.
Ok, great work by this registrar. But, I am suppose to vote for someone who is ill and has issues that could get worse while in office, compromising his effectiveness ?
yes you are