Construction Environmental Real Estate

Breaking: Massachusetts Attorney General Strikes Down Municipality’s Attempt to Ban Gas Installations in Buildings

July 24, 2020 by Joel Quick | Leave a Comment

On July 21, 2020, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey struck down a by‑law passed by the Town of Brookline that would have disallowed most construction that included “fossil fuel infrastructure.” The Attorney General’s decision can be found here. This by-law would have prevented gas installations in new or substantially renovated buildings and would have required […]

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Construction Zoning

Wrong Procedure Costs City $1 Million Judgment Against Developer it Fined for Building Without Permits

June 30, 2020 / June 30, 2020 by Michelle O'Brien | Leave a Comment

In a striking blow, stripping a city of a judgment of nearly $1 million, the Massachusetts Appeals Court recently reversed a superior court summary judgment awarding fines to the City of Haverhill for a developer’s violations of zoning laws. The city assessed the fines against the developer under the state building code and the local […]

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Construction Real Estate

Breaking: City of Boston Announces New Protocol for Resumption of “Essential” Construction This Month

May 6, 2020 by Donald R. Pinto, Jr. | Leave a Comment

Late yesterday Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s office announced a new protocol for re-starting city construction projects deemed “essential.” In mid-March, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Walsh ordered most construction in the city to cease. Since April 27, 2020, all projects involving essential construction have been required to file with the city a COVID-19 Safety […]

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Construction Real Estate

Breaking: Mass. SJC Holds That Real Estate Statute of Repose Bars Tort Claims Arising From Asbestos Exposure After Six Years

March 1, 2019 / March 1, 2019 by Donald R. Pinto, Jr. | Leave a Comment

In a decision of great importance to property owners, developers, architects, engineers, and contractors, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) this morning ruled that the state’s six-year statute of repose, M.G.L. c. 260, § 2B, applies to tort claims based on asbestos exposure and other diseases with long latency periods.  The decision is Stearns v. […]

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