I’m honored to announce that Governor Baker has appointed me today to the newly formed Zoom Control Commission (“ZCC”), a five-member panel with the job of regulating Zoom calls, meetings, and hearings during the COVID-19 pandemic. I am humbled by more »
Title issues with foreclosed properties often arise when a dispute comes up over a property’s lawful ownership. Most often, these involve a claim that the underlining foreclosure was not performed lawfully. Massachusetts law is clear that the failure to “strictly more »
Cash for keys is a popular alternative to the formal eviction process in Massachusetts. As an incentive for tenants to voluntarily leave a rental property, landlords can offer tenants money to move. Often, such deals can save landlords significant time more »
Specific performance for property is a legal remedy available for many real estate disputes. Here, I’ll discuss three things to know about this area of law. Specific Performance Requires a Party to Fulfill A Contract Duty A contract is a more »
Evictions for lease violations occur when a landlord wishes to evict a tenant for violating the lease term, other than non-payment of rent. Such cases are similar in many ways to other eviction cases but come with several differences that more »
On the issue of landlord liability for dogs, a recent Appeals Court decision keeps landlords out of the doghouse for some of the problems that can arise from a tenant’s pets. The full decision, Creatini v. McHugh, is included below. more »
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, new state requirements now exist for the service of non-payment of rent notices to quit. This includes a required attestation form and the filing of the notice to quit with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Eviction more »
The topic of how to divide property between family often comes up when family members own property together, and one member wants out. This most commonly occurs, in my experience, through the inheritance of property among siblings, after a parent more »
MCAD complaints against landlords generally occur when a prospective, prior, or current tenant accuses a landlord of housing discrimination. When faced with such a claim, landlords need to act promptly and diligently in responding to such charges. What is MCAD? more »
Mistakes happen . . . especially in real estate. The legal options for fixing a real estate mistake vary based on the circumstances and the dispute that must be resolved. Fortunately, Massachusetts law provides a number of causes of action more »
