reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 185c § 15 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 185c - Housing Court Department|Section 15 - Court Officers

Section 15. The first justice of a division may appoint such number of court officers for his division as the administrative justice of the housing court department may from time to time determine. Any such court officer may be removed for any cause considered by the first justice of the division to be sufficient. Any vacancy caused by removal or otherwise may be filled by the first justice of the division. The court officers shall attend the sessions in the divisions of the housing court department, shall preserve order and may serve warrants, mittimuses, precepts, orders and processes of a division of the housing court department. Each court officer shall give bond for the faithful performance of his duties in the sum of one thousand dollars payable to the commonwealth, with sufficient sureties approved by the administrative justice. Each court officer, while on duty in the housing court department, shall wear a uniform approved by the administrative justice which shall be furnished at the expense of the commonwealth.
MA Gen L ch 185c § 16 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 185c - Housing Court Department|Section 16 - Housing Specialists

Section 16. The first justice of a particular housing court may appoint, subject to appropriation and subject to the approval of the chief justice of the housing court department, such number of housing specialists as he may from time to time determine. Said first justice may designate one of them as chief housing specialist for the court. All housing specialists shall hold office at the pleasure of said chief justice, subject, however, to retirement under the provisions of any applicable general or special law relative to retirement systems. All housing specialists shall be knowledgeable in the maintenance, repair, and rehabilitation of dwelling units; the problems of landlord and tenant as they pertain to dwelling units; the types of funds and services available to assist landlords and tenants in the financing and resolution of such problems; the federal and state laws, rules and regulations pertaining to the maintenance, repair and rehabilitation of such units; and the financing and resolution of such problems. The housing specialists shall have such powers and perform such duties as said chief justice shall from time to time prescribe. Every housing specialist shall be sworn by the chief justice of the housing court, who shall, upon administering the oath, forthwith make return of such act with the date thereof to the state secretary.
MA Gen L ch 185c § 17 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 185c - Housing Court Department|Section 17 - Practice of Law by Clerks or Housing Specialists

Section 17. No clerk, temporary clerk, assistant clerk or housing specialist shall be retained or employed as an attorney in any complaint, action or suit in any court of the commonwealth.
MA Gen L ch 185c § 18 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 185c - Housing Court Department|Section 18 - Recording System; Procurement of Law Books, Stationery, Etc.

Section 18. At the trial of any issue of fact, the justice presiding at the trial shall provide for a proper recording system which shall record the proceedings. The cost of said recording system shall be paid by the commonwealth upon the certificate of the court administrator. Each clerk of the housing court department may procure law books and blank books, blanks, stationery and other incidentals required by the divisions of the housing court department as the court administrator may approve.
MA Gen L ch 185c § 19 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 185c - Housing Court Department|Section 19 - Commencement of Proceedings; Fees; Non-Willful Offense Deemed Non-Criminal

Section 19. Proceedings shall be commenced in the housing court department as follows: a criminal case by complaint in like manner as in the district court department, a civil action in accordance with the Massachusetts Rules of Civil Procedure; provided, however, that a summary process action and a small claims action shall be commenced and administered in accordance with rules promulgated with the approval of the supreme judicial court. Clerks of the housing court department shall charge a fee of $120 for the entry of an action, for the filing of a third-party complaint, and for the filing of a motion to intervene as plaintiff, which shall be paid by the party entering or filing the same; and no other fee shall be charged for taxing costs, for issuing any subpoena or execution or for issuing any order of notice or other mesne, interlocutory or final order, rule, decree of process authorized by law, except a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction for the issuance of which the clerk shall charge $90; provided, however, that no fee for the entry of an action or for the issuance of a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction shall be charged to the commonwealth or political subdivision thereof.  Notwithstanding that a proceeding under this chapter is commenced by complaint, if it is found that the offense charged was not willful, intentional, reckless or repeated, the proceeding shall not be deemed criminal and no record of the case shall be entered in the probation records.
MA Gen L ch 185c § 20 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 185c - Housing Court Department|Section 20 - Transfer of Civil Actions

Section 20. Any civil action within the jurisdiction of the housing court department which is pending in another court department may be transferred to the housing court department by any party thereto.  Whenever cross actions between the same parties or two or more actions, including for the purposes hereof other department proceedings, arising out of or connected with the same housing accommodation are pending, one or more in the housing court department, the district court department, the probate and family court department, or in the superior court department, the chief justice of the housing court or the first justice upon motion of any party to any of such actions, may order that the action or actions pending in the district court department and in the probate and family court department and in the superior court department with all papers relating thereto, be transferred to the housing court department; and such action or actions shall thereafter proceed in the housing court department as though originally entered there.
MA Gen L ch 185c § 21 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 185c - Housing Court Department|Section 21 - Trial Without Jury; Exception; Report of Inspector as Prima Facie Evidence

Section 21. All cases in the housing court department, including motions and the like, whether interlocutory or final, shall be heard and determined by a justice of a division of the housing court department sitting without jury, except that in all cases where a jury trial is required by the constitution of the commonwealth or of the United States and the defendant has not waived his rights to a trial by jury, the cause shall be forthwith tried in a division of the housing court department before a jury selected in accordance with chapter two hundred and thirty-four. In the trial of any complaint or action in the housing court department, the report of any inspector serving in the housing inspection department of a city or the board of health of any city or town shall be prima facie evidence of the facts stated therein.
MA Gen L ch 185c § 22 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 185c - Housing Court Department|Section 22 - Entry of Judgment or Order

Section 22. Every judgment or order entered by a division of the housing court department shall bear as its date the day when actually entered by the clerk, and at the time of the entry he shall note such date upon the judgment or order and upon the docket.
MA Gen L ch 185c § 23 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 185c - Housing Court Department|Section 23 - Bond of Receiver

Section 23. The bond of any receiver appointed by a division of the housing court department shall be payable to the commonwealth and shall otherwise be in such form as the chief justice of the housing court department shall require. Such bond may be enforced in the name of the commonwealth by the treasurer of the commonwealth, or by any person interested therein and authorized by the chief justice of the housing court department, after notice to said treasurer, to take such action. The housing court department shall have exclusive original jurisdiction of actions on such bonds. Any sums recovered shall be paid over or administered as a justice of the housing court department directs.  [Chapter impacted by 2020, 65, Secs. 3 and 6 effective April 20, 2020 relating to suspension of evictions in order to address disruptions caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.]
MA Gen L ch 186 § 1a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 1a - Land Demised for Term of 100 Years or More Regarded as Estate in Fee Simple

Section 1A. If land is demised for the term of 100 years or more, the term shall, so long as 50 years thereof remain unexpired, be regarded as an estate in fee simple as to everything concerning the descent and devise thereof upon the decease of the owner, the sale thereof by personal representatives, guardians, conservators or trustees, the levy of execution thereon and the redemption thereof if mortgaged or taken on execution. Whoever holds as lessee or assignee under such a lease shall, so long as 50 years of the term remain unexpired, be regarded as a freeholder for all purposes.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 3 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 3 - Tenancy at Sufferance; Liability for Rent

Section 3. Tenants at sufferance in possession of land or tenements shall be liable to pay rent therefor for such time as they may occupy or detain the same.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 4 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 4 - Liability of Tenant for Rent for Proportion of Land in Possession

Section 4. A person in possession of land out of which rent is due shall be liable for the amount or proportion of rent due from the land in his possession although it is only a part of that originally demised.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 5 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 5 - Action to Recover Rent; Evidence

Section 5. Such rent may be recovered in contract, and the deed of demise or other written instrument, if any, showing the provisions of the lease, may be used in evidence by either party to prove the amount of rent due from the defendant.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 6 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 6 - Survival of Action

Section 6. Such action may be brought by or against executors and administrators for any arrears of rent accrued in the lifetime of the deceased parties, respectively, in the same manner as for debts due from or to the same parties in their lifetime on a personal contract.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 7 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 7 - Remedies of Landlords

Section 7. The six preceding sections shall not deprive landlords of any other legal remedy for the recovery of rents, whether secured by lease or by law.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 8 - Recovery of Rent Accruing Before Determination of Lease

Section 8. If land is held by lease of a person having an estate therein determinable on a life or on a contingency, and such estate determines before the end of a period for which rent is payable, or if an estate created by a written lease or an estate at will is determined before the end of such period by surrender, either express or by operation of law, by notice to quit for non-payment of rent, or by the death of any party, the landlord or his executor or administrator may recover in contract, a proportional part of such rent according to the portion of the last period for which such rent was accruing which had expired at such determination.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 9 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 9 - Recovery of Rent Paid in Advance

Section 9. If, upon the determination of a tenancy, in any manner mentioned in the preceding section, before the end of a period for which rent is payable, the rent therefor has been paid before such determination, a proportionate part thereof, according to the portion of such period then unexpired, may be recovered back in contract.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 10 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 10 - Rent as a Necessary

Section 10. Debts for the rent of a dwelling house occupied by the debtor or his family shall be considered as claims for necessaries.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 11 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 11 - Determination of Lease for Nonpayment of Rent

[ Section impacted by 2020, 65, Secs. 3 and 6 effective April 20, 2020 and 2020, 257, Sec. 1, as amended by 2021, 20, Secs. 12 to 15, 29 and 30 effective December 31, 2020 relating to eviction protections in order to address disruptions caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.]  Section 11. Upon the neglect or refusal to pay the rent due under a written lease, fourteen days' notice to quit, given in writing by the landlord to the tenant, shall be sufficient to determine the lease, unless the tenant, on or before the day the answer is due, in an action by the landlord to recover possession of the premises, pays or tenders to the landlord or to his attorney all rent then due, with interest and costs of suit. If the neglect or refusal to pay the rent due was caused by a failure or delay of the federal government, the commonwealth or any municipality, or any departments, agencies or authorities thereof, in the mailing or delivery of any subsistence or rental payment, check or voucher other than a salary payment to either the tenant or the landlord, the court in any such action shall continue the hearing not less than seven days in order to furnish notice of such action to the appropriate agency and shall, if all rent due with interest and costs of suit has been tendered to the landlord within such time, treat the tenancy as not having been terminated.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 11a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 11a - Termination of Lease for Nonpayment of Rent

Section 11A. Upon the neglect or refusal by the tenant to pay the rent due under a written lease of premises for other than dwelling purposes, the landlord shall be entitled to terminate the lease either (i) in accordance with the provisions of the lease or (ii) in the absence of such lease provisions, by at least fourteen days notice to quit, given in writing to the tenant. If a landlord terminates the lease by at least fourteen days notice pursuant to clause (ii) of the preceding sentence, the tenant shall be entitled to cure on or before the day the answer is due in any action by the landlord to recover possession of the premises, by paying or tendering to the landlord or to his attorney all rent then due, with interest and costs of such action. The rights to cure provided herein, shall apply only to termination pursuant to clause (ii) and shall not apply to termination in accordance with the provisions of the lease.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 13 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 13 - Recovery of Possession After Termination of Tenancy at Will

Section 13. Whenever a tenancy at will of premises occupied for dwelling purposes, other than a room or rooms in a hotel, is terminated, without fault of the tenant, either by operation of law or by act of the landlord, except as provided in section twelve, no action to recover possession of the premises shall be brought, nor shall the tenant be dispossessed, until after the expiration of a period, equal to the interval between the days on which the rent reserved is payable or thirty days, whichever is longer, from the time when the tenant receives notice in writing of such termination; but such tenant shall be liable to pay rent for such time during the said period as he occupies or retains the premises, at the same rate as theretofore payable by him while a tenant at will; provided, that in the case of a rooming house, an action to recover possession of premises occupied for dwelling purposes may be brought seven days after written notice if the rent is payable on either a weekly or daily basis. A tenancy at will of property occupied for dwelling purposes shall not be terminated by operation of law by the conveyance, transfer or leasing of the premises by the owner or landlord thereof or by foreclosure.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 13a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 13a - Tenants Deemed to Be at Will Upon Foreclosure of Residential Real Property; Status of Tenancy Agreements Where Rental Payment Subsidized Under State or Federal Law

Section 13A. Upon a foreclosure of residential real property pursuant to chapter 244, a tenant, occupying a dwelling unit under an unexpired term for years or a lease for a definite term in effect at the time of the foreclosure by sale, shall be deemed a tenant at will. Foreclosure shall not affect the tenancy agreement of a tenant whose rental payment is subsidized under state or federal law and the foreclosing entity shall assume the lease and rental subsidy contract with the rental subsidy administrator.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 14 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 14 - Wrongful Acts of Landlord; Premises Used for Dwelling or Residential Purposes; Utilities, Services, Quiet Enjoyment; Penalties; Remedies; Waiver

Section 14. Any lessor or landlord of any building or part thereof occupied for dwelling purposes, other than a room or rooms in a hotel, but including a manufactured home or land therefor, who is required by law or by the express or implied terms of any contract or lease or tenancy at will to furnish water, hot water, heat, light, power, gas, elevator service, telephone service, janitor service or refrigeration service to any occupant of such building or part thereof, who willfully or intentionally fails to furnish such water, hot water, heat, light, power, gas, elevator service, telephone service, janitor service or refrigeration service at any time when the same is necessary to the proper or customary use of such building or part thereof, or any lessor or landlord who directly or indirectly interferes with the furnishing by another of such utilities or services, or who transfers the responsibility for payment for any utility services to the occupant without his knowledge or consent, or any lessor or landlord who directly or indirectly interferes with the quiet enjoyment of any residential premises by the occupant, or who attempts to regain possession of such premises by force without benefit of judicial process, shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than three hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than six months. Any person who commits any act in violation of this section shall also be liable for actual and consequential damages or three month's rent, whichever is greater, and the costs of the action, including a reasonable attorney's fee, all of which may be applied in setoff to or in recoupment against any claim for rent owed or owing. The superior and district courts shall have jurisdiction in equity to restrain violations of this section. The provisions of section eighteen of chapter one hundred and eighty-six and section two A of chapter two hundred and thirty-nine shall apply to any act taken as a reprisal against any person for reporting or proceeding against violations of this section. Any waiver of this provision in any lease or other rental agreement, except with respect to any restriction on the provision of a service specified in this section imposed by the United States or any agency thereof or the commonwealth or any agency or political subdivision thereof and not resulting from the acts or omissions of the landlord or lessor, and except for interruptions of any specified service during the time required to perform necessary repairs to apparatus necessary for the delivery of said service or interruptions resulting from natural causes beyond the control of the lessor or landlord, shall be void and unenforceable.
MA Gen L ch 186 § 15 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part II - Real and Personal Property and Domestic Relations|Title I - Title to Real Property|Chapter 186 - Estates for Years and at Will|Section 15 - Non-Liability of Landlord; Provisions in Lease or Rental Agreement

Section 15. Any provision of a lease or other rental agreement relating to real property whereby a lessee or tenant enters into a covenant, agreement or contract, by the use of any words whatsoever, the effect of which is to indemnify the lessor or landlord or hold the lessor or landlord harmless, or preclude or exonerate the lessor or landlord from any or all liability to the lessee or tenant, or to any other person, for any injury, loss, damage or liability arising from any omission, fault, negligence or other misconduct of the lessor or landlord on or about the leased or rented premises or on or about any elevators, stairways, hallways or other appurtenance used in connection therewith, shall be deemed to be against public policy and void.