reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 81 § 18 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 18 - Defects in Highways; Liability

Section 18. The commonwealth shall be liable for injuries sustained by persons while traveling on state highways, if the same are caused by defects within the limits of the constructed traveled roadway, in the manner and subject to the limitations, conditions and restrictions specified in sections fifteen, eighteen and nineteen of chapter eighty-four, except that the commonwealth shall not be liable for injury sustained because of the want of a railing in or upon any state highway, or for injury sustained upon the sidewalk of a state highway or during the construction, reconstruction or repair of such highway. The amount which may be recovered for any such injury shall not exceed one fifth of one per cent of the valuation of the town in which the injury was received, nor shall it exceed four thousand dollars. Notice of the injury as required by law shall be given to a member of the department.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 19 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 19 - Jurisdiction of Local Police; Snow Removal

Section 19. A town shall have police jurisdiction over all state highways within its limits. It shall forthwith give written notice to the department or its employees of any defect or want of repair in such highways; but it may make necessary temporary repairs of a state highway without the approval of the department.  The department shall at the expense of the commonwealth keep such state highways or parts thereof as it may select sufficiently clear of snow and ice to be reasonably safe for travel; and the town in which any such state highway or part thereof lies shall forthwith give written notice to the department or its employees of any failure to keep such highway or part thereof clear of ice and snow as aforesaid.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 20 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 20 - Sidewalks

Section 20. The department shall from time to time construct sidewalks along such parts of the state highways as it determines public convenience and necessity require. Sidewalks may also be constructed along state highways and maintained in accordance with sections twenty-five and twenty-six of chapter eighty-three.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 20a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 20a - Illumination of Highways

Section 20A. The department may illuminate, or cause to be illuminated, by means of highway lighting, traffic circles, traffic underpasses, traffic overpasses, traffic islands and other locations in the state highways wherever, in its opinion, such illumination is necessary for the safety of the travelling public.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 22 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 22 - Prescriptive Rights of Adjoining Owners

Section 22. No length of possession, or occupancy of land within the limits of a state highway by an owner or occupant of adjoining land shall give him any title thereto, and any fences, buildings or other objects encroaching upon a state highway shall, upon written notice by the department, be removed within fourteen days by the owner or occupant of adjoining land, and if not so removed, the department may either remove the same to such adjoining land or such encroaching objects, other than a building used for residential purposes, may be removed by the department forces and shall be placed in the nearest maintenance area of the department. Notice by certified mail, return receipt requested shall be given to the owner stating where such encroaching object is located and further stating that if not claimed within three weeks said object may be destroyed.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 24 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 24 - Authorization

Section 24. The department may, whenever any money is appropriated by the general court for its use in the construction or improvement of any particular way, expend such money in constructing or improving the whole or such part of said way as it deems best, either upon the location of the existing way or upon any new location that may be established by the county commissioners or the selectmen, and no part of the way so improved shall thereby become a state highway or be maintained as such. The department may, however, lay out the whole or any part of any such way as a state highway.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 25 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 25 - Maintenance

Section 25. When any public way has been constructed or improved in whole, or in part, with money furnished by the commonwealth, and the way is not laid out as a state highway, the town in which the way lies shall thereafter keep and maintain in good repair and condition that part of the way which has been so constructed or improved; and the expense thereof shall be borne by the town or county, or both, as may be agreed upon at the time such construction or improvement is undertaken, except as otherwise provided in section twenty-six of this chapter and in paragraph 2(a) of section thirty-four of chapter ninety. If the department shall determine at any time that such way is not being maintained in proper condition, it shall so notify the mayor or selectmen having charge of the repairs of said way and the county commissioners, and shall specify in said notice what repairs and improvements are necessary; and the officials in charge of the way shall forthwith proceed to make the specified repairs and improvements. If said officials do not make such repairs or improvements within fifteen days from the receipt of such notice, or within such further time as the department may allow, the department may proceed to have the repairs or improvements made, and may pay for the same from any money which may be available for the repair and maintenance of state highways. The department shall annually, in January, certify to the state treasurer the amount of such expenditures during the preceding year. So much of the expenditures as by agreement are to be paid by the towns shall be made a part of the state tax for such towns; and so much of the expenditures as by agreement are to be paid by the counties shall be paid by the county treasurers to the state treasurer. The department may embody the provisions of this section in all contracts and agreements for work to be done in the construction or improvement of public ways, other than state highways, constructed or improved in whole, or in part, with money furnished by the commonwealth.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 26 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 26 - Maintenance of Ways in Small Towns

Section 26. There may be expended for the repair and improvement of public ways, other than state highways, in towns having valuations of less than five million dollars, as established by the valuations made for the purpose of apportioning the state tax as appearing in chapter five hundred and fifty-nine of the acts of nineteen hundred and forty-five and in which the proportionate amount paid by such towns of every million dollars of such tax as established and apportioned in said chapter five hundred and fifty-nine, divided by the number of miles of such public ways, hereinafter known as the road mileage ratio, is less than twelve dollars, such sums not exceeding two hundred and fifty dollars per mile as the general court may appropriate therefor; provided, that such towns shall contribute or make available for use in connection therewith the following amounts for each mile of public ways within their respective limits, according to the following schedule based on their road mileage ratio:—  1. Less than one dollar and forty cents, fifteen dollars.  2. One dollar and forty cents and less than two dollars, twenty-five dollars.  3. Two dollars and less than two dollars and eighty cents, forty dollars.  4. Two dollars and eighty cents and less than three dollars and fifty cents, fifty dollars.  5. Three dollars and fifty cents and less than five dollars and fifty cents, seventy-five dollars.  6. Five dollars and fifty cents and less than seven dollars, one hundred dollars.  7. Seven dollars and less than nine dollars, one hundred and twenty-five dollars.  8. Nine dollars and less than twelve dollars, one hundred and fifty dollars.  The amounts appropriated as aforesaid and contributed by the towns shall be expended under the direction of the department of highways on such ways as said department and the selectmen of the towns may agree upon.  The department shall withhold or withdraw the unexpended balance of any funds assigned by it under this section or section twenty-five if the town fails to comply with the official standards for traffic control established by the department or with any provision of a traffic control agreement negotiated between the department and the town, as required by the United States Secretary of Commerce under section 109 of Title 23 of the United States Code.  The cost of snow removal upon such ways in any such town, including amounts paid as rental for trucks and other equipment, and, at hourly rates approved by the department of highways, charges for the use of trucks and other equipment owned by such town, and the cost of sanding such ways in any such town may be paid from the amounts so appropriated and contributed, at the rate of not more than seventy-five dollars per mile.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 26a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 26a - Maintenance of Ways in Small Towns; Contributions by County

Section 26A. The county commissioners of the county wherein any public way is to be repaired or improved under the provisions of the preceding section may contribute and expend county funds therefor in accordance with such agreements as the commissioners may make with the department and the selectmen of the town. Said county funds may be paid to the department or to the town from time to time as the work progresses, to the extent that the said commissioners are satisfied that the work for which agreements have been made is being done in accordance therewith. Such contributions or expenditures by a county shall not render it liable for defects in any way or for damages to persons traveling thereon, and when the work of repair or maintenance for which such contribution or expenditure is made is completed, there shall be no further obligation on the part of the county as to the repair and maintenance thereof until a further contribution is made by the county commissioners for such purpose.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 27 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 27 - Maintenance Costs; Conditions of Payment

Section 27. Expenditure of state funds under section twenty-six shall be made only upon the written petition of the selectmen, containing such information as the department may require.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 28 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 28 - Maintenance of Ways in Small Towns; Performance of Contract

Section 28. The said towns may contract with the department for the performance of the work authorized by section twenty-six; or, if the selectmen so request, the department may have the work done by such persons and in such manner as it may determine, in which event the towns shall pay their proportionate part of the expense when and as ordered by the department. The cost of any materials, machinery or tools purchased by the department for or on account of the work in any town shall be considered as a part of the expenditures in such town under section twenty-six; and such machinery or tools shall belong to the commonwealth.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 29 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 29 - Maintenance of Ways in Small Towns; Determination of Town's Contribution

Section 29. The department shall determine, ad nearly as possible, the number of miles of such public ways in towns entitled to the benefits under section twenty-six, and shall inform the selectmen of such towns of the contributions required from them under said section.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 29a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 29a - Laying Out or Altering Ways; Consent, Acquisition, Funds

Section 29A. The department may lay out or alter ways other than state highways in any county, city or town provided that the county commissioner of the county, or the mayor of the city or the board of selectmen of the town consents thereto. Land or rights in land may be acquired for this purpose by eminent domain under chapter seventy-nine by the department in behalf of the county, city or town in which the land lies. Any person whose property has been taken or injured by any action of said department under authority of this section may recover from the commonwealth under chapter seventy-nine such damages therefor as he may be entitled to. For this purpose the department may use any funds which may be available for highway purposes, including federal aid, and may also use any money appropriated for a county, or by a city or town, toward the damages sustained, provided that the county commissioners, selectmen or mayor have agreed in writing to pay the money thus appropriated upon the order of the department.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 30 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 30 - Use of Federal Aid for Highways and Rural Post Roads

Section 30. The department may make all contracts and agreements and do all other things necessary to co-operate with the United States in the construction and maintenance of highways, under an act of congress approved on July eleventh, nineteen hundred and sixteen, entitled ''An Act to provide that the United States shall aid the states in the construction of rural post roads, and for other purposes'', as amended and supplemented, and submit such plans, estimates and programs for the improvement of highways as will meet the requirements of the secretary of commerce under said act, and it may use therefor any funds which may be available for the construction and maintenance of state highways, and may make any agreements or contracts that may be required to secure federal aid in the construction of highways under the provisions of the act of congress aforesaid, and of all other acts in amendment thereof, or in addition thereto, and may, in such agreements or contracts, provide, among other things, for such labor preferences to honorably discharged soldiers, sailors and marines as are made necessary by federal legislation, and may provide that no other preference or discrimination among citizens of the United States shall be made in connection with the expenditure of any money received from the federal government by virtue of the said legislation, and also any money received from the United States on account of the construction of highways. The department may also, for the purpose of securing federal aid, use any money appropriated by a county, city or town for the construction of a way or any part thereof for which federal aid may be secured, and make contracts or agreements involving the expenditure of said money, provided the county commissioners or the selectmen or duly authorized officials of the city or town have agreed in writing to pay the money thus appropriated upon the order of the department. The department may also maintain the roads constructed under this section or said act of congress, from any money appropriated by the general court for the maintenance of state highways or for the repair or maintenance of other public ways.
MA Gen L ch 81 § 32 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 81 - State Highways|Section 32 - Definitions

Section 32. For the purposes of reimbursing cities and towns for the costs actually incurred in constructing, maintaining and policing city or town streets or roads as provided in section thirty-one the following words shall have the following meanings:—  (a) ''Constructing'', all operations on the travelled way on new location or where considerable reconstruction is to be undertaken, including resurfacing and other work incidental to the above, such as shoulders, side road approaches, roadsides, drainage, structures, sidewalks, traffic control and service facilities, intersection construction, and unusual or disaster operations and professional services, or for such other purposes that the commissioner of highways may specifically authorize.  (b) ''Maintaining'', all operations on the travelled way including scarifying, reshaping, applying dust palliatives and restoring material losses; patching, mudjacking, joint filling, surface treating, etc. and replacement in kind; other work such as restoration of erosion controls; reshaping drainage channels and side slopes; mowing; tree trimming; replacing topsoil, sod, shrubs, curbing, gutters, riprap, underdrains, culverts; cleaning and repairing culverts; cleaning; painting and repairing of structures; replacement of rail, floors, stringers and beams of structures; replacement of walls and the repairing of drawbridges; removal of snow and ice and related operations such as sanding, chemical applications, etc.; the erection of snow fences and the opening of inlets clogged with snow and ice; removal of litter from the roadsides and drainage; operation of drawbridges charged to highway traffic; painting, repairing and replacement in kind of signs, guardrail, signals, lighting standards, etc.; maintenance and replacement in kind of rest areas; servicing of and furnishing power and light bulbs for highway lighting and traffic control devices; roadside cleaning operations; operation of roadside areas, towing service, information booths, etc.; or for such other purposes that the commissioner of highways may specifically authorize.  (c) ''Policing'', all operations on the travelled way by city or town law enforcement officials having to do with the direction or control of traffic thereon and such other purposes as the commissioner of highways may specifically authorize.
MA Gen L ch 82 § 2 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 82 - The Laying Out, Alteration, Relocation and Discontinuance of Public Ways, and Specific Repairs Thereon|Section 2 - Petition; Recognizance

Section 2. If common convenience and necessity require a new highway from town to town or from place to place within the same town, or the alteration, relocation, specific repair, discontinuance or discontinuance of maintenance of an existing highway, application therefor shall be made, by petition in writing, to the county commissioners having jurisdiction thereof. The petitioners shall, if so required by the county commissioners, before any action is taken upon such petition, cause a sufficient recognizance to be given to the jurisdiction, with surety to the satisfaction of the commissioners, for the payment of all costs and expenses to the jurisdiction which shall arise by reason of the proceedings on such petition, if the petitioners do not prevail.
MA Gen L ch 82 § 3 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 82 - The Laying Out, Alteration, Relocation and Discontinuance of Public Ways, and Specific Repairs Thereon|Section 3 - Notice of Proposed Taking and View or Hearing; Publication

Section 3. Fifteen days at least before the time appointed for a view or hearing, the commissioners shall cause notice of the time and place appointed therefor and a copy of such petition to be served upon the clerk of every town wherein such new highway, alteration, relocation, specific repair, discontinuance or discontinuance of maintenance is prayed for and in the event a plan has been prepared for such new highway, alteration, relocation, specific repair, discontinuance or discontinuance of maintenance the commissioners shall, at least seven days before the date for such hearing or view, mail to the recorded owners of land, subject to a taking because of such new highway alteration, relocation, specific repair, discontinuance or discontinuance of maintenance a notice of the proposed taking and the time and place of such view or hearing. In the event a plan has not been prepared prior to such hearing or view then at least seven days before the final approval of plans for such new highway, alteration, relocation, specific repair, discontinuance or discontinuance of maintenance the commissioners shall provide a hearing for the recorded owners of land subject to taking and mail them notice of such hearing at least seven days before the date set for such hearing. Seven days at least before the time appointed for such view or hearing, they shall cause notice of the time and place appointed therefor to be mailed to each person whose land may be subject to a taking for such purpose, and such notice shall inform such land owner of the proposed taking. They shall also cause copies of the petition, or abstracts thereof, and of the notice, to be posted in two public places in each of said towns and to be published in such newspaper as they shall order; the posting and the last publication to be seven days at least before any view, hearing or adjudication on such petition.
MA Gen L ch 82 § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XIV - Public Ways and Works|Chapter 82 - The Laying Out, Alteration, Relocation and Discontinuance of Public Ways, and Specific Repairs Thereon|Section 4 - View of Premises; Adjudication

Section 4. They shall view the premises if they consider it expedient or if requested by any party interested; and shall hear the parties, either at the time of the view, at a regular or special meeting or at an adjournment thereof, as they determine; and as soon as may be after the hearing, they shall determine whether the laying out, altering, relocating, specific repairing, discontinuing or discontinuing maintenance of such highway is required by the common convenience and necessity. If they adjudicate that the action prayed for is not required by common convenience and necessity, the petition shall be dismissed; otherwise they shall proceed in the manner prescribed in section five.