Massachusetts tenants in eviction (“summary process”) cases have the option of suing the landlord who is trying to evict them, in an action known as a counterclaim. A counterclaim, simply put, is a lawsuit brought against the party who first more »
September 1st is one of the biggest moving days in Boston. With more than 100 colleges in the Boston region, there will be plenty of college students moving in and out of apartment in the city (along with other more »
As a landlord/tenant attorney, I have learned that sometimes the simplest advice is the best. It is common, especially with contentious landlord/tenant relationships, for allegations to surface regarding the failure of one party to properly maintain the property. When one more »
I’m pleased to announce that I’ve updated my blogs and website. I hope the new format is easier to navigate and better integrates all of my content. The biggest change is for my blogs, which are now part of the more »
A recent Boston.com article illustrates the perils of housing discrimination in Massachusetts. The U.S. Department of Justice filed a civil complaint against a North Attleborough apartment complex owner for discriminating against applicants with children. This owner reportedly tried to discourage renters with children from more »
Massachusetts’s trial court system has a unique forum for resolving housing matters: Housing Court. Housing Court has jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters related to the health, safety, or welfare of the occupants or owners of residential housing. In addition more »
Sometimes, a party in a landlord-tenant case needs the court to do more than simply award monetary damages or possession of the property. In such cases, injunctive relief can be a good option. An injunction is a court order that mandates or more »
An option for landlords and tenants who need to sue for low amounts of money ($7,000 and under) is small claims court. Small claims cases may be brought in District Court, Boston Municipal Court (if your case occurred in Boston) or Housing more »
Selecting tenants is one of the most challenging jobs for a landlord. Renting to anyone comes with risk, and choosing the wrong tenants can be costly, both in time and money. Landlords should use extreme care in the tenant screening process. A more »
The Massachusetts Appeals Court issued an important decision today on the right of parties to collect attorney fees in landlord/tenant cases. In Aviksis v. Murray, the Court held that “guarantors” of a landlord/tenant lease could not rely on laws that allow more »
