reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 222 § 7 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 7 - Instructions to Commissioner

Section 7. The state secretary shall prepare and forward to each commissioner appointed under section four, instructions and forms in conformity to law, and a copy of the three preceding sections.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 8 - Acknowledgment of Instrument; Printed or Typed Name; Expiration Date; Official Notarial Seal or Stamp

Section 8. (a) When taking an acknowledgment of an instrument or administering an oath for an instrument filed in court, a justice of the peace, notary public or other person duly authorized shall print or type such justice of the peace, notary public or other person's name directly below such person's signature and affix thereto the date of the expiration of such person's commission in the following language: ''My commission expires .''  (b) A notary public shall keep an official notarial seal or stamp that shall be the exclusive property of the notary public. A notary public shall not permit another to use such notarial seal or stamp. A notary public shall obtain a new seal or stamp upon renewal of the commission, upon receipt of a new commission or if the name of the notary public has changed. The notarial seal or stamp shall include: (i) the notary public's name exactly as indicated on the commission; (ii) the words ''notary public'' and ''Commonwealth of Massachusetts'' or ''Massachusetts''; (iii) the expiration date of the commission in the following words: ''My commission expires ___''; and (iv) a facsimile of the seal of the commonwealth. If a notarial seal that requires ink is employed, black ink shall be used. The requirements of this subsection shall be satisfied by using a stamp and a seal that, together, include all of the information required by this section. Failure to comply with this section shall not affect the validity of any instrument or the record thereof.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 9 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 9 - Acting as Justice or Notary After Expiration of Commission; Penalty

Section 9. Whoever presumes to act as a justice of the peace or notary public after the expiration of his commission, and after receiving notice of such expiration, shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 10 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 10 - Destruction of Notary's Records; Penalty

Section 10. Whoever knowingly destroys, defaces or conceals the records or official papers of a notary public shall forfeit not more than one thousand dollars and be liable for damages to any person injured thereby.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 11 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 11 - Acknowledgments by Persons in Armed Forces or Their Dependents

Section 11. Persons serving in or with the armed forces of the commonwealth or other reserve component commands when conducting mobilization exercises and soldier readiness processing or the armed forces of the United States or their dependents, wherever located, may acknowledge any instrument in the manner and form required by law before a commissioned officer in the active service of the armed forces of the commonwealth or the United States with the rank of second lieutenant or higher in the army, air force or marine corps or ensign or higher in the navy or United States Coast Guard. Any such instrument shall contain a statement that the person executing the instrument is serving in or with the armed forces of the commonwealth or other reserve component command when conducting mobilization exercises and soldier readiness processing or the armed forces of the United States or is a dependent of any such person. No such instrument shall be rendered invalid by the failure to state in the instrument the place of execution or acknowledgment.  No authentication of the officer's certificate of acknowledgment shall be required.  Instruments so acknowledged outside of the commonwealth, if otherwise in accordance with the law, shall be received and may be used in evidence or for any other purpose in the same manner as if taken before a commissioner of the commonwealth appointed to take depositions in other states.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 12 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 12 - Exemptions From Maintaining Journal of Notary Transactions

Section 12. Notwithstanding section 22 or any other general or special law to the contrary, a notary public who is an attorney or who is employed by an attorney and by virtue of such employment performs notary public duties shall not be required to maintain a journal.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 13 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 13 - Qualifications; Grounds for Denial of Application for Appointment

Section 13. (a) A person qualified for a notary public commission shall be at least 18 years of age and reside or have a regular place of work or business within the commonwealth.  (b) In the governor's discretion, an application for appointment, reappointment or renewal of a commission may be denied based on:  (i) submission of an official application containing a material misstatement or omission of fact;  (ii) the applicant's conviction of an offense that resulted in a prison sentence;  (iii) the applicant's conviction of a misdemeanor offense that resulted in a sentence to probation or a fine or a conviction for a violation of paragraph (a) of subdivision (1) of section 24 of chapter 90 or subsection (a) of section 8 of chapter 90B;  (iv) the applicant's admission to sufficient facts to warrant a finding of guilt of any offense;  (v) a finding or admission of responsibility or liability against the applicant in a civil action based on the applicant's fraud or deceit;  (vi) revocation, suspension, restriction or denial of a notary public commission or professional licensure by the commonwealth or any other jurisdiction; or  (vii) any other reason, including official misconduct, that in the governor's discretion, would render the applicant unsuitable to hold a notary public commission.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 14 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 14 - Term of Commission

Section 14. A person commissioned as a notary public may perform notarial acts in any part of the commonwealth for a term of 7 years unless the commission is earlier revoked or the notary public resigns.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 18 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 18 - Violations of Chapter; Penalties; Civil Cause of Action and Remedies; Unfair or Deceptive Act or Practice

Section 18. (a) The attorney general or district attorney may prosecute any person committing a violation of this chapter. A person convicted of committing a violation of this chapter shall be punished for a first offense by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than 6 months, or by both such fine and imprisonment, and, for a second or subsequent offense, by a fine of not more than $5,000 or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than 1 year, or by both such fine and imprisonment. The attorney general or district attorney may file a petition for injunctive relief against any person who violates this chapter. If the attorney general, district attorney or the state secretary has cause to believe that, as a result of official misconduct, a person holding the office of notary public is unsuitable to hold that office, the attorney general, district attorney or state secretary shall provide notice to the governor of such official misconduct. Any conviction based on a violation of this chapter shall be grounds for the revocation of a notary public's appointment. If the court finds that a person so convicted either knew or should have known that the conduct would be in violation of this chapter, the court may require such person to pay a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 for each such violation and may also require the person to pay the reasonable costs of investigation and litigation of the violation, including reasonable attorneys' fees.  (b) A person having an interest or right that is or may be adversely affected by a violation of section 17 may initiate an action for private remedies and, if the attorney general or district attorney has not done so, for injunctive relief. Such person may be awarded actual damages and, if the court finds that the person against whom the action is brought either knew or should have known the conduct would be in violation of said section 17, punitive damages of not more than $5,000 per violation, attorneys' fees and court costs.  (c) A violation of section 17 shall constitute an unfair or deceptive act or practice pursuant to chapter 93A.  (d) It shall not be a defense in an action pursuant to this section that the conduct that is the subject of the action, in whole or in part, occurred primarily or substantially outside the commonwealth.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 19 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 19 - Duty to Perform Notarial Act Upon Payment of Fee; Exceptions

Section 19. A notary public shall perform a notarial act for any person requesting such act who tenders the fee provided for in section 41 of chapter 262 or any other general or special law or executive order, unless:  (i) the notary public knows or has reason to believe that the notarial act or the associated transaction is unlawful;  (ii) the principal has a demeanor that causes the notary public to have a compelling doubt about whether the principal knows the consequences of the transaction or document requiring the notarial act;  (iii) the act is prohibited by this chapter or any other applicable law; or  (iv) the number of notarial acts requested practicably precludes completion of all acts at once, in which case, the notary public shall arrange for later completion of the remaining acts.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 20 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 20 - Lawfulness, Accuracy or Truthfulness of Document or Transition Involving Notarial Act; Effect of Documents Not Containing Acknowledgement or Certification; Rules of Land Court Relating to Filing of Documents

Section 20. (a) A notary public shall not be authorized or required to investigate, ascertain or attest to the lawfulness, propriety, accuracy or truthfulness of a document or transaction involving a notarial act.  (b) Except as may be required by the office of the state secretary for the issuance of an apostille and provided the form of acknowledgement, jurat, signature witnessing or copy certification otherwise is substantially similar in legal meaning and effect to the texts of the several forms set forth in this chapter or in the appendix to chapter 183:  (i) failure of a document to contain the forms of acknowledgment, jurat, signature witnessing or copy certification set forth in section 15 or otherwise to comply with the requirements set forth in sections 8 to 23, inclusive, shall not have any effect on the validity of the underlying document or the recording of the underlying document;  (ii) failure of a document to contain the forms of acknowledgment, jurat, signature witnessing or copy certification set forth in said section 15 shall not be the basis of a refusal to accept the document for filing, recordation, registration or acceptance by a third party; and  (iii) failure of a document executed in a representative capacity to contain an acknowledgment that the instrument was also the voluntary or free act and deed of the principal or grantor shall not affect the validity of the underlying document or the recording of the document.  (c) Nothing shall prevent the land court from issuing rules, regulations, directives, orders and guidelines governing the forms of acknowledgements and jurats to be complied with for the filing and registration of documents with the land court and its land registration districts.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 21 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 21 - Advertisements for Notarial Services in Language Other Than English

Section 21. A notary public who is not an attorney who advertises notarial services in a language other than English shall include in the advertisement, notice, letterhead or sign the following statement prominently displayed in the same language: ''I am not an attorney and I have no authority to give advice on immigration or other legal matters.''.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 23 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 23 - Fees Not to Be Charged for Certain Notarial Acts

Section 23. Notwithstanding section 41 of chapter 262, no fee shall be charged by a notary public to notarize a signature on an absentee ballot identification envelope or other voting materials or on any application or claim by a United States military veteran for a pension, allotment, allowance, compensation, insurance or other veterans' benefit.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 24 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 24 - Destruction of Notary Seals and Stamps Upon Expiration, Resignation or Revocation of Commission; Retention of Journal and Records

Section 24. If a notary public's commission expires, is resigned or revoked, the notary public shall, as soon as reasonably practicable, destroy or deface all notary seals and stamps so that they shall not be used and shall retain the journal and records for 7 years after the date of expiration, resignation or revocation.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 25 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 25 - Change of Name or Address; Notice to State Secretary

Section 25. Within 10 days after the change of a notary public's name, residence, business address or mailing address, the notary public shall send to the state secretary a signed notice of the change, providing both the old and new information.
MA Gen L ch 222 § 26 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title I - Courts and Judicial Officers|Chapter 222 - Justices of the Peace, Notaries Public and Commissioners|Section 26 - Revocation of Commission

Section 26. A notary public's commission may be revoked for official misconduct as defined in section 1 or for other good cause as determined by the governor with the consent of the governor's council.
MA Gen L ch 223 § 1 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 223 - Commencement of Actions, Service of Process|Section 1 - Transitory Actions; General Provisions

Section 1. A transitory action shall, except as otherwise provided, if any one of the parties thereto lives in the commonwealth, be brought in the county where one of them lives or has his usual place of business; provided, however, that if the instrument of the crime is a forged check, credit card, or other negotiable instrument, intending on its face to be presented for payment at another place in another county and the value of the money, goods or services involved is in excess of one hundred dollars, the action may be brought in the county where the instrument was presented or at the place where the instrument was presented for payment, if such place of payment is located in the commonwealth; and provided, further, that except in actions upon negotiable instruments if the plaintiff is an assignee of the cause of action, it shall be brought only in a county where it might have been brought by the assignor thereof. If neither party lives in the commonwealth, the action may be brought in any county. If an action is dismissed because the defendant has raised timely objection to venue, the defendant shall be allowed double costs.
MA Gen L ch 223 § 2 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 223 - Commencement of Actions, Service of Process|Section 2 - Transitory Actions; District Courts

Section 2. Except as provided in section twenty-one of chapter two hundred and eighteen, a transitory action in a district court shall be brought in a court in the judicial district where one of the parties lives or has his usual place of business or in a court, the judicial district of which is adjacent to the judicial district where one of the parties lives or has his usual place of business or, if in connection with the commencement of such an action the approval of trustee process is sought, that action shall be brought in a court in the judicial district where one of the parties or any person alleged to be trustee lives or has a usual place of business, or in a court the judicial district of which adjoins the judicial district where one of the parties or one of the alleged trustees lives or has a usual place of business; provided, however, that an action may be brought in the municipal court of the city of Boston as provided in section fifty-four of chapter two hundred and eighteen.  Said courts shall have jurisdiction of a transitory action against a defendant who is not an inhabitant of the commonwealth, if personal service or an effectual attachment of property is made within the commonwealth; and such action may be brought in any of said courts in the county where the service or attachment was made.
MA Gen L ch 223 § 2a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 223 - Commencement of Actions, Service of Process|Section 2a - Consolidation of Pending Actions Arising Out of Same Accident or Transaction

Section 2A. Whenever cross actions between the same parties or two or more actions, including for the purposes hereof other court proceedings and actions transferred under section one hundred and two C of chapter two hundred and thirty-one, arising out of or connected with the same accident, event or transaction are pending in more than one division of the same department of the trial court, the administrative justice of such department of the trial court may, upon motion of any party to such action in such court, order the consolidation of such actions for the purpose of trial together in any division of said department of the trial court to be designated in the order. The party making such motion shall give notice thereof to the clerks, clerk magistrates or registers of probate of the divisions in which said actions are pending, to all parties to such actions, and to the administrative justice of the respective department of the trial court. Thereafter, none of said actions shall be placed on any trial list until after the disposition of said motion. This section shall apply only to actions as to which the time limit for removal to the superior court department under section one hundred and four of chapter two hundred and thirty-one has expired.
MA Gen L ch 223 § 2b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 223 - Commencement of Actions, Service of Process|Section 2b - Actions Arising Out of Same Accident or Transaction Pending in Both Superior and District Courts; Transfer to Superior Court

Section 2B. Whenever cross actions between the same parties or two or more actions, including for the purposes hereof other court proceedings, arising out of or connected with the same accident, event or transaction are pending, one or more in the superior court and also one or more in one or more district courts, the superior court, upon motion of any party to any of such actions, may order that the action or actions pending in the district court or courts, with all the papers relating thereto, be transferred to the superior court without the payment of any entry fee, or, with the consent of all principal parties to all such actions, may order that such actions be transferred without the payment of any entry fee to a designated district court in which any of such actions is pending.
MA Gen L ch 223 § 2c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 223 - Commencement of Actions, Service of Process|Section 2c - Actions Arising Out of Same Accident or Transaction; Procedure After Transfer

Section 2C. Whenever any action or proceeding is transferred to another court under any provision of section two A or section two B, such action or proceeding shall thereafter proceed in the court to which it is thus transferred as though originally entered there.
MA Gen L ch 223 § 3 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 223 - Commencement of Actions, Service of Process|Section 3 - Transitory Actions; Enumeration

Section 3. Every action for rent, use and occupation or breach of covenant shall be considered a transitory action.
MA Gen L ch 223 § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title II - Actions and Proceedings Therein|Chapter 223 - Commencement of Actions, Service of Process|Section 4 - Replevin Actions

Section 4. An action brought pursuant to chapter two hundred and forty-seven shall be brought in the county where the goods or beasts are detained.