Rhode Island General Laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 9-4-2 (2026)

Venue of actions involving realty

✓ current as of July 2026
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All civil actions which concern realty, or any right, easement, or interest therein, or the possession thereof, all civil actions for breaking and entering the close of any plaintiff, and all actions in which the title to real estate may be tried and determined, shall, if brought in the superior court, be brought in the court for the county, and if brought in the district court, in the division where the land lies; and whenever the land, whether consisting of an entire tract or of two (2) or more separate tracts, lies partly in two (2) or more counties or divisions, such actions, if brought in the superior court, may be brought in the court for any county, or if brought in a district court, in any division where the land or any portion thereof lies.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 4 cases, 1967–1978 · leading case: Berberian v. Town of Westerly, 381 A.2d 1039 (R.I. 1978).
Berberian v. Town of Westerly, 381 A.2d 1039 (R.I. 1978). · cites it 4× “APPENDIX A Section 9-4-2 regulates venue in all civil actions concerning realty as follows: §9-4-2.”
Rowell v. Kaplan, 235 A.2d 91 (R.I. 1967). “1956, §§9-4-2 and 9-4-6, as amended. In substance, and insofar as pertinent to her position, they provide that an action concerning realty or any right or interest therein, shall be dismissed if not brought in the county where the land is located.”
Rossi Sheet Metal Works v. Am. Employers Ins., 439 F. Supp. 895 (D.R.I. 1977). · cites it 2× “G.L. §§ 9-4-2 to 9-4-6 (Supp.1976), and not by agreement between litigants.”
Aborn v. Warwick Indus. Park, 234 A.2d 678 (R.I. 1967). · cites it 6× “1956, §§9-4-2 and 9-4-6, alleging in substance that it appeared from the declaration that this was an action at law concerning the realty and in effect was an action for breaking and entering the close of plaintiff; that the declaration alleged that said realty and close were…”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.