Massachusetts Statutes

Section 11. Marginal references to statutes shall refer to general acts, unless otherwise expressly noted.

Section 12. Establishment, cancellation or change of enrollment in a political party shall, for the purposes of any law establishing or limiting the number of members of any board, commission or other body who shall or may be members of any political party or the same political p…

Section 13. (a) As used in this section, ''statewide website'' shall mean a website established and maintained as a repository for legal notices and operated as a cooperative effort of a majority of Massachusetts newspapers that distribute newspapers to subscribers residing in th…

Section 1A. Any plan presented to the general court by the governor, purporting to be a reorganization plan as provided for under Article LXXXVII of the amendments to the constitution, which does not contain a bill in which is incorporated such amendments of general and special l…

Section 2. A resolve, unless otherwise expressly provided therein, shall take effect as soon as it has the force of a law conformably to the constitution.

Section 2A. Unless otherwise provided, the provisions of this section shall apply to each special commission established to make an investigation and study of any matter. If it is provided that members of the senate and house of representatives shall be members of such commission…

Section 3. The enacting style of all measures submitted to the people in pursuance of an initiative petition for a law shall be: Be it enacted by the People, and by their authority.

Section 4. Wherever a statute is to take effect upon its acceptance by a municipality or district, or is to be effective in municipalities or districts accepting its provisions, this acceptance shall be, except as otherwise provided in that statute, in a municipality, by vote of …

Section 4A. At any time after the expiration of three years from the date on which any special act of the general court has been accepted by the voters of a town, and not less than ninety days before the date of an annual meeting, a petition signed by not less than ten per cent o…

Section 4B. At any time after the expiration of three years from the date on which a law to take effect upon its acceptance by a city or town or a municipality as defined in section four, or is to be effective in such cities, towns or municipalities accepting its provisions, has …

Section 5. If a statute is to take effect upon action by a body politic or corporate or by any board or officer of such a body, or to become or cease to be operative, in whole or in so far as it affects such a body, upon action as aforesaid, a return of the result of any action s…

Section 6. In construing statutes the following rules shall be observed, unless their observance would involve a construction inconsistent with the manifest intent of the law-making body or repugnant to the context of the same statute: First, The repeal of a statute shall not rev…

Section 7. In construing statutes the following words shall have the meanings herein given, unless a contrary intention clearly appears: First, "Aldermen'', "board of aldermen'', "mayor and aldermen'', "city council'' or "mayor'' shall, in a city which has no such body or officer…

Amended by 1931, 394, Sec. 182 into a special act

Section 8. In construing any special act authorizing a city, town or district to incur indebtedness for a specified purpose to a limited amount, such limitation of amount shall be deemed to apply only to the indebtedness authorized by the special act, and not to affect any other …

Section 9. Except as otherwise provided, when the day or the last day for the performance of any act, including the making of any payment or tender of payment, authorized or required by statute or by contract, falls on Sunday or a legal holiday, the act may, unless it is specific…

Section 9A. In any written instrument, a recital that such instrument is sealed by or bears the seal of the person signing the same or is given under the hand and seal of the person signing the same, or that such instrument is intended to take effect as a sealed instrument, shall…

Section 9B. The impression or stamping of the established seal of a court, public office, public officer or corporation upon a paper shall be taken and held to be the seal of such court, public office, public officer or corporation, and valid in law to the same extent that an imp…

Section 1. A deed executed and delivered by the person, or by the attorney of the person, having authority therefor, shall, subject to the limitations of section four, be sufficient, without any other act or ceremony, to convey land.

Section 10. A deed in substance following the form entitled ''Warranty Deed'' shall when duly executed have the force and effect of a deed in fee simple to the grantee, his heirs and assigns, to his and their own use, with covenants on the part of the grantor, for himself, his he…

Section 11. A deed in substance following the form entitled ''Quitclaim Deed'' shall when duly executed have the force and effect of a deed in fee simple to the grantee, his heirs and assigns, to his and their own use, with covenants on the part of the grantor, for himself, his h…

Section 12. In a conveyance of real estate the word ''grant'' shall be a sufficient word of conveyance without the use of the words ''give, bargain, sell and convey'', and no covenant shall be implied from the use of the word ''grant''.

Section 13. In a conveyance or reservation of real estate the terms ''heirs'', ''assigns'' or other technical words of inheritance shall not be necessary to convey or reserve an estate in fee. A deed or reservation of real estate shall be construed to convey or reserve an estate …

Section 14. When a conveyance or devise of real estate is made to a grantee or devisee to a use intended to be executed by the statute of uses, the word ''use'' shall be employed in declaring the use; and provisions introduced by the words ''in trust'', or other expressions that …

Section 15. In a conveyance of real estate all rights, easements, privileges and appurtenances belonging to the granted estate shall be included in the conveyance, unless the contrary shall be stated in the deed, and it shall be unnecessary to enumerate or mention them either gen…

Section 16. In a conveyance of real estate the words ''warranty covenants'' shall have the full force, meaning and effect of the following words: ''The grantor, for himself, his heirs, executors, administrators and successors, covenants with the grantee, his heirs, successors and…

Section 17. In a conveyance of real estate the words ''quitclaim covenants'' or the words ''limited covenants'' shall have the full force, meaning and effect of the following words: ''The grantor, for himself, his heirs, executors, administrators and successors, covenants with th…

Section 18. A deed in substance following the form entitled ''Mortgage Deed'' shall when duly executed have the force and effect of a mortgage deed to the use of the mortgagee and his heirs and assigns with mortgage covenants and upon the statutory condition and with the statutor…

Section 19. In a conveyance of real estate the words ''mortgage covenants'' shall have the full force, meaning and effect of the following words, and shall be applied and construed accordingly: ''The mortgagor, for himself, his heirs, executors, administrators and successors, cov…

Section 1A. No instrument purporting to affect an interest in land shall be void because it is not sealed or does not recite a seal.

Section 2. A deed of quitclaim and release shall be sufficient to convey all the estate which could lawfully be conveyed by a deed of bargain and sale.

Section 20. The following ''condition'' shall be known as the ''Statutory Condition'', and may be incorporated in any mortgage by reference: (CONDITION.) Provided, nevertheless, except as otherwise specifically stated in the mortgage, that if the mortgagor, or his heirs, executor…

Section 21. The following ''power'' shall be known as the ''Statutory Power of Sale'', and may be incorporated in any mortgage by reference: (POWER.) But upon any default in the performance or observance of the foregoing or other condition, the mortgagee or his executors, adminis…

Section 22. A co-operative bank mortgage following in substance the form entitled ''Co-operative Bank Mortgage'' shall when duly executed have the force and effect of a mortgage deed to the use of the mortgagee and its successors and assigns, with mortgage covenants and upon the …

Section 23. The following ''co-operative bank mortgage condition'' shall be known as the ''Statutory Co-operative Bank Mortgage Condition'', and may be incorporated in any co-operative bank mortgage by reference: (CO–OPERATIVE BANK MORTGAGE CONDITION.) Provided, nevertheless, tha…

Section 24. The following ''co-operative bank power'' shall be known as the ''Statutory Co-operative Bank Power of Sale'', and may be incorporated in any mortgage by reference: (CO–OPERATIVE BANK POWER.) But in case of non-payment of the aforesaid monthly dues, interest or fines …

Section 25. The holder of a mortgage of real estate, or any person acting in his behalf, may purchase at a foreclosure sale unless the contrary is stated in the mortgage.

Section 26. Until default in the performance or observance of the condition of a mortgage of real estate, the mortgagor and his heirs and assigns may hold and enjoy the mortgaged premises and receive the rents and profits thereof, unless otherwise stated in the mortgage.

Section 27. The holder of a mortgage of real estate, or his representatives, out of the money arising from a sale under the power of sale shall be entitled to retain all sums then secured by the mortgage, whether then or thereafter payable, including all costs, charges or expense…

Section 28. In an assignment of a mortgage of real estate the word ''assign'' shall be a sufficient word to transfer the mortgage, without the words ''transfer and set over''.

Section 28A. Any sum or sums which shall be loaned by the mortgagee to the mortgagor at any time after the recording of any mortgage of real estate, to be expended for paying for repairs, improvements, lead paint removal or replacements to, fuel for, or for taxes or other municip…

Section 28B. Any sum which shall be lent by the mortgagee to the mortgagor at any time after the recording of an open-end mortgage that secures such sum shall be equally secured with and have the same priority as would any such sum disbursed as of the time of the recording of suc…

Section 28C. (a) A lender shall not knowingly make a home loan if the home loan pays off all or part of an existing home loan that was consummated within the prior 60 months or other debt of the borrower, unless the refinancing is in the borrower's interest. The ''borrower's inte…

Section 29. No deed shall be recorded unless a certificate of its acknowledgment or of the proof of its due execution, made as hereinafter provided, is endorsed upon or annexed to it, and such certificate shall be recorded at length with the deed to which it relates; but this sec…

Section 3. An estate or interest in land created without an instrument in writing signed by the grantor or by his attorney shall have the force and effect of an estate at will only, and no estate or interest in land shall be assigned, granted or surrendered unless by such writing…

Section 30. The acknowledgment of the execution of a deed or other written instrument required to be acknowledged shall be by 1 or more of the grantors or by any attorneys or representatives executing it on behalf of the grantors. The officer before whom the acknowledgment is mad…