reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 44a § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44a - Qualified Bond Act|Section 4 - Authorization to Issue Bonds; Time for Adoption of Resolution

Section 4. Within sixty days after the submission to it of an application under section two, the board shall authorize the issuance of qualified bonds, if it is satisfied that the issuance of qualified bonds is appropriate. The authorization shall be recorded in a resolution adopted by the board. If the board is not satisfied, it shall so indicate by the adoption within said sixty day period of a resolution stating its disapproval of the request. Failure to adopt an authorizing resolution within this sixty day period shall be a denial of the application.
MA Gen L ch 44a § 5 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44a - Qualified Bond Act|Section 5 - Recital of Issuance Pursuant to This Act; Maturity Date

Section 5. All qualified bonds when issued shall contain a recital to the effect that they are issued pursuant to the Qualified Bond Act and are entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this chapter. The final maturity of such qualified bonds shall occur not less than ten nor more than thirty years from the date of issuance without regard to any limitation as to maturities or amounts of annual installments for bonds provided in any other law.
MA Gen L ch 44a § 6 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44a - Qualified Bond Act|Section 6 - Temporary Notes

Section 6. Any city, town or regional school district which has been authorized by the board to issue qualified bonds may issue temporary notes in anticipation of the issuance of the qualified bonds to the extent permitted by sections seventeen and seventeen A of chapter forty-four; provided, however, that such notes shall be subject to such additional terms or conditions as may be fixed or required by the board to ensure that funds are borrowed only as needed to meet required payments for construction, development, extension, improvement, or acquisition of the facilities or improvements to be financed by the issuance of the qualified bonds.
MA Gen L ch 44a § 7 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44a - Qualified Bond Act|Section 7 - Certification to State Treasurer; Payment of Debt Service; Costs Assessed

Section 7. The treasurer of each city, town or regional school district which issues qualified bonds shall certify to the state treasurer the maturity schedule, interest rate, and dates of payment of debt service on the qualified bonds within ten days after the date of issuance of the qualified bonds. The state treasurer or the paying agents approved by him shall become the paying agents for the principal and interest on such qualified bonds. The state treasurer shall pay such debt service and after payment shall withhold from the distributable aid payable to the city, town or regional school district an amount which will be sufficient to pay the debt service on the qualified bonds or, if the amount of such distributable aid in any year is insufficient for this purpose, from any other amounts payable by the commonwealth to such city, town or regional school district under any provision of law. From the time withheld by the state treasurer, all such distributable aid or other amounts so withheld and paid shall be exempt from being levied upon, taken, sequestered, or applied toward paying the debts of the city, town or regional school district other than for payment of debt service on such qualified bonds.  All costs accruing to the commonwealth as the result of such qualified bond issues, including administrative costs as well as loss of interest income, shall be the liability of the city, town or regional school district and shall be assessed in accordance with section twenty of chapter fifty-eight.
MA Gen L ch 44a § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44a - Qualified Bond Act|Section 8 - Covenant by Commonwealth

Section 8. The commonwealth hereby covenants with the purchasers, holders and owners, from time to time, of qualified bonds that it will not repeal, revoke, rescind, modify, or amend the provisions of section seven so as to create any lien or charge on or pledge, assignment, diversion, withholding of payment, or other use of or deduction from any distributable aid or other amounts to be paid to any holder of qualified bonds which is prior in time or superior in right to the payment required by said section; provided, however, that nothing herein contained shall be deemed or construed to require the commonwealth to continue to make payments of distributable aid or other amounts or to limit or prohibit the commonwealth from repealing or amending any law heretofore or hereafter enacted for the payment or apportionment of such aid or other amounts, of the manner, time, or amount thereof.
MA Gen L ch 44a § 9 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44a - Qualified Bond Act|Section 9 - Certification Conclusive as to Amount Payable; Estoppel

Section 9. The certification to the state treasurer as to the amount payable in any year for debt service on such qualified bonds shall be fully conclusive as to such qualified bonds from and after the time of issuance of such qualified bonds, notwithstanding any irregularity, omission, or failure as to compliance with any of the provisions of this chapter with respect to such qualified bonds; provided, however, that such qualified bonds contain a recital to the effect that they are entitled to the benefits of the provisions of the Qualified Bond Act. All persons shall be forever estopped from denying that such qualified bonds are entitled to the benefits of the provisions of this chapter.
MA Gen L ch 44a § 10 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44a - Qualified Bond Act|Section 10 - Obligation to Appropriate or Levy Taxes to Pay Bonds When Due; Rules and Regulations

Section 10. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to relieve any city or town of the obligation imposed on it by law to appropriate and to include in its annual tax levy amounts necessary to pay, in each year, the principal and interest maturing and becoming due on any qualified bonds issued by such city, town or regional school district; provided, however, that to the extent of the amounts of distributable aid or other amounts payable to such city, town or regional school district which have been withheld and have been or are to be forwarded to the paying agent for such qualified bonds, the state treasurer shall certify to the city auditor or town accountant, or officer having similar duties in a city or town, or to the treasurer of the regional school district, as the case may be, the amounts so withheld and thereafter such amounts shall be credited to the appropriations of the city, town or regional school district for the current fiscal year; and provided, further, that to the extent to which distributable aid is not appropriated by the commonwealth in any fiscal year, such appropriated amounts of the city, town or regional school district shall be used to pay the debt service maturing and becoming due in such year on such qualified bonds of the city, town or regional school district; and provided, further, that amounts of distributable aid and other amounts withheld and paid to a paying agent under section seven shall be included in the estimated receipts certified by the commissioner under section twenty-five A of chapter fifty-eight and used by the assessors in determining the tax rate in accordance with section twenty-three of chapter fifty-nine. The commissioner may promulgate rules and regulations which, in his judgment, ensure that the use and effect of qualified bonds is properly and adequately reported to the public.
MA Gen L ch 44a § 11 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44a - Qualified Bond Act|Section 11 - Bonds for Construction, Etc. of Property

Section 11. The provisions of this chapter shall not be construed to prohibit any city, town or regional school district from applying for authorization to issue qualified bonds pursuant to the terms of this chapter in connection with the construction, reconstruction, development, extension, or improvement of property, notwithstanding that the construction, reconstruction, development, extension, improvement or acquisition was authorized, approved or commenced prior to the effective date of this chapter.
MA Gen L ch 44a § 11a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44a - Qualified Bond Act|Section 11a - Covenants Contained in Proceedings Authorizing Issuance of Bonds

Section 11A. The proceedings of the city or town authorizing the issuance of qualified bonds may contain such covenants and provisions for protecting and enforcing the rights and remedies of the bondholders as may be reasonable and proper and not in violation of law, including covenants restricting the issuance of additional qualified bonds.
MA Gen L ch 44a § 12 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44a - Qualified Bond Act|Section 12 - Commonwealth Not to Act as Pledge or Surety

Section 12. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to pledge the credit and assets of the commonwealth to the support of bonds issued pursuant to this chapter or to guarantee payment or stand as surety for the payment of bonds pursuant to this chapter.
MA Gen L ch 44b § 1 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44b - Community Preservation|Section 1 - Title

Section 1. This chapter shall be known and may be cited as the Massachusetts Community Preservation Act.
MA Gen L ch 44b § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44b - Community Preservation|Section 4 - Surcharge on Real Property; Collection

Section 4. (a) Upon acceptance of sections 3 to 7, inclusive, and upon the assessors' warrant to the tax collector, the accepted surcharge shall be imposed.  (b) After receipt of the warrant, the tax collector shall collect the surcharge in the amount and according to the computation specified in the warrant and shall pay the amounts so collected, quarterly or semi-annually, according to the schedule for collection of property taxes for the tax on real property, to the city's or town's treasurer. The tax collector shall cause appropriate books and accounts to be kept with respect to such surcharge, which shall be subject to public examination upon reasonable request from time to time.  (c) The remedies provided by chapter 60 for the collection of taxes upon real estate shall apply to the surcharge on real property pursuant to this chapter.
MA Gen L ch 44b § 6 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44b - Community Preservation|Section 6 - Annual Revenues; Open Space, Historic Resources and Community Housing

Section 6. In each fiscal year and upon the recommendation of the community preservation committee, the legislative body shall spend, or set aside for later spending, not less than 10 per cent of the annual revenues in the Community Preservation Fund for open space, not less than 10 per cent of the annual revenues for historic resources and not less than 10 per cent of the annual revenues for community housing. In each fiscal year, the legislative body shall make appropriations from the Community Preservation Fund as it deems necessary for the administrative and operating expenses of the community preservation committee and such appropriations shall not exceed 5 per cent of the annual revenues in the Community Preservation Fund. The legislative body may also make appropriations from the Community Preservation Fund as it deems necessary for costs associated with tax billing software and outside vendors necessary to integrate such software for the first year that a city or town implements the this chapter; provided, however, that the total of any administrative and operating expenses of the community preservation committee and the first year implementation expenses shall not exceed 5 per cent of the annual revenues in the Community Preservation Fund.  Funds that are set aside shall be held in the Community Preservation Fund and spent in that year or later years; provided, however, that funds set aside for a specific purpose shall be spent only for the specific purpose. Any funds set aside may be expended in any city or town. The community preservation funds shall not replace existing operating funds, only augment them.
MA Gen L ch 44b § 7 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44b - Community Preservation|Section 7 - Community Preservation Fund

Section 7. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 53 of chapter 44 or any other general or special law to the contrary, a city or town that accepts sections 3 to 7, inclusive, shall establish a separate account to be known as the Community Preservation Fund of which the municipal treasurer shall be the custodian. The authority to approve expenditures from the fund shall be limited to the legislative body and the municipal treasurer shall pay such expenses in accordance with chapter 41.  The following monies shall be deposited in the fund: (i) all funds collected from the real property surcharge or bond proceeds in anticipation of revenue pursuant to sections 4 and 11; (ii) additional funds appropriated or dedicated from allowable municipal sources pursuant to subsection (b.5) of section 3, if applicable; (iii) all funds received from the commonwealth or any other source for such purposes; and (iv) proceeds from the disposal of real property acquired with funds from the Community Preservation Fund. The treasurer may deposit or invest the proceeds of the fund in savings banks, trust companies incorporated under the laws of the commonwealth, banking companies incorporated under the laws of the commonwealth which are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or national banks, or may invest the proceeds in paid up shares and accounts of and in co-operative banks or in shares of savings and loan associations or in shares of federal savings and loan associations doing business in the commonwealth or in the manner authorized by section 54 of chapter 44, and any income therefrom shall be credited to the fund. The expenditure of revenues from the fund shall be limited to implementing the recommendations of the community preservation committee and providing administrative and operating expenses to the committee.
MA Gen L ch 44b § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44b - Community Preservation|Section 8 - Surcharges; Fees of Registers of Deeds; Fees of Assistant Recorder

Section 8. (a) Except as otherwise provided, the fees of the registers of deeds to be paid when a document or instrument is recorded shall be subject to a surcharge of $50; provided, however, that if the document or instrument to be filed includes multiple references to a document or instrument intending or attempting to assign, discharge, release, partially release, subordinate or notice any other document or instrument, each reference shall be separately indexed and separately assessed an additional $50 surcharge. The fee for recording a municipal lien certificate shall be subject to a surcharge of $25; provided, however, that if the certificate includes multiple references to a document or instrument intending or attempting to assign, discharge, release, partially release, subordinate or notice any other document or instrument, each reference shall be separately indexed and separately assessed an additional $25 surcharge. The surcharges imposed shall be used for community preservation purposes. No surcharge shall apply to a declaration of homestead under chapter 188. No surcharge shall apply to the fees charged for additional pages, photostatic copies, abstract cards or additional square feet for the recording of plans.  (b) The fees of the assistant recorder, except as otherwise provided, to be paid when the instrument is left for registering, filing or entering with respect to registered land shall be subject to a surcharge of $50. The fees for so registering, filing or entering a municipal lien certificate shall be subject to a surcharge of $25. The surcharges shall be imposed for the purposes of community preservation. No surcharge shall apply to a declaration of homestead of chapter 188. No surcharge shall apply to the fees charged for additional lots shown on plans, for indexing instruments recorded while a petition for registering is pending, for additional certificates of sewer assessments, for old age assistance liens, for duplicates and for photocopies.  (c) All surcharges on fees collected pursuant to this section shall be forwarded to the Massachusetts Community Preservation Trust Fund, established in section 9.
MA Gen L ch 44b § 9 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44b - Community Preservation|Section 9 - Massachusetts Community Preservation Trust Fund

Section 9. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund, to be known as the Massachusetts Community Preservation Trust Fund, for the benefit of cities and towns that have accepted sections 3 to 7, inclusive, and pursuant to said sections 3 to 7, inclusive, have imposed a surcharge on their real property tax levy, subject to any exemptions adopted by a municipality. The fund shall consist of all revenues received by the commonwealth: (1) under the provisions of section 8; (2) from public and private sources as gifts, grants and donations to further community preservation programs; (3) from damages, penalties, costs or interest received on account of litigation or settlement thereof for a violation of section 15; or (4) all other monies credited to or transferred to from any other fund or source pursuant to law.  (b) The state treasurer shall deposit the fund in accordance with the provisions of section 10 in such manner as will secure the highest interest rate available consistent with the safety of the fund and with the requirement that all amounts on deposit be available for withdrawal without penalty for such withdrawal at any time. All interest accrued and earnings shall be deposited into the fund. The fund shall be expended solely for the administration and implementation of this chapter. Any unexpended balances shall be redeposited for future use consistent with the provisions of this chapter.  (c) The state treasurer shall make all disbursements and expenditures from the fund without further appropriation, as directed by the commissioner of revenue in accordance with said section 10. The department of revenue shall report by source all amounts credited to said fund and all expenditures from said fund. The commissioner of revenue shall assign personnel of the department as it may need to administer and manage the fund disbursements and any expense incurred by the department shall be deemed an operating and administrative expense of the program. The operating and administrative expenses shall not exceed 5 per cent of the annual total revenue received under the provisions of said section 10.
MA Gen L ch 44b § 11 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44b - Community Preservation|Section 11 - General Obligation Bonds or Notes

Section 11. A city or town that accepts sections 3 to 7, inclusive, may issue, from time to time, general obligation bonds or notes in anticipation of revenues to be raised pursuant to section 3, the proceeds of which shall be deposited in the Community Preservation Fund. Bonds or notes so issued may be at such rates of interest as shall be necessary and shall be repaid as soon after such revenues are collected as is expedient. Cities or towns that choose to issue bonds pursuant to this section shall make every effort to limit the administrative costs of issuing such bonds by cooperating among each other using methods including, but not limited to, common issuance of bonds or common retention of bond counsel. Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, bonds or notes issued pursuant to this section shall be subject to the applicable provisions of chapter 44. The maturities of each issue of bonds or notes issued under this chapter may be arranged so that for each issue the amounts payable in the several years for principal and interest combined shall be as nearly equal as practicable in the opinion of the officers authorized to issue bonds or notes or, in the alternative, in accordance with a schedule providing for a more rapid amortization of principal.
MA Gen L ch 44b § 12 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44b - Community Preservation|Section 12 - Real Property Interest; Permanent Restriction; Management

Section 12. (a) A real property interest that is acquired with monies from the Community Preservation Fund shall be bound by a permanent restriction, recorded as a separate instrument, that meets the requirements of sections 31 to 33, inclusive, of chapter 184 limiting the use of the interest to the purpose for which it was acquired. The permanent restriction shall run with the land and shall be enforceable by the city or town or the commonwealth. The permanent restriction may also run to the benefit of a nonprofit organization, charitable corporation or foundation selected by the city or town with the right to enforce the restriction. The legislative body may appropriate monies from the Community Preservation Fund to pay a nonprofit organization created pursuant to chapter 180 to hold, monitor and enforce the deed restriction on the property.  (b) Real property interests acquired under this chapter shall be owned and managed by the city or town, but the legislative body may delegate management of such property to the conservation commission, the historical commission, the board of park commissioners or the housing authority, or, in the case of interests to acquire sites for future wellhead development by a water district, a water supply district or a fire district. The legislative body may also delegate management of such property to a nonprofit organization created under chapter 180 or chapter 203.
MA Gen L ch 44b § 13 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts|Chapter 44b - Community Preservation|Section 13 - Accurate Account of Recommendations and Actions; Records of Appropriations and Expenditures and of Real Property Interests

Section 13. The community preservation committee shall keep a full and accurate account of all of its actions, including its recommendations and the action taken on them and records of all appropriations or expenditures made from the Community Preservation Fund. The committee shall also keep records of any real property interests acquired, disposed of or improved by the city or town upon its recommendation, including the names and addresses of the grantors or grantees and the nature of the consideration. The records and accounts shall be public records.