Gloucester, Mass., Code of Ordinances ch. 27 (2026) § 27-4
Limitation of applicability
Operative Text
This chapter shall not be applicable to any unit in a building converted to the condominium or cooperative forms of ownership for which, on or before the date of adoption of the ordinance from this chapter is derived, a master deed has been recorded or articles of organization filed, and a deed or, in the case of a cooperative, a proprietary lease, conveying the unit to a bona fide purchaser for value who intends to occupy such unit as a principal residence has been recorded, in the case of such deed, in the county's Southern District Registry Of Deeds.
Gloucester Code of Ordinances ch. 27 § 27-4 carves out a specific category of housing units from the chapter's coverage: condominium or cooperative units that, by the time the underlying ordinance was adopted, had already completed the full conversion process — meaning a master deed or articles of organization had been recorded or filed, and a deed or proprietary lease had been conveyed to a genuine buyer who intended to use the unit as a primary home. Units meeting all of these conditions at that cutoff date fall entirely outside the chapter's requirements. The exemption is tied to the status of the unit at a fixed historical moment, not to current ownership or use.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators and owners of condominium or cooperative properties should be aware that ch. 27 § 27-4 provides a narrow, time-sensitive exemption: it applies only to units where the conversion was legally complete — master deed or articles of organization recorded, and a deed or proprietary lease conveyed to a bona fide owner-occupant — on or before the ordinance's adoption date. Compliant operators typically maintain documentation of the recording dates and the nature of the original conveyance to demonstrate that a given unit qualifies for this exemption. Units that did not satisfy all of these conditions by that historical date remain subject to the chapter's full requirements.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under ch. 27 § 27-4, tenants living in condominium or cooperative units should be aware that their unit may or may not fall under the chapter's protections depending on whether the conversion was fully completed before the ordinance's adoption date. If a landlord or owner claims the unit is exempt, tenants can look into whether the master deed and the conveyance to a bona fide purchaser were actually recorded by that cutoff date in the county's Southern District Registry of Deeds. Tenant-rights organizations or a housing attorney can help evaluate whether the exemption was properly established and whether the chapter's protections still apply.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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