Mass. Gen. Laws » Part I Title VII Chapter 40A
Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 40A, § 17 (2026)

Judicial review

✓ current as of July 2026
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Section 17. Any person aggrieved by a decision of the board of appeals or any special permit granting authority or by the failure of the board of appeals to take final action concerning any appeal, application or petition within the required time or by the failure of any special permit granting authority to take final action concerning any application for a special permit within the required time, whether or not previously a party to the proceeding, or any municipal officer or board may appeal to the land court department, the superior court department in which the land concerned is situated or, if the land is situated in Hampden county, either to said land court or, superior court department or to the division of the housing court department for said county, or if the land is situated in a county, region or area served by a division of the housing court department either to said land court or superior court department or to the division of said housing court department for said county, region or area, or to the division of the district court department within whose jurisdiction the land is situated except in Hampden county, by bringing an action within twenty days after the decision has been filed in the office of the city or town clerk. If said appeal is made to said division of the district court department, any party shall have the right to file a claim for trial of said appeal in the superior court department within twenty-five days after service on the appeal is completed, subject to such rules as the supreme judicial court may prescribe. Notice of the action with a copy of the complaint shall be given to such city or town clerk so as to be received within such twenty days. The complaint shall allege that the decision exceeds the authority of the board or authority, and any facts pertinent to the issue, and shall contain a prayer that the decision be annulled. If the complaint is filed by someone other than the original applicant, appellant or petitioner, then each plaintiff, whether or not previously constituting parties in interest for notice purposes, shall also sufficiently allege and must plausibly demonstrate that measurable injury, which is special and different to such plaintiff, to a private legal interest that will likely flow from the decision through credible evidence. There shall be attached to the complaint a copy of the decision appealed from, bearing the date of filing thereof, certified by the city or town clerk with whom the decision was filed.

If the complaint is filed by someone other than the original applicant, appellant or petitioner, such original applicant, appellant, or petitioner and all members of the board of appeals or special permit granting authority shall be named as parties defendant with their addresses. To avoid delay in the proceedings, instead of the usual service of process, the plaintiff shall within fourteen days after the filing of the complaint, send written notice thereof, with a copy of the complaint, by delivery or certified mail to all defendants, including the members of the board of appeals or special permit granting authority and shall within twenty-one days after the entry of the complaint file with the clerk of the court an affidavit that such notice has been given. If no such affidavit is filed within such time the complaint shall be dismissed. No answer shall be required but an answer may be filed and notice of such filing with a copy of the answer and an affidavit of such notice given to all parties as provided above within seven days after the filing of the answer. Other persons may be permitted to intervene, upon motion. The clerk of the court shall give notice of the hearing as in other cases without jury, to all parties whether or not they have appeared. The court shall hear all evidence pertinent to the authority of the board or special permit granting authority and determine the facts, and, upon the facts as so determined, annul such decision if found to exceed the authority of such board or special permit granting authority or make such other decree as justice and equity may require. The foregoing remedy shall be exclusive, notwithstanding any defect of procedure or of notice other than notice by publication, mailing or posting as required by this chapter, and the validity of any action shall not be questioned for matters relating to defects in procedure or of notice in any other proceedings except with respect to such publication, mailing or posting and then only by a proceeding commenced within ninety days after the decision has been filed in the office of the city or town clerk, but the parties shall have all rights of appeal and exception as in other equity cases.

The court, in its discretion, may require a plaintiff in an action under this section appealing a decision to approve a special permit, variance or site plan to post a surety or cash bond in an amount of not more than $250,000 to secure the payment of and to indemnify and reimburse damages and costs and expenses incurred in such an action if the court finds that the harm to the defendant or to the public interest resulting from delays caused by the appeal outweighs the financial burden of the surety or cash bond on the plaintiffs. The court shall consider the relative merits of the appeal and the relative financial means of the plaintiff and the defendant. Nothing in this section shall require bad faith or malice of a plaintiff for the court to issue a bond under this section.

Any person aggrieved by a decision of the board of appeals or any special permit granting authority or by the failure of the board of appeals to take final action concerning any appeal, application or petition within the required time or by the failure of any special permit granting authority to take final action concerning any application for a special permit within the required time, whether or not previously a party to the proceeding, or any municipal officer or board may appeal to the land court department, the superior court department in which the land concerned is situated or, if the land is situated in Hampden county, either to said land court or, superior court department or to the division of the housing court department for said county, or if the land is situated in a county, region or area served by a division of the housing court department either to said land court or superior court department or to the division of said housing court department for said county, region or area, or to the division of the district court department within whose jurisdiction the land is situated except in Hampden county, by bringing an action within twenty days after the decision has been filed in the office of the city or town clerk. If said appeal is made to said division of the district court department, any party shall have the right to file a claim for trial of said appeal in the superior court department within twenty-five days after service on the appeal is completed, subject to such rules as the supreme judicial court may prescribe. Notice of the action with a copy of the complaint shall be given to such city or town clerk so as to be received within such twenty days. The complaint shall allege that the decision exceeds the authority of the board or authority, and any facts pertinent to the issue, and shall contain a prayer that the decision be annulled. There shall be attached to the complaint a copy of the decision appealed from, bearing the date of filing thereof, certified by the city or town clerk with whom the decision was filed.

A city or town may provide any officer or board of such city or town with independent legal counsel for appealing, as provided in this section, a decision of a board of appeals or special permit granting authority and for taking such other subsequent action as parties are authorized to take.

Costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees, in an amount to be fixed by the court may be allowed against the party appealing from the decision of the board or special permit granting authority if the court finds that the appellant or appellants acted in bad faith or with malice in making the appeal to court.

Costs shall not be allowed against the party appealing from the decision of the board or special permit granting authority unless it shall appear to the court that said appellant or appellants acted in bad faith or with malice in making the appeal to the court.

The court shall require nonmunicipal plaintiffs to post a surety or cash bond in a sum of not less than two thousand nor more than fifteen thousand dollars to secure the payment of such costs in appeals of decisions approving subdivision plans.

All issues in any proceeding under this section shall have precedence over all other civil actions and proceedings.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 643 cases (94 in the last 5 years), 1960–2026 · leading case: Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers of New York, Inc. v. Bd. of Appeal, 909 N.E.2d 1161 (Mass. 2009).
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Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers of New York, Inc. v. Bd. of Appeal, 909 N.E.2d 1161 (Mass. 2009). · cites it 14× “” See G. L. c. 40A, § 17. 14 Wendy’s also sought declaratory relief pursuant to G.”
Standerwick v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals, 447 Mass. 20 (Mass. 2006). · cites it 9× “40B, § 21, is governed by the “substantive standards” applicable to standing analysis under G. L. c. 40A, § 17, “such as property values, traffic, or parking,” Stander-wick, supra at 340.”
Walker v. Bd. of Appeals of Harwich, 445 N.E.2d 141 (Mass. 1983). · cites it 14× “The District Court judge, in addition to reporting the matters raised by the parties, voluntarily reported the question whether the Appellate Division has jurisdiction to hear appeals from actions tried in the District Court under G. L. c. 40A, § 17. The Appellate Division,…”
Skawski v. Greenfield Investors Prop. Dev. LLC, 45 N.E.3d 561 (Mass. 2016). · cites it 12× “At the time § 3A was enacted, G. L. c. 40A, § 17, authorized “[a]ny person aggrieved by a decision of the board of appeals or any special permit granting authority” to appeal to the Land Court, the Superior Court, the Housing Court, or the District Court.”
81 Spooner Road, LLC v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals of Brookline, 964 N.E.2d 318 (Mass. 2012). · cites it 7× “Fogg (Frances), on the issue of their standing as “aggrieved” persons *693 pursuant to G. L. c. 40A, § 17. The Foggs challenged the issuance of a building permit to 81 Spooner Road, LLC (developer) by the building commissioner for the town of Brookline (town or Brookline).”
Hickey v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals of Dennis, 103 N.E.3d 750 (Mass. App. Ct. 2018). · cites it 24× “Since it is the state of the clerk's knowledge that controls, the requirements of G. L. c. 40A, § 17, were satisfied, and the order allowing the defendant's summary judgment motion was error.”
Roberts v. Sw. Bell Mobile Sys., Inc., 429 Mass. 478 (Mass. 1999). · cites it 10× “§ 332 (c)(7)(B)(iii), preempts, under the supremacy clause of the United States Constitution, de novo judicial review of all local zoning authority decisions pursuant to G. L. c. 40A, § 17. We hold that it does not.”
Miller v. Town of Wenham, 833 F.3d 46 (1st Cir. 2016). · cites it 4× “After the Town removed the case to federal court, the district court granted its motion to dismiss Miller’s federal procedural due process claim and his state law declaratory judgment claim, and remanded to state court the remaining state law claim challenging the ZBA’s decision…”
Capone v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals of Fitchburg, 451 N.E.2d 1141 (Mass. 1983). · cites it 9× “40A, § 15, must file an appeal under the judicial review provisions of G. L. c. 40A, § 17. 6 Although these appeals result from *619 two separate judicial proceedings below, we decide them together since they involve the same parties and arise from the same facts.”
Barvenik v. Bd. of Aldermen of Newton, 597 N.E.2d 48 (Mass. App. Ct. 1992). · cites it 6× “(Green), filed a complaint in the Land Court, pursuant to G. L. c. 40A, § 17, seeking to annul a special permit granted to Green by the board of aldermen *130 of the city of Newton.”
Denneny v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals, 794 N.E.2d 1269 (Mass. App. Ct. 2003). · cites it 6× “The plaintiff appealed under G. L. c. 40A, § 17. A judge of the Superior Court concluded that the plaintiff was a “person aggrieved” with standing to seek review of the board’s decision, but that, on the merits, the board’s decision did not exceed its authority.”
Marashlian v. Zoning Bd. of Appeals, 421 Mass. 719 (Mass. 1996). · cites it 5× “The plaintiff abutters appealed from the board’s decision under G. L. c. 40A, § 17 (1994 ed.), 3 to the Superior Court.”
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