Many states and jurisdictions, including Massachusetts, have been prompted to re-examine their construction and design liability related laws in the wake of the Champlain Towers South high-rise condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida. One such law is under particular scrutiny in Massachusetts. In Massachusetts, Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 260, §2B (the “Statute of Repose”) generally prevents […]
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In the recent matter of Bellalta v. Zoning Board of Appeals of Brookline 481 Mass. 272 (2019), the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (the “SJC”) ruled that a variance was not required for a homeowner to add a dormer to their roof (only a special permit) despite the additional living space increasing a nonconforming Floor Area […]
Under the Massachusetts condominium statute, the organization of unit owners, i.e., the condominium association, has a lien on each condominium unit for the unpaid common expense assessment levied against each unit from the time the assessment becomes due. This lien has priority over all existing mortgages, except that the priority over first mortgages is limited […]
