reglab/housing_qa huggingface dataset:
MA Gen L ch 142a § 5 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 5 - Residential Contractor's Guaranty Fund; Regulations

Section 5. There shall be established a Residential Contractor's Guaranty Fund within the office of consumer affairs and business regulation, to compensate owners for actual losses incurred by them as a result of registered contractor or subcontractor conduct which has been found by a court of competent jurisdiction to be work performed in a poor or unworkmanlike manner or which is a common law violation or a violation of any statute or regulation designed for the protection of consumers, including but not limited to, prohibited acts listed in section seventeen; provided, however, that the owner has exhausted all customary and reasonable efforts to collect the judgment but the contractor has filed for bankruptcy, fled the jurisdiction or the owner is otherwise unable to collect such judgment after execution. The director shall promulgate such regulations as he may deem necessary to implement the fund under this chapter. Prior to the adoption, amendment or repeal of any regulation, the director shall give notice and hold a public hearing in accordance with the requirements of chapter thirty A. The fund administrator shall be responsible for implementing the provisions of this chapter and such regulations as the director may promulgate as they relate to the fund.  For purposes of recovery against the fund, the conduct of a registered contractor or subcontractor shall be deemed to include the conduct of his employees, salespersons and subcontractors, whether or not an express relationship exists, provided the work or activities of such individuals is within the scope of the contract and not for additional work beyond the contract which such individuals undertake by separate agreement with the owner.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 6 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 6 - Operation of Fund; Deposits; Interest; Use of Funds

Section 6. The fund administrator shall operate the fund in accordance with this chapter and maintain the fund at a level which is commensurate with claims anticipated to be made against it. All monies collected shall be deposited to the credit of the fund into a special interest bearing account to be administered by the fund administrator who shall invest or reinvest the money of the fund. No portion of monies in said account shall be used for the administration of the fund, except as required by this paragraph. Interest accruing from investment of money in the fund shall be credited to the fund, with a portion of the interest, the amount of which shall be determined by the fund administrator, to be applied to educating consumers, contractors and others as to the requirements of this chapter.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 7 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 7 - Claims Against Fund; Award Limitations

Section 7. An owner may make a claim to the fund only if he has complied with the provisions of section three of this chapter, and has filed his claim with the fund within six months after the owner has obtained a judgment or arbitration award, and has exhausted all such customary and reasonable efforts to collect the judgment or award.  A claim under this section shall not be construed to limit the availability of other legal or equitable remedies unless the claim made is for the full amount of the value of the work claimed as damages, in which case the contractor or subcontractor, upon repayment to the fund, may use repayment as a defense via settlement.  The fund administrator may not award: (1) more than ten thousand dollars or any amount necessary to compensate the owner for his actual loss, whichever is less to any one claimant or; (2) more than seventy-five thousand dollars to claimants on account of the conduct of any one registered contractor or subcontractor within a twelve month period, unless after the fund administrator has paid out said seventy-five thousand dollars the registrant has repaid the fund the full amount; provided, however, that it is within the discretion of the fund administrator to waive the limit with cause; or (3) any amount for consequential damages, except as may be allowed under section four, or for personal injury, punitive damages, attorney's fees, court costs or interest.  If at any time the money deposited in the fund is insufficient to satisfy any approved claim or portion thereof, the fund administrator, when sufficient money has been deposited in the fund, shall satisfy the unpaid claims or portions thereof in the order that the claims were originally filed with the fund administrator.  The pendency of a claim against the fund shall not limit the director from taking disciplinary action against any registered contractor or subcontractor pursuant to this chapter.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 8 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 8 - Subrogation of Fund Administrator; Right to Reimbursement; Repayment by Contractor; Judgment for Unpaid Amount

Section 8. When the fund administrator has paid from the fund any sum to a claimant, the fund administrator shall be subrogated to all the rights of the claimant up to the amount paid, and the claimant shall assign all the claimant's right, title, and interest in the claim up to the amount paid to the claimant by the fund administrator.  Payment from the fund of any sum to a claimant under this section shall vest in the fund administrator a right to reimbursement to the fund, with interest, any money paid on account of the registered contractor or subcontractor found by the fund administrator to be responsible for the claim.  If the amount paid from the fund, plus interest at a rate set by the fund administrator, is not repaid by the registered contractor or subcontractor on whose account a claim was paid in full, within thirty days after notice, the attorney general may seek legal proceedings to recover against the registered contractor or subcontractor the amount unpaid. The fund administrator shall be entitled to a judgment for such amount upon a showing that: (1) the registrant was afforded notice and an opportunity to be heard in legal actions which resulted in the judgment against the registrant, or in an arbitration proceeding pursuant to section four, and (2) no appeal is pending, and (3) the fund administrator has directed payment from the fund based on the final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, or an award of an arbitrator pursuant to section four.  The fund shall be deemed a creditor with respect to any amount paid from the fund for the purpose of excepting to any discharge of the registered contractor or subcontractor under federal bankruptcy law.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 9 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 9 - Registration of Contractors or Subcontractors

Section 9. (a) No contractor or subcontractor shall undertake, offer to undertake, or agree to perform residential contracting services unless registered therefor with the approval of the office of consumer affairs and business regulation.  (b) It shall be the duty of the director to issue and deliver a certificate of registration to all applicants who have been approved for registration.  (c) In the case of registration by a corporation or partnership, an individual shall be designated to be responsible for the corporation's or partnership's work. The corporation or partnership and its designee shall be jointly and severally liable for: the payment of the registration fee, the payment to the fund, as required herein, and for violations of any provisions of this chapter, including actions by the registrant's employees, subcontractors or salespersons.  (d) Each applicant for registration shall submit to the director a completed copy of an application form supplied by the director and necessary supporting documents, along with the fees required by section 11; provided, however, that the applicants shall be given the option to pay any registration fee or fund fee using a major credit card.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 10 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 10 - Registration Applications; Required Information

Section 10. In order to be registered as a contractor or subcontractor, an applicant shall make a written application under oath to the director on a form provided by him. Said application shall set forth information that includes, but shall not be limited to:—  (a) applicant's name, home address, business address exclusive of post office box addresses, and social security number;  (b) the names and addresses of any and all owners, partners or trustees of an applicant including, in case of corporate entities, the names and addresses of any and all officers, directors and principal shareholders, and copy of a business certificate if a registrant is not incorporated. If such corporate information is accurately reflected in the articles of organization or amendments thereto, or a current annual report of condition or other documents on file with the secretary of state or the Securities and Exchange Commission, a copy of the relevant sections of such filing shall satisfy the application requirements specified herein. If a person is conducting business in the commonwealth under any title other than his real name, individually or as a partnership, a copy of the certificate filed with the clerk of the city or town where an office of such person or partnership may be situated pursuant to section five of chapter one hundred and ten shall satisfy the application requirements specified herein.  (c) whether the applicant has ever been previously registered in the commonwealth as a contractor or subcontractor pursuant to this chapter, under what other names he was previously registered, whether there have been previous judgments or arbitration awards against him, whether there is money owing to the fund on account of such judgments or awards against him, and whether his registration has ever been suspended or revoked.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 11 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 11 - Registration Fees

Section 11. (a) Every contractor or subcontractor shall pay a registration fee in an amount equal to the sum of: (i) the fee paid by construction supervisors pursuant to section 94 of chapter 143; and (ii) an amount necessary to recover the aggregate cost to the commonwealth associated with the use of credit cards to pay fees charged pursuant to this chapter. The registration fee required by this paragraph shall be payable upon application for registration and renewal.  In addition, every contractor and subcontractor as defined in this chapter, shall pay a fee to the fund with his application for registration. The amount of such fee shall be based upon the number of persons in his employ at the time of application. A contractor or subcontractor with fewer than four employees shall pay a fee of one hundred dollars; with four to ten employees, the fee shall be two hundred dollars; with eleven to thirty employees the fee shall be three hundred dollars; with more than thirty employees the fee shall be five hundred dollars. Such payment shall be refunded if the application is denied by the director. No contractor or subcontractor shall be required to pay this fee more than once unless the fund administrator determines that the amount of the fund is insufficient to maintain it at a level commensurate with claims made against said fund. If such a determination is so made, after conducting a public hearing, the director, in consultation with the fund administrator, may assess each home improvement contractor or subcontractor an appropriate fee, the amount to be determined by the commissioner of administration and finance which shall not exceed the amount of the original assessment; provided, however, that the director shall not assess any registrant more than once in any twelve month period.  Each certificate of registration issued by the director shall bear a number which shall be valid for two years from the date of its issuance and may be renewed upon approval by the director of an application to be provided by him. Said certificate shall not be transferable.  [There is no paragraph (b).]
MA Gen L ch 142a § 12 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 12 - Denial of Registration Applications; Grounds; Requests for Reconsideration

Section 12. No application for registration or renewal conforming to the requirements of this chapter may be denied except for a finding by the director that the applicant has done one or more of the following acts which are grounds for denial:  (1) made material omissions or misrepresentations of fact on application for registration or renewal under this chapter or on an application for licensure or renewal under section ninety-four I of chapter one hundred and forty-three; or  (2) failed to pay either the registration fee or the payment to the fund required by this chapter; or  (3) failed consistently to perform contracts or has performed said contracts in an unworkmanlike manner or has failed to complete said contracts with no good cause or has engaged in fraud or bad faith with respect to said contracts; or  (4) failed to meet or has violated any of the requirements for registered contractors or subcontractors set forth in this chapter or has performed or is attempting to perform any act prohibited by this chapter.  If a registration is refused, the applicant may, within ten days from the date notice of refusal is mailed, make a request for reconsideration. The director must render his decision within a reasonable period of time, but not more than sixty days following the request.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 13 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 13 - Registration Records; Building Permits, Contracts and Advertisements

Section 13. (a) The director shall keep on file, in convenient form and open to public inspection, all applications for registration and copies of registrations issued and the names of all contractors or subcontractors whose registration has been revoked, suspended or surrendered.  (b) All building permits shall clearly state that persons contracting with unregistered contractors do not have access to the guaranty fund under this chapter.  (c) Every contract, building permit and advertisement shall display the contractor's or subcontractor's certificate of registration number.  (d) Every registered contractor or subcontractor shall notify the director within thirty days of any change of trade name or address.  (e) Upon the expiration, termination or voluntary surrender of a registration, the registrant shall deliver the registration to the director who shall cancel the registration and endorse the date of expiration, termination or surrender.  (f) If a certificate of registration is lost, misplaced or destroyed, the registrant shall file an affidavit to that effect and the director for a nominal fee, shall issue a replacement registration, clearly identified as such, both on the certificate of registration and in the records of the director.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 15 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 15 - Suspension or Revocation of Certificate of Registration

Section 15. Prior to its expiration date, a certificate of registration may be suspended or revoked by the director, in accordance with the procedures and on the grounds set forth in section eleven, or may be terminated by voluntary surrender by the registrant. Further grounds for suspension or revocation are: (a) a violation by a registrant or any agent or employee of the registrant of any of the provisions of this chapter and (b) the payment of any amount from the fund because of the conduct of a registered contractor or subcontractor where said contractor or subcontractor has not repaid the fund in full, including the appropriate amount of annual interest.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 16 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 16 - Promulgation of Rules and Regulations by Director

Section 16. The director shall be responsible for the implementation of the provisions of this chapter and the promulgation of such rules and regulations as he shall deem necessary to implement the provisions of this chapter. Prior to the adoption, amendment or repeal of any regulation, the director shall give notice and hold a public hearing in accordance with the requirements of chapter thirty A.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 18 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 18 - Administrative Penalties for Violations of Chapter Provisions

Section 18. If the director determines that any registrant is liable for a violation of any of the provisions of this chapter, the director may suspend the registrant's certificate of registration for such period of time as shall be determined by the director, revoke the registrant's certificate of registration, or reprimand the registrant.  The director may assess an administrative penalty not to exceed two thousand dollars, payable within thirty days of his order, for each violation of any provision of this chapter committed by contractors or subcontractors who are registered or who are required to be registered under this chapter. This penalty shall be deposited in the fund.  In determining whether to impose an administrative penalty, the director shall consider the seriousness of the violation, the deleterious effect of the violation on the complainant, any good faith on the part of the contractor or subcontractor, and the contractor's or subcontractor's history of previous violations.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 19 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 19 - Fines and Imprisonment

Section 19. Any contractor or subcontractor who shall knowingly, willfully, or negligently operate without obtaining a certificate of registration as required by this chapter and who is not otherwise exempt from the registration requirement or any contractor or subcontractor who continues to operate after revocation of or during suspension of, or who fails to renew his certificate of registration, shall be punished by a fine not exceeding five thousand dollars or imprisonment not exceeding two years, or both.  Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any of the provisions of this chapter, with respect to which a greater penalty is not otherwise provided by the provisions of this chapter or by any other law may be punished by a fine of not more than two thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year or both.  Such fines and imprisonment shall be in addition to any administrative penalty otherwise applicable thereto and may be sought in an action brought by the attorney general or the district attorney.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 20 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 20 - Continuing Violations; Injunctions; Restitution

Section 20. If the director concludes that the continuing conduct of any person alleged to be in violation of this chapter may result in substantial or irreparable harm to any citizen of the commonwealth, he may seek:  (a) A permanent or temporary injunction with respect to the conduct from the superior court of any county in which the alleged violation is occurring, or in which the violator has its principal place of business; or  (b) Restitution or an order requiring satisfactory completion of the contractor's contract.  (c) The director shall not be required to file a bond or to show a lack of an adequate remedy at law when seeking an injunction under this section against any person, association, partnership, or corporation not registered under this chapter.
MA Gen L ch 142a § 21 (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 142a - Regulation of Home Improvement Contractors|Section 21 - Construction of Chapter; State Liability

Section 21. This chapter shall not be construed to relieve or lessen the responsibility of any person registered under this chapter or licensed under section ninety-four of chapter one hundred and forty-three, nor shall the commonwealth be deemed to have assumed any such liability by reason of the issuance of registration or licensure.
MA Gen L ch 143 § 2a (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 143 - Inspection and Regulation Of, and Licenses For, Buildings, Elevators and Cinematographs|Section 2a - Buildings Operated by Commonwealth or Its Subdivisions; Window Cleaners and Elevator Inspections

Section 2A. The provisions of this chapter relative to the safety of persons in buildings shall apply to buildings and structures, other than the state house, owned, operated or controlled by the commonwealth, and to buildings and structures owned, operated or controlled by any department, board or commission of the commonwealth, or by any of its political subdivisions, in the same manner and to the same extent as such provisions apply to privately owned or controlled buildings occupied, used or maintained for similar purposes. The provisions of this chapter relative to the inspection of buildings privately owned shall apply in the same manner to the inspection of buildings subject to this section. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the provisions of the state safety code for window cleaners and elevator inspections shall also be applicable to the state house in the same manner and to the same extent as such provisions apply to privately owned or controlled buildings.
MA Gen L ch 143 § 2b (2021)
2021 Massachusetts General Laws|Part I - Administration of the Government|Title XX - Public Safety and Good Order|Chapter 143 - Inspection and Regulation Of, and Licenses For, Buildings, Elevators and Cinematographs|Section 2b - Regulations Relative to Egress From, and Fire Prevention In, State House

Section 2B. The commissioner shall promulgate and from time to time may amend and transmit to the commissioner of administration and finance and to the state superintendent of buildings such regulations as he may deem necessary to provide proper means of egress from and fire protection and prevention in the state house. Said board and said superintendent shall enforce said regulations.