Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 240, § 6 (2026)

Actions in supreme judicial, superior or land courts

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 6. If, in a civil action in the supreme judicial or the superior court, or in the land court, to quiet or establish the title to land situated in the commonwealth or to remove a cloud from the title thereto, it is sought to determine the claims or rights of persons unascertained, not in being, unknown or out of the commonwealth, or who cannot be actually served with process and made personally amenable to the judgment of the court, such persons may be made defendants and, if they are unascertained, not in being or unknown, may be described generally, as the heirs or legal representatives of AB, or such persons as shall become heirs, devisees or appointees of CD, a living person, or persons claiming under AB. It shall be unnecessary for the maintenance of such action that the defendants shall have a claim or the possibility of a claim resting upon an instrument the cancellation or surrender of which would afford the relief desired; but it shall be sufficient that they claim or may claim by purchase, descent or otherwise, some right, title, interest or estate in the land which is the subject of the action and that their claim depends upon the construction of a written instrument or cannot be met by the plaintiffs without the production of evidence. Two or more persons claiming to own separate and distinct parcels of land in the same county by titles derived from a common source, or two or more persons having separate and distinct interests in the same parcel, may join as plaintiffs in any action brought under this section.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 25 cases (5 in the last 5 years), 1994–2026 · leading case: US Bank Nat'l Ass'n v. Ibanez, 941 N.E.2d 40 (Mass. 2011).

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US Bank Nat'l Ass'n v. Ibanez, 941 N.E.2d 40 (Mass. 2011). · cites it 4× “Bank and Wells Fargo brought separate actions in the Land Court under G. L. c. 240, § 6, which authorizes actions "to quiet or establish the title to land situated in the commonwealth or to remove a cloud from the title thereto.”

Lemelson v. U.S. Bank Nat'l Ass'n, 721 F.3d 18 (1st Cir. 2013). “Bank in the Massachusetts Land Court, see Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 240, § 6 , which was removed on the basis of diversity jurisdiction, 28 U.”

Hsbc Bank USA, N.A. v. Matt, 464 Mass. 193 (Mass. 2013). “Thus, a servicemember proceeding is neither a part of nor necessary to the foreclosure process; it simply ensures that a foreclosure will not be rendered invalid for failure to provide the protections of the SCRA to anyone so entitled, an assurance that also could be obtained at…”

Wenzel v. Sand Canyon Corp., 841 F. Supp. 2d 463 (D. Mass. 2012). · cites it 2× “Count III (against Wells Fargo) seeks to quiet title in the name of the Wenzels pursuant to M.G.L. c. 240, § 6. (Complaint, ¶¶ 37-42).”

Devine v. Town of Nantucket, 449 Mass. 499 (Mass. 2007). “After a jury-waived trial, a judge in the Superior Court made careful and comprehensive findings of fact and rulings of law, pursuant to which a judgment entered declaring that Devine, as trustee, “is owner in fee simple of the Locus” and that “[pjursuant to G.”

Griffin v. Cogliano, 2002 Mass. App. Div. 55 (Mass. Dist. Ct., App. Div. 2002). “See also G.L.c. 240, §6 concerning actions in the Supreme Judicial, Superior and land Courts to quiet title.”

Lombard v. United States, 28 F. Supp. 2d 44 (D. Mass. 1998). “In 1963, Higgins filed an action to quiet title pursuant to Mass.Gen.L. ch. 240, §§ 6— 10, in Barnstable County (Equity No.”

Adams v. Peterson, 625 N.E.2d 575 (Mass. App. Ct. 1994). “” See G. L. c. 240, § 6. The defendant’s response included, among other things, a request for “injunctive relief requiring the removal of [an] encroachment” on her parcel.”

Shea v. Fed. Nat'l Mortg. Ass'n, 31 Mass. L. Rptr. 567 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2013). “(Count V); and Action to Quiet or Establish Title to Land under G.L.c. 240, §6 (Count VI). The matter is before the court on Defendants’ Federal National Mortgage Association (“Freddie Mac”), OneWest Bank, FSB (“OneWest”), and Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc.”

Farmer v. Fed. Nat'l Mortg. Ass'n, 31 Mass. L. Rptr. 204 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2013). “Pursuant to G.L.c. 240, §6, Farmer asks this court to purge the title of uncertainly and “to make such findings as are necessary to quiet or establish the title” to the property.”

Roscioli v. Sanderson, 103 N.E.3d 1239 (Mass. App. Ct. 2018). · cites it 3× “231A; to quiet title under G. L. c. 240, § 6 ; to compel the defendants to try title under G.”

Deutsche Bank Trust Co. v. Dominguez, 103 N.E.3d 1239 (Mass. App. Ct. 2018). · cites it 3× “Dominguez also asserted counterclaims seeking (1) declaratory judgment for superior possession and (2) quiet title pursuant to G. L. c. 240, § 6. In April, 2013, Dominguez moved for summary judgment on Deutsche Bank's summary process claim contending that Deutsche Bank lacked…”

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