reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 254 § 33 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 254 - Liens on Buildings and Land|Section 33 - Mortgagee's Right to Withhold Funding, Financing or Payment for Labor and Materials

Section 33. Except with respect to any construction project containing or designed to contain at least one but not more than four dwelling units, the filing or recording of documents claiming a lien under section two, or the filing or recording of a statement pursuant to section eight in furtherance of a lien arising pursuant to section one, shall not itself be grounds for a mortgagee to withhold sums for the funding, financing or payment for the labor or labor and materials for which any such notice or statement is filed or recorded or to require dissolution of such notice or statement before providing further funding, financing or payments, and any covenant, promise, agreement or understanding relative to the improvement or alteration to real property to withhold such funding, financing or payment or to require dissolution of such notice or statement before providing further funding, financing or payments solely on that ground is against public policy and void and unenforceable; provided, however, that nothing contained in this chapter shall obligate a mortgagee to disburse sums for the funding, financing or payment for the labor or labor and materials for which any such notice or statement is filed or recorded unless such mortgagee has received an accurately completed and valid partial waiver and subordination of lien in the form set forth in clause (3) of section thirty-two from the person who filed or recorded such notice or statement; provided, further that nothing in this chapter shall in any manner limit or restrict the right of any mortgagee to withhold any and all sums for the funding, financing, or payment for labor or labor and materials based upon: (a) the failure of the owner to comply with any other terms, conditions or requirements in any agreement providing for the funding of the loan, the repayment of the loan or of any mortgage securing any such agreement or (b) the filing or recording of documents claiming a lien under sections 2C, 2D or four, if the right to withhold is contained in any agreement providing for the funding of the loan, the repayment of the loan, or any mortgage securing such agreement, except that such right to withhold shall not be effective to bar the filing of a notice of contract or the taking of any steps to enforce a lien.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 7d (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 7d - Interest of Landlord in Crops; Subordination of Liens; Assignment or Agreement Concerning

Section 7D. No assignment of, or agreement affecting, the rights or interest of a landlord or owner of real property, occupied by a tenant or person planting on shares, in crops growing or to be grown on such real property, or agreement for the subordination of a prior lien or encumbrance on real or personal property, shall be valid except as between the parties thereto unless and until recorded or registered as hereinafter provided. Each such instrument affecting real property shall be recorded or registered in the registry of deeds for each district in which any portion of such real property is situated, and each such instrument relative to the subordination of a prior lien or encumbrance upon personal property shall be recorded in each office where the instrument subordinated is recorded. A reference to the record of any deed or other instrument affected or subordinated contained in any instrument recorded or registered under authority of this section shall be noted upon the margin of each record of such deed or other instrument.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 12c (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 12c - Consumer Note; Non-Negotiability; Violations; Penalty; Construction of Section

Section 12C. If any contract for sale of consumer goods on credit entered into in the commonwealth between a retail seller and a retail buyer requires or involves the execution of a promissory note, such note shall have printed on the face thereof the words ''consumer note'', and the holder of such a note cannot be a holder in due course thereof within the meaning of Article 3 of chapter 106. For the purposes of this section ''consumer goods'' means tangible personal property used or bought for use primarily for personal, family or household purposes.  Whoever obtains a note in violation of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than one hundred nor more than five hundred dollars.  If a note is obtained in violation of this section, no finance, delinquency, collection, repossession or refinancing charges may be recovered in any action or proceeding based on such contract for sale.  The provisions of this section shall not apply to any notes executed in connection with any financing which is insured under Federal Housing Administration regulations.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 12f (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 12f - Creditors in Consumer Loan Transactions; Defenses of Borrower

Section 12F. As used in this section the following words shall, unless the context requires otherwise, have the following meanings:  ''Organization,'' a corporation, government or governmental subdivision or agency, trust, estate, partnership, cooperative, or association.  ''Person related to,'' with respect to an individual means (a) the spouse of the individual, (b) a brother, brother-in-law, sister, or sister-in-law of the individual, (c) an ancestor or lineal descendant of the individual or his spouse, and (d) any other relative, by blood or marriage, of the individual or his spouse who shares the same home with the individual.  ''Person related to,'' with respect to an organization means (a) a person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with the organization, (b) an officer or director of the organization or a person performing similar functions with respect to the organization or to a person related to the organization, (c) the spouse of a person related to the organization, and (d) a relative by blood or marriage of a person related to the organization who shares the same home with him.  A creditor in consumer loan transactions shall be subject to all of the defenses of the borrower arising from the consumer sale or lease for which the proceeds of the loan are used, if the creditor knowingly participated in or was directly connected with the consumer sale or lease transaction.  Without limiting the scope of the preceding paragraph, a creditor shall be deemed to have knowingly participated in or to have been directly connected with a consumer sale or lease transaction if: (a) he was a person related to the seller or lessor; (b) the seller or lessor prepared documents used in connection with the loan; (c) the creditor supplied forms to the seller or lessor which were used by the consumer in obtaining the loan; (d) the creditor was specifically recommended by the seller or lessor to the borrower and made two or more loans in any calendar year, the proceeds of which are used in transactions with the same seller or lessor, or with a person related to the same seller or lessor; or (e) the creditor was the issuer of a credit card which may be used by the consumer in the sale or lease transaction as a result of a prior agreement between the issuer and the seller or lessor.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 12h (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 12h - Definitions; Delinquency or Late Charge; Annual Fee

Section 12H. As used in this section the following words, unless the context requires otherwise, shall have the following meanings:—  ''Charge card'', any card, plate, coupon book, or other single device existing for the purpose of being used from time to time upon presentation to obtain goods or services and which is issued pursuant to a charge card agreement.  ''Card issuer'', any person who issues a charge card pursuant to a charge card agreement, or the agent of such person with respect to such card.  ''Cardholder'', any person to whom a charge card is issued or any person who has agreed with the card issuer to pay obligations arising from the issuance of a charge card to another person.  ''Charge card agreement'', an agreement signed by a person in the commonwealth pursuant to which such person may obtain goods or services upon presentation of a charge card from time to time and under the terms of which no finance charge may be assessed and the payment for such goods or services is due in full upon receipt of a monthly statement.  No card issuer under a charge card agreement may assess a delinquency charge, late charge or similar charge upon a cardholder which shall exceed one and one-half per cent per month computed upon an unpaid balance; provided, however, that no such charge shall be assessed on an unpaid balance until such balance has been outstanding for a period of not less than ninety days after written notice of such balance has been sent in a monthly statement mailed or delivered to the cardholder.  A card issuer, whether located within or without the commonwealth, may assess an annual fee provided that the cardholder is notified of the amount of any such fee on or with the billing statement for the billing period prior to that in which the annual fee is billed to the cardholder's account. A cardholder may cancel his charge card agreement at any time during this period without penalty. If the cardholder cancels the agreement at any other time during the year, he shall receive a refund on a pro-rata basis of two-thirds of the annual fee; provided, however, that for the purposes of this section a cancellation is not effective until the cardholder pays in full any outstanding balance.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 12j (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 12j - Actions for Failure to Disclose Real Property Was Insulated With Urea Formaldehyde Foam Prohibited

Section 12J. No cause of action shall arise or be maintained against a seller, lessor, real estate broker or salesperson, lender or mortgagee of real property by statute or at common law, for failure to disclose to a buyer or tenant that the real property has been insulated with urea formaldehyde foam insulation.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 13l (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 13l - Prepayment; Refund of Charges

Section 13L. Except as otherwise provided in section one hundred of chapter one hundred and forty, section sixteen of chapter two hundred and fifty-five B, section nineteen of chapter two hundred and fifty-five C, and subsection B of section thirteen of chapter two hundred and fifty-five D, if a loan contract, for personal, family or household purposes, is prepaid in full by cash, a new loan, refinancing or otherwise before the final installment date, the borrower shall receive a refund of the precomputed charges computed on a method which is at least as favorable to the borrower as the actuarial method, so-called. If prepayment is made other than on an installment due date, it shall be deemed to have been made on the first installment due date if the prepayment is before that date, and in any other case it shall be deemed to have been made on the next preceding or next succeeding installment due date, whichever is nearer to the date of prepayment. Where the amount of the credit for anticipation of payment is less than one dollar, no refund need be made.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 14 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 14 - General Provisions

Section 14. If by virtue of a contract, express or implied, with the owners of a vessel or with the agents, contractors or sub-contractors of such owners, or with any of them, or with a person who has been employed to construct, repair or launch a vessel or to assist therein, money is due for labor performed, materials used or labor and materials furnished in the construction, launching or repairs of, or in the construction of the launching ways for, or for provisions, stores or other articles furnished for or on account of such vessel in the commonwealth, the person to whom such money is due shall have a lien upon the vessel, her tackle, apparel and furniture to secure the payment of such debt, and such lien shall be preferred to all others on such vessel, except that for mariners' wages, and shall continue until the debt is satisfied.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 14a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 14a - Storage and Incidental Expenses

Section 14A. If by virtue of a contract, express or implied, with the owners of a vessel of not more than forty feet in length, or with the agents, contractors or subcontractors of such owners, or with any of them, or with a person who has been employed to construct, repair or launch a vessel, or to store said vessel, either in wet storage or on land, or to assist therein, money is due for storage furnished for or on account of such vessel in the commonwealth, which shall include such labor performed and such materials furnished, including stands and cradles, as may be necessary and incidental to said storage, the person to whom such money is due shall have a lien upon the vessel, her tackle, apparel and furniture to secure the payment of such debt, and such lien shall be preferred, together with liens provided under section fourteen, to all others on such vessel, except that for mariners' wages, and shall continue until the debt is satisfied.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 15 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 15 - Statement; Effect of Filing; Fees

Section 15. Such lien shall be dissolved unless the person claiming it within thirty days after the vessel departs from the port at which she was when the debt was contracted, files in the office of the clerk of the city or town where the vessel was at such time, a statement, subscribed and sworn to by him or by a person in his behalf, giving a true account of the demand claimed to be due to him, with all just credits, the name of the person with whom the contract was made, the name of the owner of the vessel, if known, and the name of the vessel or a description thereof sufficient for identification. The statement shall be recorded by such clerk in a book kept by him for that purpose, and the fees therefor shall be as provided by clause (55) of section thirty-four of chapter two hundred and sixty-two.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 16 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 16 - Inaccuracies of Description; Effect on Lien

Section 16. A place in which the vessel is wholly or partly constructed shall be held to be the port where she was when the debt was contracted. The lien shall not be affected by any inaccuracy in the description of the vessel, if she can be recognized thereby, nor in stating the amount due for labor or materials, unless it is found that the person filing the statement has knowingly claimed more than is due.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 17 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 17 - Enforcement; Procedure

Section 17. A person having such lien, unless the contract described in section fourteen or fourteen A, as the case may be, is a maritime contract and the enforcement of the lien is within the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the United States, may enforce the lien by a civil action in the district court or in the superior court for the county where the vessel was at the time when the debt was contracted or where the vessel is at the time the action is commenced. The subsequent proceedings shall, except as hereinafter provided, be as prescribed in chapter two hundred and fifty-four so far as applicable. Upon the commencement of such action, a writ of attachment shall issue against such vessel, her tackle, apparel and furniture; the attachment may be dissolved as in any civil action but such dissolution shall not dissolve the lien.  No civil action shall be required for a lienholder to sell at public auction or dispose of a vessel on which a lien exists pursuant to section 14 or 14A and on which title is presumed to have been abandoned. Title to a vessel shall be presumed to have been abandoned if: (i) the lienholder sent a notice to owner of record by certified mail at his last known address and shall include, but not be limited to, the amount of the lien and any proposed disposition or sale of the vessel; (ii) the lienholder published a notice of the lien, which shall include, but not be limited to: a description of the vessel, a description of where the vessel is located and a proposed disposition or sale in a newspaper of general circulation in the city or town of the owner of record's last known address for 3 consecutive days; and (iii) no response or reply was received from the owner of record within 90 days after the date of publication indicating an ability to satisfy the debt to the lienholder.  The lienholder may dispose of the vessel upon filing with the marine title division of the department of environmental police a notarized affidavit stating no reply was received from the owner of record within 90 days of the lienholder sending certified notice or within 90 days after publication pursuant to this section, whichever is later. The filing by the lienholder shall include legible copies of the affidavit and notice. If the lienholder of a vessel presumed to have been abandoned elects to hold a public auction of the vessel then, upon receipt of the notarized affidavit and notice, the marine title division, shall issue an abandonment of title document to the lienholder, if requested, and thereafter, shall issue new title documents to the purchaser of the vessel at public auction.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 20 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 20 - Proceeds of Sale; Distribution

Section 20. If money is due to more than one person holding such lien and all parties interested have been summoned to appear, the claims of all shall be marshalled, and the court shall make such order as may be necessary to prevent the enforcement of a double lien for the same labor, materials, stores, storage, provisions or other articles, and to secure the rights of each. The proceeds from the sale of the vessel, after deducting all costs and expenses, shall be distributed among the several claimants according to the amount of their respective debts, except that, if such proceeds are insufficient to satisfy the liens of all, those who have liens for labor shall receive a percentage on their respective claims one third greater, as near as may be, than those who have liens for materials, stores, storage or other articles. All proceeds of sales in excess of any liens thereon shall be placed in the Abandoned Vessel Trust Fund established in section 35GG of chapter 10.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 21 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 21 - Payment by Owner of Vessel

Section 21. If a contractor or sub-contractor unreasonably neglects or refuses to pay for labor procured by him to be performed in constructing, repairing or launching a vessel upon which a lien exists therefor and the owner or other person who made the agreement with such contractor or sub-contractor pays the debt secured by the lien, he shall have the same claim against such contractor or sub-contractor as if the lien had been enforced by judgment.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 22 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 22 - Foreign Vessels; Effect of This Chapter

Section 22. The eight preceding sections shall not affect any lien on foreign vessels which exists independent of statute.
MA Gen L ch 255 § 24 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part III - Courts, Judicial Officers and Proceedings in Civil Cases|Title IV - Certain Writs and Proceedings in Special Cases|Chapter 255 - Mortgages, Conditional Sales and Pledges of Personal Property, and Liens Thereon|Section 24 - Domestic Animals; Care and Custody

Section 24. Persons having proper charges due them for pasturing, boarding or keeping horses or other domestic animals which are brought to their premises or placed in their care by or with the consent of the owners thereof shall have a lien on such animals for such charges.