reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 40 § 51 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 51 - Publication of Information Concerning Persons Receiving Aid From Governmental Agencies Forbidden; Exceptions; Penalties

Section 51. No town or officer thereof shall publish or disclose in any manner to others than officers of any city, town or other governmental agency or the duly authorized agents of such officers the names of any persons residing in such town who received benefits under chapter one hundred and fifteen, except that a duly incorporated charitable corporation shall be informed, upon its request, as to whether or not any designated person has received such benefits. No department, board or commission, or agent thereof, of a town providing aid, guidance or advice solely to persons who are in active military or naval service during the time of war, or who were formerly in such service, or to the dependents of any such persons, shall furnish any records or information to any social service index, so called, or exchange information with any other agency, except as hereinbefore provided. Whoever violates any provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five nor more than five hundred dollars.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 52 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 52 - Size of Official Letters

Section 52. All official letters from officers of towns shall be written or printed, so far as practicable, on paper eight and one half inches wide and eleven inches long.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 53 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 53 - Restraint of Illegal Appropriations; Ten Taxpayer Actions

Section 53. If a town, regional school district, or a district as defined in section one A, or any of its officers or agents are about to raise or expend money or incur obligations purporting to bind said town, regional school district, or district for any purpose or object or in any manner other than that for and in which such town, regional school district, or district has the legal and constitutional right and power to raise or expend money or incur obligations, the supreme judicial or superior court may, upon petition of not less than ten taxable inhabitants of the town, or not less than ten taxable inhabitants of any town in the regional school district, or not less than ten taxable inhabitants of that portion of a town which is in the district, determine the same in equity, and may, before the final determination of the cause, restrain the unlawful exercise or abuse of such corporate power.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 54 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 54 - Building Permit Restrictions; Availability of Water Supply; Disposal of Debris

Section 54. No building permit shall be issued for the construction of a building which would necessitate the use of water therein, unless a supply of water is available therefor either from a water system operated by a city, town or district, or from a well located on the land where the building is to be constructed, or from a water corporation or company, as defined in section one of chapter one hundred and sixty-five.  Every city or town shall require, as a condition of issuing a building permit or license for the demolition, renovation, rehabilitation or other alteration of a building or structure, that the debris resulting from such demolition, renovation, rehabilitation or alteration be disposed of in a properly licensed solid waste disposal facility, as defined by section one hundred and fifty A of chapter one hundred and eleven. Any such permit or license shall indicate the location of the facility at which the debris is to be disposed. If for any reason, the debris will not be disposed of as indicated, the permittee or licensee shall notify the issuing authority as to the location where the debris will be disposed. The issuing authority shall amend the permit or license to so indicate.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 54a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 54a - State Consent to Issuance of Permit to Build on Lands Formerly Used as a Railroad Right-of-Way; Damages in Absence Thereof

Section 54A. If a city or town or any other person purchases any former railroad right-of-way in the commonwealth, no permit to build a structure of any kind on land so purchased shall be issued by any city or town in the commonwealth without first obtaining the consent, or a determination of inapplicability, in writing to the issuance of such permit from the secretary of the department of transportation. The department of transportation shall establish an application process, applicable timeframes and review guidelines that may require a public hearing component depending on when the former railroad right-of-way was last used by the railroad. As used in this section, the term ''former railroad right-of-way'' shall mean any property either formerly owned in fee by a railroad company and used as a railroad right-of-way or portion of any property formerly subject to an easement held by a railroad company and used as a railroad right-of-way. If said secretary does not consent to the issuance of such permit, the owner of the land may recover from the commonwealth such damages as would be awarded under the provisions of chapter seventy-nine.  Notwithstanding the provisions of the last sentence of the foregoing paragraph, there shall be no recovery from the commonwealth or the department in damages under said sentence by an owner of such land purchased after January 1, 1976.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 58 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 58 - Municipal Charges Lien

Section 58. Any city or town may impose a lien on real property located within the city or town for any local charge or fee that has not been paid by the due date, said lien shall be known as the ''municipal charges lien''; provided, that a separate vote at a town meeting, or by a city or town council is taken for each type of charge or fee.  A municipal charges lien authorized under this section shall take effect upon the recording of a list of unpaid municipal charges and fees by parcel of land and by the name of the person assessed for the charge or fee in the registry of deeds of the county or district where the land subject to the lien lies.  If a charge or fee which is secured by a municipal charges lien remains unpaid when the assessors are preparing a real estate tax list and warrant to be committed under section fifty-three of chapter fifty-nine, the board or officer in charge of the collection of the municipal charge or fee, or the town collector of taxes, if applicable under section thirty-eight A of chapter forty-one, shall certify such charge or fee to the assessors, who shall forthwith add such charge or fee to the tax on the property to which it relates and commit it with their warrant to the collector of taxes as part of such tax.  If the property to which such charge or fee relates is tax exempt, such charge or fee shall be committed as the tax. A lien under this section may be discharged by filing a certificate from the tax collector that all municipal charges or fees constituting the lien, together with any interest and costs thereon, have been paid or legally abated. All costs of recording or discharging a lien under this section shall be borne by the owner of the property.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 61 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 61 - Definitions Applicable to Secs. 61 to 69

Section 61. As used in this section and sections 62 to 69, inclusive, the following words shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly requires otherwise:  ''Governmental unit'', a city, town, county, water district, wastewater district, municipal water and sewer commission or regional water and sewer district commission established under chapter 40N or by special act or an independent water and sewer commission; provided, however, that ''governmental unit'' shall not include the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.  ''Local legislative body'', in a city, the city council, in a town, the town meeting or as otherwise more specifically defined by the municipal charter, municipal water and sewer commission or regional water and sewer district commission established under chapter 40N or by special act, in a district, the district meeting, in an independent water and sewer commission, the commissioners.  ''Water storage facility'', an above ground or below-ground facility or tank, standpipe, water tower or other building or structure used to store water for, without limitation, public drinking water supply and fire protection.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 62 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 62 - Contracts for the Inspection, Maintenance, Repair or Modification of Water Storage Facility Authorized

Section 62. Pursuant to sections 61 to 69, inclusive, a governmental unit may enter into contracts for the inspection, maintenance, repair or modification of a water storage facility to maintain adequate services to users and to ensure that the water storage facility is in compliance with federal, state and local laws. All contracts shall be awarded in accordance with section 6 of chapter 30B and approved by a 2/3 vote of the local legislative body of the governmental unit. An approved contract may provide that the governmental unit: (i) may make annual payments to fund capital modifications, repairs or installation of equipment and systems at a water storage facility that have been completed or are to be completed pursuant to the terms of the request for proposals; provided, however, that costs shall be amortized over a period that shall not be longer than the useful life of the modifications or repairs or the equipment and systems installed; and (ii) may make payments for future capital modifications, repairs or installation of equipment and systems or a second interior or exterior coating at a water storage facility pursuant to the terms of the request for proposals based on estimated costs of such capital modifications, repairs or installation of equipment and systems at a water storage facility, only if the payments for the full accumulated amount are guaranteed by a bond, letter of guaranty or other form of guaranty to be submitted on an annual basis and approved by the governmental unit for the 100 per cent accumulated amount.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 64 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 64 - Solicitation of Proposals; Statement of Compliance With Occupation Health and Safety Requirements

Section 64. The chief procurement officer of a governmental unit shall solicit proposals in conformance with section 6 of chapter 30B. Information from the governmental unit shall contain a full and complete description of the condition of the water storage tank as written by an independent professional engineer. The scope of services shall contain a detailed description of the services to be provided by the selected proposer.  A contract entered into under sections 61 to 69, inclusive, shall specifically state that the offeror and any subcontractor under the offeror shall comply with all federal and state occupational health and safety requirements applicable to the activities provided for in the contract.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 65 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 65 - Acceptance of Proposal and Award of Contract; Notice; Statement of Reasons for Acceptance

Section 65. The chief procurement officer of a governmental unit shall award the contract to the most advantageous proposal from a responsible and responsive offeror taking into consideration price and the evaluation criteria set forth in the request for proposals; provided, however, that such proposal shall be in full compliance with all applicable requirements of federal, state and local laws, including section 26 to 27H, inclusive, of chapter 149. The governmental unit shall provide written notice to the selected offeror within the time for acceptance specified in the request for proposals. The governmental unit and the offeror may extend the time for acceptance by mutual agreement. If the contract award is made to an offeror who did not have the lowest overall price proposal, then the chief procurement officer shall publish a timely written statement of reasons for its selection in the central register.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 66 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 66 - Terms and Conditions of Contract Awarded Under Secs. 61 to 69; Bond or Other Security for the Obligation of Selected Offeror

Section 66. A contract awarded under sections 61 to 69, inclusive, shall be subject to such terms and conditions as the governmental unit shall determine to be in its best interest. The selected offeror shall furnish to the governmental unit performance bonds, payment bonds or other forms of security for the selected offeror's obligations, and insurance, satisfactory to the governmental unit.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 67 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 67 - Project Approval Certificates From Department of Environmental Protection

Section 67. The department of environmental protection may issue project approval certificates with respect to capital project costs identified with a contract procured by a governmental unit under sections 61 to 69, inclusive, for facilities improvements.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 68 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 68 - Contracts Made in Violation of Secs. 61 to 69 Void and Unenforceable

Section 68. A contract made in violation of sections 61 to 69, inclusive, shall be void and the governmental unit shall make no payment under any such contract. Minor informalities shall not render a contract void.
MA Gen L ch 40 § 69 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40 - Powers and Duties of Cities and Towns|Section 69 - Public Notice of Request for Proposal

Section 69. Public notice of the request for proposals shall be published in the central register pursuant to section 20A of chapter 9 at least 30 days before the time specified for receipt of proposals in the request for proposals.
MA Gen L ch 40a § 1 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40a - Zoning|Section 1 - Title of Chapter

Section 1. This chapter shall be known and may by cited as ''The Zoning Act''.
MA Gen L ch 40a § 3a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40a - Zoning|Section 3a - Multi-Family Zoning As-of-Right in Mbta Communities

  Section 3A. (a)(1) An MBTA community shall have a zoning ordinance or by-law that provides for at least 1 district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right; provided, however, that such multi-family housing shall be without age restrictions and shall be suitable for families with children. For the purposes of this section, a district of reasonable size shall: (i) have a minimum gross density of 15 units per acre, subject to any further limitations imposed by section 40 of chapter 131 and title 5 of the state environmental code established pursuant to section 13 of chapter 21A; and (ii) be located not more than 0.5 miles from a commuter rail station, subway station, ferry terminal or bus station, if applicable.  (b) An MBTA community that fails to comply with this section shall not be eligible for funds from: (i) the Housing Choice Initiative as described by the governor in a message to the general court dated December 11, 2017; (ii) the Local Capital Projects Fund established in section 2EEEE of chapter 29; or (iii) the MassWorks infrastructure program established in section 63 of chapter 23A.[ Subsection (c) effective until July 29, 2021. For text effective July 29, 2021, see below.]  (c) The department, in consultation with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, shall promulgate guidelines to determine if an MBTA community is in compliance with this section.[ Subsection (c) as amended by 2021, 29, Sec. 10 effective July 29, 2021. For text effective until July 29, 2021, see above.]  (c) The department of housing and community development, in consultation with the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, shall promulgate guidelines to determine if an MBTA community is in compliance with this section.
MA Gen L ch 40a § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40a - Zoning|Section 4 - Uniform Districts

Section 4. Any zoning ordinance or by-law which divides cities and towns into districts shall be uniform within the district for each class or kind of structures or uses permitted.  Districts shall be shown on a zoning map in a manner sufficient for identification. Such maps shall be part of zoning ordinances or by-laws. Assessors' or property plans may be used as the basis for zoning maps. If more than four sheets or plates are used for a zoning map, an index map showing districts in outline shall be part of the zoning map and of the zoning ordinance or by-law.
MA Gen L ch 40a § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40a - Zoning|Section 8 - Appeals to Permit Granting Authority

Section 8. An appeal to the permit granting authority as the zoning ordinance or by-law may provide, may be taken by any person aggrieved by reason of his inability to obtain a permit or enforcement action from any administrative officer under the provisions of this chapter, by the regional planning agency in whose area the city or town is situated, or by any person including an officer or board of the city or town, or of an abutting city or town aggrieved by an order or decision of the inspector of buildings, or other administrative official, in violation of any provision of this chapter or any ordinance or by-law adopted thereunder.
MA Gen L ch 40a § 9b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 40a - Zoning|Section 9b - Solar Access

Section 9B. Zoning ordinances or by-laws adopted or amended pursuant to section five of this chapter may encourage the use of solar energy systems and protect solar access by regulation of the orientation of streets, lots and buildings, maximum building height limits, minimum building set back requirements, limitations on the type, height and placement of vegetation and other provisions. Zoning ordinances or by-laws may also establish buffer zones and additional districts that protect solar access which overlap existing zoning districts. Zoning ordinances or by-laws may further regulate the planting and trimming of vegetation on public property to protect the solar access of private and public solar energy systems and buildings. Solar energy systems may be exempted from set back, building height, and roof and lot coverage restrictions.  Zoning ordinances or by-laws may also provide for special permits to protect access to direct sunlight for solar energy systems. Such ordinances or by-laws may provide that such solar access permits would create an easement to sunlight over neighboring property. Such ordinances or by-laws may also specify what constitutes an impermissible interference with the right to direct sunlight granted by a solar access permit and how to regulate growing vegetation that may interfere with such right. Such ordinances or by-laws may further provide standards for the issuance of solar access permits balancing the need of solar energy systems for direct sunlight with the right of neighboring property owners to the reasonable use of their property within other zoning restrictions. Such ordinances or by-laws may also provide a process for issuance of solar access permits including, but not limited to, notification of affected neighboring property owners, opportunity for a hearing, appeal process and recordation of such permits on burdened and benefited property deeds. Such ordinances or by-laws may further provide for establishment of a solar map identifying all local properties burdened or benefited by solar access permits. Such ordinances or by-laws may also require the examination of such solar maps by the appropriate official prior to the issuance of a building permit.