New Increase Included In Recently Passed Affordable Homes Act
Flying under the radar in the recently passed Affordable Homes Act is that the amount of protection offered by a recorded Declaration of Homestead has increased from $500,000 to $1 Million. This is great news for homeowners. The increase to $1 Million applies retroactively to any…
Scam Artists Make Off With Nearly $500,000 In Sale Proceeds; Local Real Estate Agent, Developer, and Attorneys Caught Up In Fraudulent Transaction Involving Concord, MA Property
Using a counterfeit driver’s license and passport (shown at right), fake e-mail address impersonating the real owner, and a forged deed and notary stamp, scam artists were somehow able…
Tenants Given Presumptive Right to Seal Certain Eviction Records; Strict Rules Imposed On Credit Reporting Agencies; Landlords May Lose Invaluable Tenant Screening Tool
After years of lobbying, tenant advocates finally got a long-sought after eviction sealing measure through the Legislature and signed by Governor Healey as part of the recently passed Affordable Homes Act. Gov.…
Hundreds of Massachusetts Homeowner’s Association (HOA) Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions (CCR’s) May Be Void and Unenforceable
After a homeowner balked about paying a late fee, I was recently asked by a local homeowner’s association down the Cape to review their Homeowner’s Association Covenants. To my surprise, I discovered that in light of an under-the-radar 2017…
A Massachusetts Real Estate Litigator Talks About Lis Pendens Basics, Strategy, and Pro Tips.
Recently, I gave a well attended webinar for the Real Estate Bar Association on a subject that is near and dear to my real estate litigator’s heart — The Massachusetts Lis Pendens. The webinar was an introductory presentation which I called…
Non-payment Evictions Put On Hold Until Tenant RAFT Applications Are Denied/Approved
Ignoring strong opposition from property owners, the Legislature and Gov. Healey have re-enacted a Covid-19 era tenant protection law (Chapter 257 of the Acts of 2020) which puts an indefinite hold on any non-payment eviction where the tenant has applied for rental assistance (RAFT)…
New Rules Aimed At Reducing Pandemic Era Case Backlogs and Delays
Are the old days of packed Thursday morning summary process sessions coming back? They just may be. With the expiration of a pandemic era law called Chapter 257 and the end of the Covid-19 emergency, the Massachusetts Housing Court just released an important new…
Wu Administration Misled Public On Details Of Plan: Local Rent Control Boards Are Back, Lifetime Leases Allowed, Small Housing Providers Unfairly Targeted
The Boston City Council just passed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s controversial rent control measure by a 11-2 vote. Wu marketed her plan as some sort of reasonable compromise where rents would be capped…
In my 25 years of law practice, I’ve seen a lot of crazy stuff, but this recent eviction case may top my list of “Professional Tenants.” With 14+ evictions, a slew of larceny charges on their record, and thousands in past rent owed in judgments, a husband and wife team from Shrewsbury have…
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu Preparing To File Comprehensive Rent Control and Just Cause Eviction Bill
Yesterday all the major Boston news outlets reported that City of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is readying a proposal to bring back rent control to Boston. Voters statewide rejected the controversial idea three decades ago in 1994, and several new…
