The start of the holiday season has been hectic for me, and not due to holiday parties, gift shopping, or the many other things that come up in November/December each year. I’m pleased to report that I had a successful more »
Earlier this year, I received a great decision in an eviction case I brought on behalf of a small, owner-occupied landlord. While many resources are available on no-cause and non-payment of rent evictions, the rules about cause evictions are less more »
This week, I finished settling a lawsuit I have worked on for several years concerning passageway easements. This is an interesting area of law that touches upon many nuances of real estate. What are Passageway Easements? An easement is a more »
A recent WBUR article discusses the lengthy (and often expensive) process landlords must go through to evict a tenant. Unfortunately, this story is not unusual: I have seen many landlords spend considerable time in the eviction process due to some more »
The legal process of obtaining possession of rental property always requires a landlord to bring a formal court case against a tenant, known as an eviction (formally referred to as “summary process” in Massachusetts). However, filing an eviction alone does more »
Every Massachusetts landlord needs to know and follow the important topic of when to return a security deposit. The seemingly minor mistake of not returning a security deposit in a timely manner can incur enormous penalties for landlords. Security Deposit more »
New Housing Court rules will take effect in June 2023, changing how this trial court operates. Since the pandemic, Housing Court has significantly changed its court procedures and operations. Many of these changes, in my opinion, have been long overdue. more »
Several weeks ago, the Supreme Judicial Court issued an important decision concerning eviction settlement agreements. The full decision, Darcey v. Burgess, is included below. The facts of the case are fairly straightforward. A tenant filed a lawsuit in Housing Court more »
Last week, I settled a case concerning the City of Boston Yard Sale Program. The lawsuit I brought concerned some interesting topics in Massachusetts real estate law, which will inevitably arise again for other properties purchased through this program. What more »
Settling real estate disputes is my goal for every case I take on. In nearly every circumstance, both parties in a legal dispute can better resolve the matter without prolonged litigation or trial. In this blog post, I’ll share some more »
