Statute of Limitations for Common Law Fraud / Deceit in Massachusetts

6 min read

Published July 5, 2025 • Updated April 8, 2026 • By DocketMath Team

Partially verified

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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently — verify all citations with current official sources.

Worked example

For a US-MA Common Law Fraud / Deceit limitations check, use the verified limitations period from the current rule packet: 3 years. The authority packet cites Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2A (https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleV/Chapter260/Section2A).

Example inputs:

Accrual date: 2024-04-25
Filing date checked: 2026-04-25

Calculation:

Start with the accrual date.
Add 3 years.
The example deadline is 2027-04-25.

This example is generated from the verified facts packet rather than freeform prose. Confirm tolling, discovery rules, and claim-specific exceptions before relying on the date.

Limitation period

Massachusetts’ general SOL period is 6 years for claims governed by Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 277, § 63 (including the common law fraud/deceit approach described in this page).

What “6 years” means in practice

Practically, you start counting from the date the claim accrues—often tied to when the injury/right to sue is treated as having arisen. In fraud-like cases, the “right to sue” may not feel obvious until later, which is why accrual timing disputes show up frequently.

Even though the baseline SOL length is six years, the actual deadline can shift because:

accrual can be argued differently based on what was known (or knowable), and
some doctrines may affect when the SOL effectively begins running or whether it pauses.

Step-by-step deadline check

Example inputs:

Accrual date: 2024-04-25
Filing date checked: 2026-04-25

Calculation:

Start with the accrual date.
Add 3 years.
The example deadline is 2027-04-25.

This example is generated from the verified facts packet rather than freeform prose. Confirm tolling, discovery rules, and claim-specific exceptions before relying on the date.

Checklist to map your key dates

When building a timeline (or running estimates), try to pin down:

Key exceptions

Even when the “length” is 6 years, Massachusetts fraud/deceit timing can shift due to exceptions that affect when the SOL starts running, or whether the clock is paused.

1) Accrual / discovery-type timing issues

For fraud/deceit, the core question is often when the claim became actionable—i.e., when the plaintiff knew or should have known enough facts to pursue the claim. The general SOL length remains 6 years, but the start date may vary depending on the accrual theory and the case facts.

Practical takeaway: two people with similar claims can end up with different deadlines because the accrual date can differ.

2) Tolling doctrines (clock pauses)

Some legal circumstances can suspend or extend SOL time (commonly framed as “tolling”). The applicability and scope depend heavily on the specific procedural posture and legal context.

Practical takeaway: if there was a legally relevant event that paused the running of time, the effective deadline may be later than a simple “start date + 6 years” calculation.

Worked example

Example inputs:

Accrual date: 2024-04-25
Filing date checked: 2026-04-25

Calculation:

Start with the accrual date.
Add 3 years.
The example deadline is 2027-04-25.

This example is generated from the verified facts packet rather than freeform prose. Confirm tolling, discovery rules, and claim-specific exceptions before relying on the date.

Worked example

Example inputs:

Accrual date: 2024-04-25
Filing date checked: 2026-04-25

Calculation:

Start with the accrual date.
Add 3 years.
The example deadline is 2027-04-25.

This example is generated from the verified facts packet rather than freeform prose. Confirm tolling, discovery rules, and claim-specific exceptions before relying on the date.

Statute citation

**Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 277, § 63 — 6 years (general/default period)

This page uses the general 6-year SOL as the default approach for common law fraud/deceit in Massachusetts, because no claim-type-specific sub-rule was identified in the provided jurisdiction data.

Use the calculator

You can estimate a Massachusetts deadline using DocketMath’s Statute of Limitations calculator at /tools/statute-of-limitations.

Inputs to consider in DocketMath

When you open the tool, look for inputs aligned with these concepts (the exact field names can vary, but the logic is the same):

Accrual / discovery date: the date you think the clock starts
Jurisdiction: **Massachusetts (US-MA)
Select the SOL rule: general 6-year period under Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 277, § 63

How outputs change with your inputs

In general:

If you move the start date by 1 year, the estimated end date shifts by about 1 year.
If you move the start date by 90 days, the estimated deadline shifts by about 90 days (under a simple “add the limitations period” model).
If DocketMath includes tolling-related options that fit your situation, the calculated deadline may reflect a paused clock and therefore extend beyond start date + 6 years.

Step-by-step deadline check

Example inputs:

Accrual date: 2024-04-25
Filing date checked: 2026-04-25

Calculation:

Start with the accrual date.
Add 3 years.
The example deadline is 2027-04-25.

This example is generated from the verified facts packet rather than freeform prose. Confirm tolling, discovery rules, and claim-specific exceptions before relying on the date.

Sources and references

Start with the primary authority for Massachusetts and confirm the effective date before relying on any output. If the rule has been amended, update the inputs and rerun the calculation.

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 260, § 2

Worked example

Limitation period

What “6 years” means in practice

Step-by-step deadline check

Checklist to map your key dates

Key exceptions

1) Accrual / discovery-type timing issues

2) Tolling doctrines (clock pauses)

Worked example

Worked example

Statute citation

Use the calculator

Inputs to consider in DocketMath

How outputs change with your inputs

Step-by-step deadline check

Sources and references

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