Court Favors South Shore Town in Property Dispute
For decades Massachusetts courts followed an ancient rule regarding ownership of land underlying roads and streams. An exception played a key role in a recent court case.
Why Exclusivity Clauses Are Important in Retail Properties
For commercial landlords and their retail tenants, shopping centers operate like ecosystems. A Massachusetts federal court case is instructive as to why.
Starter Home Question Could Catalyze Construction
Two recent zoning reforms may not fix the housing shortage in Massachusetts. But a potential game-changer is on the horizon in the form of an initiative petition.
Hotel Management Agreements Are Critical for Hospitality Properties. Here’s How They Work
It is an understatement to say that hotels are different from other CRE investments. To understand why, you have to understand hotel management agreements.
Springfield Ties Future to Gaming
The MGM casino revitalized an area of the city heavily damaged in a 2011 tornado. It’s now generating millions of dollars in taxes and thousands of permanent jobs.
The Patient Capital Behind Many Affordable Housing Projects
CEDAC’s financing and technical assistance programs have contributed to the production or preservation of over 455,000 homes statewide
Bane of Landlords Threatens to Reappear on Ballot
To landlords in Massachusetts, rent control is like Freddy Krueger – a relentless villain that terrorizes victims in an endless series of sequels and remakes.
Soured Relationship Leads to Defamation Lawsuit Against Architect
The Massachusetts Appeals Court declined to hold an architect liable for advising its municipal clients to avoid working with a particular construction company.
Woods Hole Project Illustrates Coastal Permitting Challenges
The deepwater port on Cape Cod has hosted research vessels for nearly 100 years. But replacing its main dock took years of permitting and consensus-building.
SJC Limits Landlords’ Use of Security Deposits
When one of its tenants vacated her apartment without using professional cleaning services, a landlord deducted $115 from her security deposit. It could face a class-action lawsuit.
Invasive Weed Trips Up Builder in Pepperell
Young parents buying new homes have many concerns. Whether their builder may have knowingly spread an invasive weed and glass on their property should not be among them.
With Ordinance, Boston Targets Climate Change
For a planet with over 8 billion people, BERDO cannot provide meaningful climate change mitigation by itself, but one has to start somewhere.
BU Synthetic Turf Field Project Trips Up Architect
A new SJC ruling says the time limits for when architects’ clients can sue over design defects can be contractually negotiated.
North Attleborough Landlord Liable Under ‘Unfair Practices’ Statute
Now and then, a commercial landlord engages in conduct so peculiar, that others can only shake their heads in bewilderment. Such was the case involving several properties in North Attleborough’s “Auto Road” area.
Earth Removal Dispute Can’t Bury Concord Development
Massachusetts courts seldom label local zoning boards’ denials of permits as arbitrary and capricious, but that’s exactly what happened recently in a recent state Land Court decision, Symmes Development & Permitting LLC v. Smith.
The Pros and Cons of Hotel Franchise Agreements
There are good reasons for hotel owners to affiliate with national brands such as Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton. But these deals come with costs.
A Gateway to Clean Energy on Cape Cod
Although the resort town of Barnstable fits the demographic requirements of a gateway municipality, it lacked the typical industrial history and immigrant cultures – until offshore wind projects started taking root offshore.
‘Affordable Housing’ Has a Special Meaning in Mass.
Before joining the chorus of promoters of “affordable housing,” one might want to consider the meaning of that term, and its consequences.
The Legal Changes CRE Executives Need to Know in 2025
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus stated centuries ago that change is the only constant in life. A few things expected to bring change to the Massachusetts real estate industry in 2025.
Historic Tax Credits Sweeten the Pot for Developers
Massachusetts recently doubled its annual historic tax credit limit, but while they’re attractive for those committed to preserving historic buildings, they must be used with caution.
