Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 184, § 18 (2026)

Entry into land; legal proceedings required to recover possession of land or tenements; jurisdiction

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 18. No person shall make an entry into land or tenements except in cases where his entry is allowed by law, and in such cases he shall not enter by force, but in a peaceable manner.

No person shall attempt to recover possession of land or tenements in any manner other than through an action brought pursuant to chapter two hundred and thirty-nine or such other proceedings authorized by law. The superior and district courts shall have jurisdiction in equity to enforce the provisions of this section.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 24 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1976–2024 · leading case: Attorney Gen. v. Dime Sav. Bank of New York, FSB, 596 N.E.2d 1013 (Mass. 1992).

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Attorney Gen. v. Dime Sav. Bank of New York, FSB, 596 N.E.2d 1013 (Mass. 1992). · cites it 5× “The Attorney General seeks a declaration that Dime’s practice violates G. L. c. 184, § 18 (1990 ed.). The complaint also asks that we enjoin Dime from pursuing such a course in the future.”

Sarvis v. Boston Safe Deposit & Trust Co., 711 N.E.2d 911 (Mass. App. Ct. 1999). · cites it 2× “4 In particular, they contend that there was no evidence that they threatened, intimidated, or coerced the plaintiffs or that their actions involved actual or threatened confrontations with the plaintiffs.”

Commonwealth v. Barboza, 438 N.E.2d 1064 (Mass. 1982). · cites it 2× “See G.L.c. 184, § 18. The outcome of the summary process action depends on whether the tenancy has validly been terminated, which depends in turn on the meaning and validity of the termination provisions of the lease.”

Serra v. Quantum Servicing, Corp., 747 F.3d 37 (1st Cir. 2014). “See Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 184, § 18 (“No person shall attempt to recover possession of land .”

Greene v. Mullarkey (In Re Mullarkey), 410 B.R. 338 (Bankr. D. Mass. 2009). · cites it 2× “She also maintains that those actions violated Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 184, § 18 . 18 But this Court finds that Christine failed to demonstrate, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the Mullarkeys’ actions in the day-to-day affairs of operating the Fowler Property were either…”

Spence v. Gormley, 439 N.E.2d 741 (Mass. 1982). “See G. L. c. 184, § 18. The outcome of the summary process action depends on whether the tenancy has validly been terminated, which depends in turn on the meaning and validity of the termination provisions of the lease.”

Gidwani v. Wasserman, 365 N.E.2d 827 (Mass. 1977). “Additionally, he asserts that G. L. c. 184, § 18, which proscribes recovery of leased property without judicial process, is limited to residential tenancies, and is not applicable in a commercial setting.”

Gidwani v. Wasserman, 58 Mass. App. Dec. 162 (Mass. Dist. Ct., App. Div. 1976). · cites it 2× “G.L.c. 184, §18* applies to commercial as well as residential properties.”

Avalonbay Communities, Inc. v. Hamilton, 26 Mass. L. Rptr. 436 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2010). · cites it 3× “93A, section 9; Count X — Negligence; Count XI — Violation of the State Sanitary Code Regulations; and Count XII — Violation of G.L.c. 184, section 18. The matter is presently before me on AvalonBay’s motion for summary judgment.”

Fed. Nat'l Mortg. Ass'n v. Gordon (Mass. App. Ct. 2017). · cites it 6× “185C, § 3, over a common-law trespass claim; (ii) a trespass claim is unavailable to Fannie Mae here because it is barred by G. L. c. 184, § 18; and (iii) Fannie Mae failed substantively to demonstrate its entitlement to judgment because it did not show that it ever obtained the…”

Dacey v. Burgess (Mass. 2023). · cites it 5× “See G. L. c. 184, § 18. Our analysis begins with examining the actual words of G.”

Thorup v. Hodges, 111 N.E.3d 306 (Mass. App. Ct. 2018). · cites it 2× “See G. L. c. 184, § 18. 4 See also Commonwealth v.”

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