Recorder; appointment; powers and duties

MassachusettsStatutes

Ask Donna

How this section applies to your facts.

MA Code › Part II › Title I › Chapter 185 › Section 6

This text was captured on Aug 14, 2026. It is a snapshot, not a live feed, so check the official code before relying on it.

Text

Section 6. The governor, with the advice and consent of the council, shall appoint a recorder, who shall hold office during good behavior, but subject, however, to retirement under the provisions of any applicable general or special law relative to retirement systems. Said recorder shall have responsibility for the internal administration of his office, including personnel, staff services and record-keeping. The chief justice or the recorder may submit any dispute that arises between said chief justice and said recorder, concerning the management and administration of the recorder's office, the duties, powers and obligations of the recorder or a member of the recorder's staff, or the interpretation of the personnel standards provided for under section eight of chapter two hundred and eleven B, to the chief justice of the trial court, who shall, within thirty days, determine the matter. The decision of the chief justice of the trial court shall be binding on the parties. The recorder shall not be involuntarily separated from service as such except in the manner provided by section four of chapter two hundred and eleven. He shall attend the sessions of the court, keep a docket of all causes, and affix the seal of the court to all processes or papers requiring it. The recorder may, subject to the approval of the chief justice of the trial court as to compliance with personnel standards promulgated pursuant to section eight of chapter two hundred and eleven B, appoint deputy recorders, a first assistant clerk and an assistant clerk of the land court department and may designate, with like approval, two employees, having the title of deputy assistant clerk, who shall, under his direction, perform the duties of clerk of court. The recorder shall have the same powers as a clerk-magistrate in the superior court department of the trial court insofar as such powers relate to civil matters and shall have the authority to hear and rule on petitions for tax foreclosure and for redemption from tax titles pursuant to chapter sixty.

Section 6. The governor, with the advice and consent of the council, shall appoint a recorder, who shall hold office during good behavior, but subject, however, to retirement under the provisions of any applicable general or special law relative to retirement systems. Said recorder shall have responsibility for the internal administration of his office, including personnel, staff services and record-keeping. The chief justice or the recorder may submit any dispute that arises between said chief justice and said recorder, concerning the management and administration of the recorder's office, the duties, powers and obligations of the recorder or a member of the recorder's staff, or the interpretation of the personnel standards provided for under section eight of chapter two hundred and eleven B, to the chief justice of the trial court, who shall, within thirty days, determine the matter. The decision of the chief justice of the trial court shall be binding on the parties. The recorder shall not be involuntarily separated from service as such except in the manner provided by section four of chapter two hundred and eleven. He shall attend the sessions of the court, keep a docket of all causes, and affix the seal of the court to all processes or papers requiring it. The recorder may, subject to the approval of the chief justice of the trial court as to compliance with personnel standards promulgated pursuant to section eight of chapter two hundred and eleven B, appoint deputy recorders, a first assistant clerk and an assistant clerk of the land court department and may designate, with like approval, two employees, having the title of deputy assistant clerk, who shall, under his direction, perform the duties of clerk of court

he trial court as to compliance with personnel standards promulgated pursuant to section eight of chapter two hundred and eleven B, appoint deputy recorders, a first assistant clerk and an assistant clerk of the land court department and may designate, with like approval, two employees, having the title of deputy assistant clerk, who shall, under his direction, perform the duties of clerk of court. The recorder shall have the same powers as a clerk-magistrate in the superior court department of the trial court insofar as such powers relate to civil matters and shall have the authority to hear and rule on petitions for tax foreclosure and for redemption from tax titles pursuant to chapter sixty.

This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.

A word about cookies

We need a few to keep you signed in and the library working. The rest help us see which pages people use and where they get stuck. They stay off unless you say yes.