The question of how to respond to a petition for partition usually arises when a property owner receives a lawsuit from Land Court or Probate and Family Court, notifying them that a co-property owner wants out of jointly owned property. more »
Housing Court Specialist Status Conferences are one of the many changes to the court system during and after the pandemic. In this post, I’ll discuss the roles of these conferences in the Massachusetts eviction process. Eviction Overview In Massachusetts (like more »
Any party involved in an appeal of a Massachusetts zoning decision should know the possibility of zoning appeal bonds for cases involving a special permit, variance, or site plan decision. Appealing a Zoning Decision Zoning decisions in Massachusetts are made more »
The Appeals Court issued an interesting decision last week about the important landlord-tenant topic of how to return a security deposit. The decision, Slater v. Traynor Management, is included below. Massachusetts law covers nearly every aspect of a landlord’s acceptance, more »
The Boston Globe interviewed me last week on negotiating a lease and whether this can (and should) be done. In my opinion, lease negotiations are possible. Here, I’ll discuss some tips for both landlords and tenants. Please note that I more »
Landlord rights is a topic that I often get asked about, usually by landlords themselves in frustration over Massachusetts landlord-tenant laws. While tenant rights are more commonly known by those involved in landlord-tenant law, landlords certainly have rights of their more »
Many property owners are shocked to learn about the many legal implications that can arise from the seemingly simple act of putting up a fence around one’s yard. From my experience in handling boundary disputes among neighbors, I would estimate more »
The Supreme Judicial Court issued an informative decision last week concerning the Massachusetts partition process. The full decision, Battle v. Howard, is included below. This case provides a good overview of dividing real estate among property owners and how the more »
Like nearly every municipality in the United States, the City of Boston regulates land use through a series of rules and ordinances known as “zoning.” Zoning in Boston, and the process of appealing a decision on such a matter, is more »
