Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 277, § 25 (2026)

Description of ownership

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 25. If an indictment for a crime involving the commission or attempted commission of an injury to property describes the property with sufficient certainty in other respects to identify the act, it need not allege the name of the owner.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 6 cases, 1971–2016 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Souza, 490 N.E.2d 1173 (Mass. 1986).

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Commonwealth v. Souza, 490 N.E.2d 1173 (Mass. 1986). “” Indeed, G. L. c. 277, § 25 (1984 ed.), provides that indictments for property crimes need not allege the name of the owner of the property in question if that property is described with sufficient certainty.”

Commonwealth v. Cromwell, 761 N.E.2d 530 (Mass. App. Ct. 2002). “Although not cited by the parties, we note that G. L. c. 277, § 25, provides that indictments for property crimes need not allege the name of the property owner if the property is described with sufficient certainty.”

Commonwealth v. Alvarez, 90 Mass. App. Ct. 158 (Mass. App. Ct. 2016). “5 See generally G. L. c. 277, § 25 (“If an indictment for a crime involving the commission or attempted commission of an injury to property describes the property with sufficient certainty in other respects to identify the act, it need not allege the name of the owner”).”

Commonwealth v. Kalinowski, 277 N.E.2d 298 (Mass. 1971). “Under G. L. c. 277, § 25, quoted above, the indictment need not have alleged the name of the owner if it described the property with sufficient certainty in other respects to identify the act charged.”

Commonwealth v. Hardin, 88 Mass. App. Ct. 681 (Mass. App. Ct. 2015). “What remains is the defendant’s argument that the complaint with respect to count 3 failed to comply with G. L. c. 277, § 25, because it neither “allege[d] the name of the [property] owner” nor “describe[d] the property with sufficient certainty in other respects to identify the…”

Commonwealth v. Hardin (Mass. 2016). “277, § 25 ("If an indictment for a crime involving the commission . . . of an injury to property describes the property with sufficient certainty in other respects to identify the act, it need not allege the name of the owner").”

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