A cluster of homes run by a condo association in Westminster, Massachusetts, has had at least 10 of 96 units, all built in the 1990s, test positive for pyrrhotite — racking up repair fees of $115,000 to $130,000 per unit — according to Spectrum News 1. This caused homeowners association (HOA) fees to skyrocket. Read […]
Hopkinton Highlands III bond release request leaves Planning Board ‘in a weird position’ (MA)
Maillet added that he was able to retrieve some information from the surveyor’s son to give to a second surveyor. Some repairs were made at the request of the condominium association and added to the plan. While the drainage pipes are delineated on the plan, the drainage structures were not able to be marked, according […]
Rentals and condos would be required to allow pets under proposed bylaw in Arlington (MA)
A new bylaw proposed by Arlington animal would require rental and condominium agreements to allow common household pets. “An animal is like a family member. I would be heartbroken if I had to separate from my cat,” said Paul Schlichtman, who’s behind the legislation. He said the bylaw would allow residents to own common household […]
Residents evacuated after crane collapses onto condo complex in Norwood (MA)
A crane collapsed onto a condo complex in Norwood Friday afternoon, but no one was hurt, according to authorities. Crews arrived to find the crane resting on a building that was under construction. Read the article…………………………….
7 Investigates: Community in Crisis (MA)
The frustration is growing by the day among the residents of a condominium complex in Somerville. An expanding homeless encampment under I-93 directly across from their lobby has become a chaotic scene over the past few months. “I walk out here and there are people that shouldn’t be inside inside,” said Somerville resident Harish Rajaram. […]
Manchester Community Center suing Harbor’s Point Association (MA)
The nonprofit Manchester Community Center is suing its landlord, Harbor’s Point Condominium Association, claiming the association engaged in unfair and deceptive trade practices. The lawsuit, filed Feb. 20 in Essex Superior Court in Lawrence, seeks damages amounting to $1.3 million. In the suit, the Community Center alleges Harbor’s Point forced the center to sign leases […]
Florida And Massachusetts Law Firms Unite To Tackle Fannie Mae’s Secret Condo Blacklist
The firms say they are committed to helping condominium and cooperative associations currently on the blacklist, or at risk of being added, navigate this complex issue. Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored enterprise, uses the blacklist to designate properties ineligible for conventional financing, affecting thousands of residents and potential buyers. Read the article………………………….. Link to web site […]
Fannie Mae to make its secret condo blacklist public
But the information will be available only to homeowners’ associations. Move follows Globe story on how unsuspecting buyers and sellers were left in the dark. Read the article……………………..
7 Investigates: Displaced residents still unable to return home nearly three years after fire in Cambridge condo complex (MA)
Nineteen families lost their homes when a fire tore through a Cambridge condo complex in 2021. Nearly three years later, they still can’t return home even though they’re still paying monthly condo fees. Read the article…………………………….
Seashore Point Residents Sue Owner, Claiming Fraud and Abuse (MA)
But for the last two years, he’s been locked in a conflict with Pointe Group Care, the for-profit owner of Seashore Point, about what services it provides residents and at what cost. In 2019, the group and its subsidiary, Provincetown Holding Company, purchased the property, along with the attached nursing facility, AdviniaCare at Seashore Point, […]
Is your home insurance poised to get pricier? There are warning signs (MA)
It’s hard to believe now, given the subsequent rigamarole. But when Julia Shanks first learned that her insurance company wouldn’t renew her policy because it wanted to reduce its risk with “coastal properties,” the North Shore resident wasn’t particularly concerned. Read the article……………………………….
Residents dissatisfied by requirements to make Candle Paper Lane a public way (MA)
Residents of Candle Paper Lane, located in West Wareham off Papermill Road, have submitted a request to have the Select Board accept their road as a public way at the Fall Town Meeting. Read the article………………………………….
Real property – Parking easement – Condominium (MA)
Where two plaintiffs have requested a declaration that their parking easement may be used for two automobiles, that request should be denied because the intent of the master deed was to permit single-automobile use in each parking space. Read the article……………………………..
Five Years and Counting on a Fix at Beach Point (MA)
The Ebb Tide on the Bay Condominiums at Beach Point are closer to the water than any of the other Shore Road dwellings around them, and over the last several years the three buildings, comprising six condo units, have suffered damage to their foundations and decks whenever there is a big storm. Read the article………………………..
Cars buried under mud after retaining wall collapses at Brighton condo complex (MA)
Two cars were buried under a pile of mud Monday night when a retaining wall in a Brighton parking lot partially collapsed due to torrential rains. Crews responded to an apartment complex on Tremont Street around 10 p.m. for a retaining wall that toppled over, causing dirt and debris to fall onto two parked cars. […]
Southwick sues Sunnyside Ranch developers for failure to complete streets (MA)
Potholes and cracked pavement dot Overlook Lane, part of Sunnyside Ranch Estates in Southwick. One of the subdivision’s original developers has sued the Southwick Planning Board to have a decision it made to impose a security bond of $560,000 on it last July vacated. Read the article………………………..
Growing popularity of doorbell cameras raises privacy concerns in condo buildings (MA)
…..many unit owners consider their decks, porches, and balconies an extension of their space — and want to install a camera to monitor that space — but that’s likely a violation of the condominium rules. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/08/09/real-estate/popular-doorbell-cameras-feed-privacy-concerns-in-condo-buildings/
Mashpee Sewer Commission To Discuss Nitrogen Removal From Condominiums (MA)
Mashpee Sewer Commission next week will discuss and possibly vote to form a subcommittee to address the requirements relating to condominium complexes compared to private septic systems to equally disperse state nitrogen reduction requirements among all residents. Additionally the committee will discuss the possibility of forming a subcommittee to research the impact of pollution on […]
Woman Receives Burns in Two-Alarm Haverhill Condo Fire Believed Caused by Candle (MA)
One person was taken to a local hospital for treatment of burns and a family pet died in a late Friday morning blaze that destroyed a West Meadow Hill condominium. Read the article………………………..
Billerica condo residents tormented by stray golf balls demand action: ‘It’s a losing battle’ (MA)
When she moved into a condo near Billerica’s Swanson Meadows golf course, Mary Conway was prepared for the steady stream of players teeing off steps away from her unit. She wasn’t ready for the hail of golf balls hurtling into her home. Read the article………………………..
Condo association asks Deerfield to accept 2 roads as public (MA)
With residents having been settled into their homes for years and drainage work complete, the Sugarloaf Condominium Association has formally requested that Deerfield accept its two roads as public ways. Read the article………………………..
Middlesex judge, jury render first known decisions on Japanese knotweed
Japanese knotweed is such a well-known menace in the United Kingdom that, if the invasive species is on your property and you try to get homeowner’s insurance, you’ll be turned away. But in America, the plant is just beginning to creep into the public’s consciousness — and the courts. Read the article………………………..
‘It’s just dangerous’: Billerica condo owners ask town for help after golf balls damage property (MA)
A Billerica community is frustrated because flying stray golf balls from a golf course next door are damaging their property and have had close calls with residents. Neighbors are now asking for the town leadership to intervene. Read the article………………………..
Window washer dangling 12 stories up Brookline condo building rescued (MA)
A witness says the window washer was dangling from the top of the building for at least 20 minutes before rescuers got him to safety. Watch the news report……………………..
Fire hits Newburyport condo complex (MA)
Five units were damaged Wednesday afternoon in a fire at a three-story residential building on Merrimac Street. No one was injured but a resident was displaced when flames burned the kitchen of a unit and smoke damaged four other units, according to Fire Chief Stephen Bradbury III. Read the article………………………..
LOCAL NEWS “Nowhere to go”: Dozens of Randolph fire victims could be displaced for six months (MA)
A Randolph condo fire on Nelson Drive displaced roughly 40 residents, leaving many worried about where they’ll stay through the fall. “Devastation. Totally…nowhere to go. No one to help us,” said a longtime resident.
Sea Oaks Assessed Betterment For Sewer Main Installation In Mashpee (MA)
Sea Oaks condominium owners will be responsible for paying 70 percent of a 70/30 apportionment split with the Town of Mashpee for a betterment to install sewer main to connect to the town’s wastewater treatment facility. Read the article………………………..
Residents escape safely, but some pets missing after condo fire (MA)
Firefighters think the blaze began near the roof, and said working smoke detectors alerted residents to evacuate. Condo owners fear the building will eventually be a total loss with the amount of water needed on the roof to put out the fire. Read the article………………………..
Belmont Condo Building Evacuated And Family Displaced In Fire (MA)
One family was displaced and many residents were evacuated after a fire broke out in a condominium complex in Belmont Thursday night, according to the Belmont Fire Department. Read the article………………………..
Mashpee To Sewer Summerwood Condos, Owners Will Pay Betterments (MA)
Mashpee has a legal right to enter the Summerwood Condominiums property to construct part of the town’s wastewater collection system, and condo owners will need to pay betterment costs for some of the project components. Read the article………………………..
3-alarm fire displaces four families at Plaistow condo complex (MA)
A three-alarm fire at a condominium complex at 120 Newton Rd. on Thursday required 13 fire departments to help extinguish flames from a reported dryer fire. Read the article………………………..
Betterments For Condos Spark Questions For Mashpee Sewer Commission (MA)
Several residents from Summerwood Condominiums on Route 28 made public comments during the Mashpee Sewer Commission meeting last Thursday, November 10, to ask for clarification on the extent to which the Town of Mashpee and the commission are considering betterments for Summerwood and Sea Oak condominiums related to the town’s sewering project. Read the article………………………..
Family of heart-attack victim who spent 30 minutes stuck in an Allston elevator with EMTs sues elevator company, condo trust and building manager for (MA)
The daughter of Boston Opera Company co-founder Randall Kulunis yesterday filed a negligence suit that alleges her father might have lived had he not got stuck in the elevator of his Allston condo building for half an hour with EMTs who were trying to get him to the hospital after he fell ill. Read the […]
Tests at Truro Condos Raise PFAS Worries (MA)
The wells at the Stone’s Throw condominium complex on Shore Road have edged past the state’s limit for contaminants known as PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — and solutions to the problem probably won’t be cheap. Read the article………………………..
How a court ruling in a double homicide could cost condo owners millions (MA)
AJuly decision by a Superior Court judge could open the door to holding condominium associations responsible for the safety and security of building occupants if the threat is reasonably foreseeable. And that could mean big costs for condo owners if properties are found to be negligent. Read the article………………………..
Here’s the plan for putting out fires in 4 Taunton neighborhoods with no hydrants (MA)
The cisterns in the older neighborhoods — like Debra Drive and Fiddler’s Way — haven’t received regular maintenance because residents were unaware the city considers them privately owned by the neighborhoods themselves. Farrar said he believes Debra Drive and Fiddler’s Way were supposed to have homeowners associations responsible for the cisterns, but that also didn’t […]
Three alarm fire erupts at Hyannis condo complex (MA)
A large fire was reported at a condo complex in Hyannis just before 8 PM Saturday. Flames were visible through the roof of a building at the Yachtsman Condos at 500 Ocean Street. A 3rd alarm brought multiple mutual aid to the scene and to cover the Hyannis station. Read the article………………………..
Great Barrington is trying to collect nearly $200,000 in back taxes from a property called Stonegate. Problem is, there are 620 owners (MA)
The Tax Collector’s Office kept mailing out notices saying tax payments were overdue for an abandoned property at 111 West Ave. — and to please pay up. Cue the sound of crickets. Those tax bills — sent to Stonegate Condominium Trust at PO Box 1090 — were returned to sender. The total damage for back […]
At your service. Or not. In some condo setups, you don’t get what you pay for. (MA)
In many communities, units shell out for, but don’t receive, the same municipal services as the owners of single-family homes. Read the article………………………..
Hazmat, bomb squad crews respond to Marlborough condominiums (MA)
Hazmat and bomb squad crews are currently responding to the Sheffield Court Condominiums on Boston Post Road East. “At this point, state hazmat and bomb squad technicians are supporting Marlborough police and Marlborough fire after first responders observed unknown chemicals during a medical call,” said spokesperson for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services Jake Wark. […]
$300 fines have condo owners up in arms (MA)
Condominium owners in Lynn might have noticed a less-than-pleasant surprise in the mail last week, as the Inspectional Services Department issued 300 dollar fines to rental condo owners who failed to register their properties to the city. Read the article………………………..
Leaking water main at Worcester condo complex finally fixed, a month later (MA)
A water main on West Mountain Street that has been leaking for a month was fixed on Monday, the city confirmed. “The leak was fixed Aug. 22 by a contractor hired by the condominium association,” city spokesman Robert Burgess said in an email on Tuesday. “The condo association is paying the contractor for fixing the […]
State Land Court Lets Homeowners Repudiate Racist Covenants in Deeds (MA)
State Rep. John Barrett III could not get state law changed to allow homeowners to strike racist language from their deeds. But he came pretty close, and the effort shed light on a problem that those homeowners can address, free of charge, in the documents that define their real property. “As the Land Court put […]
Court rules in favor of Somerville condo conversion rules following property owner lawsuit (MA)
The Middlesex Superior Court upheld the city of Somerville’s condo conversion rules last week, after a group of a property owners filed a lawsuit challenging the 2019 ordinance. Somerville had already established condo conversion rules and a review board back in the 1980s, but updated the ordinance in 2019. Read the article………………………..
Dead-End Solution Hits Pothole (MA)
Last winter’s contentious situation between residents of Marion Village Estates and developer Ken Steen over snowplowing responsibilities on Fieldstone Lane sent the newly formed homeowners association onto Town Meeting floor looking for acceptance as a town street. Their motion failed, as the town cited the hammerhead dead end to Fieldstone Lane as a key obstacle […]
South End condo owners sue over expensive ‘puzzle’ parking system they say collapsed like a cheap Jenga tower (MA)
The owners of 24 condos at 88 and 90 Wareham St. in the South End are suing the developer, its real-estate agent and the manufacturer and installer of their building’s car-stacking garage system, which they say has never worked right and which they say folded itself into complete unusability a couple months ago. Read the […]
Dozens forced out of homes in rooftop condo fire in Roxbury (MA)
About 50 people were forced out of their homes early Wednesday when a huge fire tore apart the roof of their condominium complex in Roxbury. Read the article………………………..
Probable Cause Of Racial Discrimination Found In Mashpee Condos Complaint (MA)
The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination found probable cause of racial discrimination in a complaint against the board of trustees of Summerwood Condominium Trust following an investigation into allegations surrounding a condominium tenant’s “Black Lives Matter” sign in 2020. Read the article………………………..
Water damage riles condo owners in Plymouth (MA)
The need for repairs at two condo complexes in a popular Plymouth development is once again bringing special assessments — and the battles royal that can accompany them— to the forefront of debate in Greater Boston real estate. Read the entire article……………………………….