Massachusetts General Laws ch. 104A sec. 2 – Delivery and acceptance constituting consignment; statement of delivery
Section 2. (a) Notwithstanding any custom, practice or usage of the trade to the contrary, or any other language herein, whenever a consignor delivers or causes to be delivered a work of fine art to a consignee in the commonwealth for the purpose of exhibition or sale, or both, on a commission, fee or other basis of compensation, the delivery to and acceptance of the work of fine art by the consignee shall constitute a consignment, unless the delivery to the consignee is pursuant to an outright sale for which the deliverer of the work of fine art receives or has received compensation for the work of fine art upon delivery.
Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws ch. 104A sec. 2
- Fair market value: The price at which an asset would change hands in a transaction between a willing, informed buyer and a willing, informed seller.
(b) A consignor who delivers a work of fine art hereunder shall, upon delivery of the work of fine art, furnish to the consignee a separate written statement of delivery of the work of fine art, which shall include at a minimum the following information:—
(1) the artist’s name and the name of the owner of the work of fine art;
(2) the title, if any, of the work of fine art;
(3) the medium and dimensions of the work of fine art;
(4) the date of completion of the work of fine art;
(5) the date of delivery of the work of fine art; and
(6) the anticipated fair market value of the work of fine art.
(c) The consignee shall maintain a copy of the consignor’s written statement as an acknowledged acceptance of delivery of the art work. If the work of fine art is sold, the consignee shall record the date it sold, for what amount it sold, and name and contact information of who purchased the work of fine art. If the consignor is the creator of the work of fine art or the artist’s heirs or legatees, the consignee shall disclose the name and contact information of the purchaser of the work of fine art to the consignor with payment of the funds owed to the consignor.
The consignee shall make all records pertaining to that consignee, including records of accounts, available for the consignor to review during consignee’s normal business hours, within a reasonable time after consignor’s request, and shall provide copies of the account records to the consignor when requested. The consignee shall keep copies of all books and records for at least 4 years after completion of the consignment.