MARTHA COAKLEY LETTER RE MASSACHUSETTS REGISTER OF DEEDS ASSOCIATION REQUEST FOR MEETING CONCERNING MERS

July 25, 2011

William P. O’Donnell

Register of Deeds

Norfolk Registry District of the Land Court

649 High Street

Dedham, MA 02026

Re: Massachusetts Register of Deeds Association Request for Meeting

Dear Register O’Donnell,

Thank you for your letter of July 8, 2011. We look forward to meeting with you and your fellow Registers on August 11th, to discuss your concerns regarding MERS, the filing of false or

misleading documents with registries, and other matters.

As you are aware, we are currently investigating creditor misconduct in connection with

unlawful foreclosures, including failure to establish the right to start a foreclosure as well as

filing false or misleading documents with registries in the Commonwealth. We have focused

particularly on creditors’ reliance on MERS and whether MERS conforms to the requirements of Massachusetts law, in the context of foreclosures and otherwise. In the next week, we plan to

send civil investigative demands (CID) to Registers in order to gather critical information to our investigation, and appreciate your continuing cooperation in this process. If the Massachusetts Registers of Deeds Associations or any individual Registers have questions or concerns about the CIDs, they should contact Public Protection and Advocacy Deputy Bureau Chief Stephanie Kahn at 617-963-2986.

Many of your fellow Registers also have asked about the impact of our investigation on the

ongoing federal-state negotiations with the large banks. We have made clear that Massachusetts will not sign on to any global agreement with the banks if it includes a comprehensive liability release regarding securitization and the MERS conduct. We strongly believe that these investigations must continue and responsible parties must be held accountable in order to fully protect homeowners and return to a healthy economy.

We look forward to continuing to work with you on these important matters.

Cordially,

Martha Coakley

cc: John F. Meade, Barnstable Register

Andrea F. Nuciforo, Jr., Berkshire Middle Register

Frances T. Brooks, Berkshire Northern Register

Wanda M. Beckwith, Berkshire Southern Register

Barry J. Amaral, Bristol Northern Register

J. Mark Treadup, Bristol Southern Register

Bernard J. McDonald, III, Bristol Fall River Register

Dianna E. Powers, Dukes Register

Robert F. Kelley, Northern Essex Register

John L. O’Brien, Jr., Southern Essex Register

Joseph A. Gochinski, Franklin Register

Donald E. Ashe, Hampden Register

Marianne L. Donohue, Hampshire Register

Richard P. Howe, Jr., Northern Middlesex Register

Eugene C. Brune, Southern Middlesex Register

Jennifer H. Ferreira, Nantucket Register

Jolm R. Bucldey, Jr., Plymouth Register

Francis Roache, Suffolk Register

Kathleen Reynolds Daigneault, Northern Worcester Register

Anthony J. Vigliotti, Southern Worcester Register

MC/pas