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 »
Drugs in a rental apartment are a serious problem for landlords. Aside from the obvious dangers that arise anytime illegal drugs are involved, landlords can face potential liability for not addressing such matters right away. Fortunately, Massachusetts law has an more »
After a home is foreclosed in Massachusetts, an eviction case is almost always required to obtain possession of the property from those persons remaining in the home. A foreclosure only changes ownership of a property, not possession. For possession, a more »
No-fault evictions are the process used to evict tenants at will, where the landlord or tenant has the option of ending the tenancy at any time, with proper notice. Here, I’ll discuss three things to know about no-fault evictions. No-Fault more »
Most are familiar with the general idea that a landlord can evict a tenant for staying past a lease term, not paying rent, or violating a lease requirement. Massachusetts, however, has a lesser known law available for early eviction cases, 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 »
Evicting tenants is a process that always requires prior planning and preparation. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the eviction process is slightly different and requires an even greater level of expertise. Here, I’ll discuss what to know about evicting tenants more »
Section 8 evictions, compared to other residential evictions in Massachusetts, follow a slightly different set of rules and restrictions. This week, the Appeals Court issued a decision clarifying the required notice to quit for Section 8 evictions. Ironically, I had more »
Buying a foreclosed property must be done with care. Compared to the purchase of other real property, foreclosed properties come with their own specific challenges. Purchasing a foreclosed property usually occurs (1) at the public foreclosure auction sale or (2) more »
Evicting commercial tenants is a different process than a residential eviction, which are more common in Massachusetts. Although commercial evictions often occur through the same court procedure, the underlining law is different. With the existing eviction moratorium expected to expire more »
