Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 254, § 2B (2026)

Termination of written contract; notice; filing; form; certified mail

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 2B. If, prior to the filing or recording in the registry of deeds and delivery of the copies of the notice of substantial completion described in section two A, any contract subject to the provisions of section two shall have been terminated, the owner shall execute and file or record in the appropriate registry of deeds a notice of termination in substantially the following form:

Notice of Termination

Notice is hereby given that a written contract dated ___ between ___ as Owner and ___ as Contractor for the erection, alteration, repair or removal of a building, structure or other improvement of real property described below, has been terminated. The lot of land or other interest in real property which is the subject of such contract is described as follows:

(Insert description)

The undersigned owner hereby states that he has served written notice of the recording or filing of this notice of termination upon the contractor and every person who has filed or recorded prior to this date a notice of contract under section four of chapter two hundred and fifty-four of the General Laws.

A copy of such notice, indicating the date of filing or recording, shall be mailed by certified mail return receipt requested by the owner to every person who has filed or recorded a notice of contract under section four and to the contractor. Upon receipt of such notice from the owner, the contractor shall deliver a copy of such notice to every person who has entered into a written contract directly with the contractor or who has given to the contractor written notice of identification in accordance with said section four.

The failure of the owner or contractor to give notice of the filing or recording of the notice of termination to those persons so entitled shall not prejudice the rights of third parties who rely upon said notice of termination in good faith and without actual knowledge of such failure of notice.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases, 2000–2010 · leading case: Tremont Tower Condo., LLC v. George B.H. Macomber Co., 767 N.E.2d 20 (Mass. 2002).
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Tremont Tower Condo., LLC v. George B.H. Macomber Co., 767 N.E.2d 20 (Mass. 2002). “If the contract has been terminated and the owner has filed a notice of termination (see G. L. c. 254, § 2B), the contractor must file the notice of contract no later than ninety days after the fifing of the notice of termination.”
NG Bros. Constr. v. Cranney, 12 Mass. L. Rptr. 556 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2000). · cites it 2× “254, §2A; nor have the Cranneys filed a “notice of termination,” G.L.c. 254, §2B. All these provisions underlie a recent major amendment to Chapter 254, giving contractors and subcontractors greater security for materials and services furnished in construction projects, often on…”
Gen. Mech. Contractors, Inc. v. C.E. Floyd Co., 27 Mass. L. Rptr. 290 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2010). “If the contract has been terminated and the owner has filed a notice of termination (see G.L.c. 254, §2B), the contractor must file the notice of contract no later than ninety days after the filing of the notice of termination.”
New Boston Hous. Enter., LLC v. Fitzgerald Contracting Co., 12 Mass. L. Rptr. 310 (Mass. Super. Ct. 2000). “New Boston recorded a notice of termination under G.L.c. 254, §2B in the Suffolk Registry of Deeds on March 9, 2,000.”
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