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Mass. high court affirms sale of Jenkins Bog; town and purchaser prevail
Summary
Town Manager Mark Ells said the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on May 20, 2026 affirmed dismissal of a challenge to the Jenkins Bog sale in Centerville, finding the statute protects municipal interests and that the town had no obligation to enforce notice requirements on the seller.
Town Manager Mark Ells reported that on May 20, 2026 the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a decision affirming the superior court's dismissal of a lawsuit challenging the sale of Jenkins Bog in Centerville. "The court concluded that the statute protects municipal interests, not in the interest of abutters or private organizations," Ells said, summarizing the ruling.
Ells said plaintiffs — described in his update as abutting property owners and a nonprofit preservation group — had challenged the sale to Bog Partners LLC, the purchasers of the property. He said the court also "found that the town had no obligation to take steps to enforce compliance with the statutory notice requirements," and that the town had acted appropriately in notifying the seller of a defective notice.
Why it matters: the ruling allows the sale to proceed and clarifies that the statutory protections in question are aimed at municipal, not private, interests, according to the town manager's summary. The transcript does not provide the court's full opinion text or citation; the town manager's communication contains further detail, Ells said.
