§ 1 Rights of aliens
§ 2 Conveyance of land subject to contingent remainder, executory devise or other estate in expectancy
§ 3 Contingent remainders; taking effect; limitations
§ 4 Land held in fee tail; liability for debts of tenant in tail
§ 5 Conveyance vesting life estate and remainder to heirs
§ 6 Interpretation of words importing want or failure of issue
§ 6A ”Heirs” and ”next of kin” construed
§ 7 Creation of estate in common, joint tenancy or tenancy by the entirety
§ 8 Conveyance to grantor and another
§ 8A Name and address of owner; request for information; records; penalty
§ 9 Conveyance by tenant for life or years of greater estate
§ 10 Acts of owner of precedent estate upon expectant estate; effect
§ 11 Barring of estates tail
§ 12 Fixtures annexed by life tenant; determination; removal
§ 14 Sale of timber standing on land used by other than owner of fee
§ 15 Proceedings affecting title to real property; recording and registration of memoranda of lis pendens; persons affected
§ 16 Certificate of judgment, decree or final disposition; recording
§ 17 Judgments or decrees; effect of recording
§ 17A Agreement for purchase and sale of real estate; acknowledgment; recordation
§ 17B Mortgage loan application; real estate consisting of a certain dwelling house; required statements and information
§ 17B1/2 Variable or adjustable rate subprime loans for first-time home loan borrowers; written affirmation and counseling certificate required; approved counseling programs; violations; regulations
§ 18 Entry into land; legal proceedings required to recover possession of land or tenements; jurisdiction
§ 19 Entry for breach of condition; certificate; recordation
§ 20 Right of entry or action for recovery of real property; descent or discontinuance
§ 21 Encumbrances upon real property; duty of grantor to inform grantee
§ 22 Encumbrance of record; liability for removal
§ 23 Conditions or restrictions; term of years; applicability
§ 23A Proceedings relating to building restrictions; limitation of actions
§ 23B Restrictive covenants based on race, religion, national origin or sex; validity; exception
§ 23C Solar energy systems; installation or use; restrictive provisions
§ 23D Community residences for disabled persons; restrictive provisions
§ 24 Defects, irregularities or omissions in deeds; curative period
§ 25 Indefinite references; effect; application
§ 26 Land use or construction restrictions subject to this section and Secs. 27 to 30; definitions; sufficiency of description; presumptions
§ 27 Restrictions imposed after December 31, 1961; limitations on enforceability; extension of period
§ 28 Restrictions imposed before January 1, 1962; limitations on enforceability; extension of period
§ 29 Notice or extension of restriction; prerequisites
§ 30 Enforceability of restrictions; presumptions and prerequisites; temporary injunction
§ 31 Restrictions, defined
§ 32 Effect, enforcement, acquisition, and release of restrictions
§ 33 Public restriction tract index
§ 34 Good faith purchasers of interests in real estate from trustees; binding effect on trust; recording conditions
§ 35 Trustee’s certificate; requirements; effect
Need help reviewing a real estate contract? Chat with an attorney and protect your rights.

Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws > Chapter 184 - General Provisions Relative to Real Property

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Charity: An agency, institution, or organization in existence and operating for the benefit of an indefinite number of persons and conducted for educational, religious, scientific, medical, or other beneficent purposes.
  • Codicil: An addition, change, or supplement to a will executed with the same formalities required for the will itself.
  • Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Continuance: Putting off of a hearing ot trial until a later time.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • Defendant: In a civil suit, the person complained against; in a criminal case, the person accused of the crime.
  • Devise: To gift property by will.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Dismissal: The dropping of a case by the judge without further consideration or hearing. Source:
  • Entitlement: A Federal program or provision of law that requires payments to any person or unit of government that meets the eligibility criteria established by law. Entitlements constitute a binding obligation on the part of the Federal Government, and eligible recipients have legal recourse if the obligation is not fulfilled. Social Security and veterans' compensation and pensions are examples of entitlement programs.
  • Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. Source: U.S. Courts
  • Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • 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.
  • Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
  • Germane: On the subject of the pending bill or other business; a strict standard of relevance.
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. Source: OCC
  • Joint tenancy: A form of property ownership in which two or more parties hold an undivided interest in the same property that was conveyed under the same instrument at the same time. A joint tenant can sell his (her) interest but not dispose of it by will. Upon the death of a joint tenant, his (her) undivided interest is distributed among the surviving joint tenants.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Life estate: A property interest limited in duration to the life of the individual holding the interest (life tenant).
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgage loan: A loan made by a lender to a borrower for the financing of real property. Source: OCC
  • Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
  • Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Personal property: All property that is not real property.
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
  • Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
  • Tenancy by the entirety: A type of joint tenancy between husband and wife that is recognized in some States. Neither party can sever the joint tenancy relationship; when a spouse dies, the survivor acquires full title to the property.
  • Tenancy in common: A type of property ownership in which two or more individuals have an undivided interest in property. At the death of one tenant in common, his (her) fractional percentage of ownership in the property passes to the decedent
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.