Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 60, § 66 (2026)

Title examinations; notice

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 66. Upon the filing of such a petition the court shall forthwith cause to be made by one of its official examiners an examination of the title sufficient only to determine the persons who may be interested in the same, and shall upon the filing of the examiner's report notify all persons appearing to be interested, whether as equity owners, mortgagees, lienors, attaching creditors or otherwise, of the pendency of the petition, the notice to be sent to each by registered mail and return of receipt required, the addresses of respondents, so far as may be ascertained, being furnished by the petitioner. Such other and further notice by publication or otherwise shall be given as the court may at any time order. The notice, to be addressed ''To all whom it may concern'', shall contain the name of the petitioner, the names of all known respondents, a description of the land and a statement of the nature of the petition, shall fix the time within which appearance may be entered and answer filed, and shall contain a statement that unless the party notified shall appear and answer within the time fixed a default will be recorded, the petition taken as confessed, and the right of redemption forever barred.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 14 cases (4 in the last 5 years), 1931–2025 · leading case: Vincent Realty Corp. v. City of Boston, 378 N.E.2d 73 (Mass. 1978).

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Vincent Realty Corp. v. City of Boston, 378 N.E.2d 73 (Mass. 1978). · cites it 7× “Vincent Realty did not receive notice by registered mail, see G. L. c. 60, § 66, since the Land Court examiner did not list Vincent Realty as a party in interest.”

Town of Andover v. State Fin. Servs., Inc., 736 N.E.2d 837 (Mass. 2000). · cites it 7× “On October 3, 1994, a citation with notice of the petition to foreclose all rights of redemption in the land was sent by certified mail to State Financial at 280 Friend Street, Boston, as required by G. L. c. 60, § 66, 1 and G. L. c. 4, § 7, Forty-fourth.”

City of Boston v. James, 530 N.E.2d 1254 (Mass. App. Ct. 1988). · cites it 2× “Upon the filing of the foreclosure petition on September 22, 1983j the court as required by G. L. c. 60, § 66 (quoted in part in the margin), 2 appointed an examiner who, on March 6, 1984, rendered a report of examination of title.”

Hardy v. Jaeckle, 358 N.E.2d 769 (Mass. 1976). “” Pursuant to G. L. c. 60, § 66, the Land Court selected an official examiner whom it “authorized and directed to search the public records and examine the title relative to the land described in said petition [s] sufficiently to determine the persons who may be interested in…”

Moll v. Town of Wakefield, 175 N.E. 81 (Mass. 1931). “It is not disputed that notice issued to and was served upon the town as a party interested, and that the town was duly defaulted, all in accordance with G. L. c. 60, §§ 66, 67, 68. Therefore, the Land Court acquired jurisdiction of the parties and the cause of action.”

Town of Sandwich v. Quirk, 566 N.E.2d 614 (Mass. 1991). “This provision makes clear that interests in the land of one claiming through the record owner, such as “mortgagees, lienors, attaching creditors” (G. L. c. 60, § 66 [1988 ed.]), are terminated by the decree.”

Buk Lhu v. Dignoti, 431 Mass. 292 (Mass. 2000). “” The absolute title conveyed under § 64, however, extinguishes only the interests of any party claiming rights “through the record owner, such as ‘mortgagees, lienors, [or] attaching creditors.”

Town of North Reading v. Welch, 711 N.E.2d 603 (Mass. App. Ct. 1999). “The Land Court, conformably with G. L. c. 60, § 66, “cause[d] to be made by one of its official examiners an examination of the title sufficient only to determine the persons who may be interested in the same.”

Town of Andover v. State Fin. Servs., Inc., 723 N.E.2d 531 (Mass. App. Ct. 2000). · cites it 2× “On September 30, 1994, a citation containing notice of the petition to foreclose all rights of redemption in the land issued in the defendant’s name, as required by G. L. c. 60, § 66, and G. L. c. 4, § 7, cl.”

Mark Markham & Others v. Pittsfield Cellular Tel. Co. & Others., 101 Mass. App. Ct. 82 (Mass. App. Ct. 2022). · cites it 2× “571, 574-575 (2000) (town's mailing of foreclosure petition by certified mail as required by G. L. c. 60, § 66, satisfied due process regardless of whether it was received).”

Shaikh v. Patel (2021). “571 , 575 (2000) (construing G.L. c.60, § 66's requirement of notice by certified mail); Hull v.”

Lhpnj LLC v. Jefferson Dev. Partners LLC & Another. (Mass. App. Ct. 2025). “Whittenton received notice of the foreclosure action pursuant to G. L. c. 60, § 66, and filed an objection on April 19, 2017, challenging, among other things, the inclusion of the 3 fire watch charges in the redemption amount.”

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