If the person in possession has actually ousted the plaintiff or withheld from him the possession of the land, he may, at the election of the plaintiff, be considered as a disseisor for the purpose of trying the right, although he claims an estate less than a freehold.
Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 237, § 7
Actual ouster; effect
Official source: Massachusetts Legislature. Reproduced from public-domain Massachusetts statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.