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Time For Change: Bringing Massachusetts Homestead And Personal Property Exemptions Into The Twenty-First Century, Lee Harrington
Time For Change: Bringing Massachusetts Homestead And Personal Property Exemptions Into The Twenty-First Century, Lee Harrington
University of Massachusetts Law Review
There are presently two pieces of legislation pending on Beacon Hill that are intended to offer amendments to the Homestead Statute and Exemption Statute that would offer meaningful changes and real relief for the citizens of the Commonwealth. This article provides a brief history of the two statutory schemes, provides some comparisons to the schemes in other states, and highlights the changes sought by the proposed amendments.
Squatting: Lifting The Heavy Burden To Evict Unwanted Company, Shannon Dunn Mccarthy
Squatting: Lifting The Heavy Burden To Evict Unwanted Company, Shannon Dunn Mccarthy
University of Massachusetts Law Review
In the later part of 2012, news and media outlets gave widespread attention to the fact that people were living rent-free in homes across the United States while the property owners were left with the burden of evicting the unwanted company in order to gain rightful possession to their property. These stories were not isolated to low incomes areas. News broadcasts shed light on squatters making camp in high-end realty valued in the millions. At the same time, news outlets in the United Kingdom were reporting on the squatting topic, but with a different angle – a recent law criminalizing …
Resolving The Double Liability Problem: A Critique Of California's Mechanics Lien Statute, Terrence Nguyen
Resolving The Double Liability Problem: A Critique Of California's Mechanics Lien Statute, Terrence Nguyen
University of Massachusetts Law Review
California’s mechanics lien statute allows a sub-contractor to file a lien on a homeowner’s property when a direct contractor, for whom the sub-contractor worked, has failed to pay the sub-contractor. The statute compels the homeowner to pay the sub-contractor even when the homeowner has paid the direct contractor in full. This Note argues that California’s mechanics lien statute is too broad, because the statute does not provide any exception for a homeowner who has paid the direct contractor in full. Specifically, this Note argues that California’s mechanics lien statute violates public policy, as well as constitutional, and contract principles. This …