2023 Massachusetts General Laws › Part I - Administration of the Government › Title VII - Cities, Towns and Districts › Chapter 40t - Publicly-Assisted Affordable Housing › Section 2 - Notice Requirements for Termination of Affordability Restriction

Section 2. (a) Except with respect to property subject to an affordability restriction which has less than 2 years remaining and, for which subsection (e) shall apply, the owner shall provide written notice to: (i) all tenants and the tenant organization, if any; (ii) the chief executive officer of the affected municipality; (iii) CEDAC; and (iv) the department, not less than 2 years before the termination of the affordability restriction affecting publicly-assisted housing. Nothing herein shall prohibit the owner from taking actions to terminate an affordability restriction during any notice period provided herein; provided, however, that the owner shall comply with all of the notice terms and restrictions pursuant to subsections (b) and (c).
The written notice shall provide: (1) the address of the publicly-assisted housing; (2) the name and address of the owner; (3) notification that an affordability restriction may terminate; (4) the date on which each affordability restriction may terminate; and (5) such other information as required by the department. Where more than 1 termination may occur, the owner may send 1 written notice so long as the terminations are scheduled to occur within 1 year of each other, the notice is given at least 2 years prior to the earliest termination and the notice otherwise complies with this subsection. Thereafter, the owner shall again be subject to the notice provision of subsection (c) of section 2.
(b) An owner shall not complete a termination or allow a termination to occur unless, not less than 1 year before the completion of the last termination event affecting the housing, the owner provides the entities identified in subsection (a) with written notice of intent to complete termination. The notice shall state: (1) the address of the publicly-assisted housing; (2) the name and address of the owner; (3) the date on which the owner intends to complete termination; (4) unless section 6 applies, a statement that the department has the right of offer pursuant to section 3 to the extent the owner wishes to pursue a potential sale of the property; and (5) such other information as required by the department.
(c) Except as provided in section 6, an owner shall not sell publicly-assisted housing before offering the department the opportunity to purchase the property pursuant to sections 3 and 4. The owner shall notify, in writing, the parties identified in subsection (a) of the owner's intention to sell the property.
(d) Any notice required by this chapter shall be deemed to have been provided when delivered in person or mailed by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, to the party to whom notice is required; except that with respect to tenants, notice shall be deemed to have been provided when either: (1) the notice is delivered in hand to the tenant or an adult member of the tenant's household; or (2) the notice is sent by first class mail and a copy is left in or under the door of the tenant's dwelling unit. A notice to the affected municipality shall be sent to the chief executive officer.
(e) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of section 2, an owner of publicly-assisted housing who, on the effective date of this chapter, has less than 2 years remaining prior to the date when the affordability restriction will cease to apply to such property, shall not be required to give the 2–year notice required by said subsection (a), but shall provide such notice within 90 days after the effective date of this chapter. Notwithstanding subsection (b), an owner who, on the effective date of this chapter has less than 1 year remaining prior to a termination shall not be required to give the 1–year notice required by subsection (b), but shall provide such notice within 90 days after the effective date of this chapter.
(f) The notice requirements of this section shall not be affected by the status of an offer, purchase contract or sale under section 3 or section 4.