Massachusetts § 10 - Fences on lands owned in severalty and occupied in common; construction

§ 10. Fences on lands owned in severalty and occupied in common; construction

Section 10. If land belonging to two persons in severalty has been occupied in common without a partition fence, and one of the occupants desires to occupy his part in severalty, and both occupants are in possession of beasts which would be restrained by the erection of a fence dividing the parts of each occupant, and the other occupant refuses or neglects on demand to divide the line where the fence ought to be built, or to build a sufficient fence on his part of the line when divided, the party desiring it may have the same divided and assigned by the fence viewers in the manner provided in this chapter; and the fence viewers may in writing assign a reasonable time, having regard to the season, for making the fence; and if the occupant complained of does not make his part of the fence within the time so assigned, the other party may, after having made up his part of the fence, make up the part of such occupant, and recover therefor double the sum total of the expense thereof and fees, as provided in section five.