City and town governments are responsible for keeping their residents safe. One way that this is done is through code enforcement, headed by an Inspectional Services Department (ISD), or equivalent bodies, that enforce the various state and municipal building, health, safety, sanitary, and housing codes. Cities and towns receive a wide variety of complaints that are handled by ISD each
Local “zoning” is a tool used by municipalities to control the physical development of land in their communities. In other words, zoning determines what can be built on property. Municipalities enforce this control through their zoning by-laws or ordinances, which regulate zoning requirements for lots within specific zoning districts. These regulations are used to encourage the most appropriate and suitable
D’Ambrosio’s Economic Development team recently teamed with a developer and federal, state and city officials to renovate a vacated synagogue site into twenty apartments for veterans. The new complex offers high-quality housing and related social services for veterans in a developing neighborhood with many amenities. HOW CAN WE HELP? Your team of lawyers at D’Ambrosio are here to work with
Demolition and Redevelopment of Blighted Property. Representing the City of Chelsea, our Tax Title Recovery team successfully defeated a multi-level attack on the City’s authority to demolish an unsafe structure, and the City’s right to record a lien against the property to recover its demolition costs. Acknowledging the appellate case law on municipal demolitions has been sparse, the Massachusetts Appeals
Win for Municipal Client in Lawsuit Brought by Former Transportation Vendor. Our Tax Title Recovery team won a summary judgment decision in favor of a municipality in a lawsuit brought by a former school transportation vendor. The former vendor filed a multi-count lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court alleging that the City of Revere acted wrongfully in failing to award it
Working with Municipalities to Restore Abandoned Properties to the Tax Base. Working with numerous municipalities in the Greater Boston area, including the Cities of Woburn, Revere, Everett, Chelsea and Town of Winthrop, our Tax Title Recovery team leads efforts to restore abandoned and dangerous properties and enforce compliance with the Massachusetts Sanitary Code. This work protects public health and safety,
Real Estate Market Heating Up Boston Globe (View article source) As Everett voters prepare to have their say on a $1.2 billion casino proposal for their city’s riverfront on Saturday, homebuyers and developers aren’t waiting to see what hand they’re dealt. Observers report brisk action in residential and commercial real estate markets in Everett, Revere, and nearby communities. Many hope
Federal Civil Rights case against Town dismissed before trial. Our litigators obtained pre-trial dismissal of a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Town of Norfolk and its code inspectors. A real estate developer brought a lawsuit alleging that the Town’s inspectors engaged in retaliatory code enforcement in retaliation for his complaints about their conduct and decisions on development projects. In
Successful Defense of City in Federal Civil Rights Case. When the City of Chelsea was sued by a local church alleging violation of its First Amendment rights, our Tax Title Recovery team persuaded the court that the Federal Tax Injunction Act barred the lawsuit. The City was sued by a church claiming that it was entitled to a religious tax
Boston Globe’s Kevin Cullen on “Newest Tax Scofflaws.” Boston Globe (View article source) If the various elected and appointed officials of Revere could tear themselves away from dope slapping each other at wakes, and put aside, just for a moment, their quest for metal detectors on the Blue Line to keep out-of-town “yutes” from corrupting their fair city, maybe they
D’Ambrosio LLP Retained by UPS in Multi-Million Dollar Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Federal Court. Gloucester Times (View article source) United Parcel Service, Inc. retained D’Ambrosio LLP in connection with a fatal intersection collision between a UPS package car and a motorcyclist in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The wrongful death lawsuit was filed in the Boston Division of the United States District Court
Chelsea Auction Solves Old Issues, Aids City’s Bottom Line. Chelsea Record (View article source) Auctioneer Paul Zekos kept things lively and light at last Thursday’s City Auction in City Hall. City officials are hailing the sale a success, especially considering that six of the seven properties were taken after a four-year legal fight. The list of seven properties going on
Court Overturns Town’s Attempt to Stop Development. When the Town of Oak Bluffs stopped our client’s development of two adjoining parcels of land, our Real Estate Development team brought suit in Dukes County Superior Court. Our team quickly filed a summary judgment motion and the court ruled against the Town. In upholding the property owner’s rights to construct, the court
Court Dismisses Inmate Claims. Appointed as Special Assistant Attorney Generals for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, D’Ambrosio LLP litigators won a complete dismissal of an inmate’s civil rights claims against the Plymouth County Sheriff and the Plymouth County Correctional Facility. The inmate filed a complaint alleging that he was physically disabled and sustained serious injuries as a result of excessive force,
Massachusetts Family Manages to Avoid Financial Free Fall. NECN TV (Watch video) (John Moroney, NECN) – For families on a fixed income keeping up a mortgage can become a burden. But one Massachusetts couple was able to avoid a financial free-fall. Dorothy Prescod is much happier these days … Now that she and her husband are able to pay the
Framingham’s Addilson mansion sold for $155k at auction. May 19, 2011 ( View article source ) Frank Ferrari sees potential in the charred black pile of debris that is the historic Addilson Belknap house. The Framingham resident took a chance on his vision yesterday, buying the Waveney Road mansion from the town, “as is,” for $155,000. Ferrari outbid local contractor
Foreclosed, but not forsaken. June 6, 2012 (View article source) On a quiet, tree-lined street in Melrose’s family-friendly Lincoln School neighborhood, the disheveled appearance of the Cape Cod-style home was demoralizing. The roof leaked. The paint was peeling. The side stairs were in disrepair and falling off the neglected house. Neighbors had long complained – even pleaded with the homeowner
City and town governments are responsible for keeping their residents safe. One way that this is done is through code enforcement, headed by an Inspectional Services Department (ISD), or equivalent bodies, that enforce the various state and municipal building, health, safety, sanitary, and housing codes. Cities and towns receive a wide variety of complaints that are handled by ISD each
Local “zoning” is a tool used by municipalities to control the physical development of land in their communities. In other words, zoning determines what can be built on property. Municipalities enforce this control through their zoning by-laws or ordinances, which regulate zoning requirements for lots within specific zoning districts. These regulations are used to encourage the most appropriate and suitable
D’Ambrosio’s Economic Development team recently teamed with a developer and federal, state and city officials to renovate a vacated synagogue site into twenty apartments for veterans. The new complex offers high-quality housing and related social services for veterans in a developing neighborhood with many amenities. HOW CAN WE HELP? Your team of lawyers at D’Ambrosio are here to work with
Demolition and Redevelopment of Blighted Property. Representing the City of Chelsea, our Tax Title Recovery team successfully defeated a multi-level attack on the City’s authority to demolish an unsafe structure, and the City’s right to record a lien against the property to recover its demolition costs. Acknowledging the appellate case law on municipal demolitions has been sparse, the Massachusetts Appeals
Win for Municipal Client in Lawsuit Brought by Former Transportation Vendor. Our Tax Title Recovery team won a summary judgment decision in favor of a municipality in a lawsuit brought by a former school transportation vendor. The former vendor filed a multi-count lawsuit in Suffolk Superior Court alleging that the City of Revere acted wrongfully in failing to award it
Working with Municipalities to Restore Abandoned Properties to the Tax Base. Working with numerous municipalities in the Greater Boston area, including the Cities of Woburn, Revere, Everett, Chelsea and Town of Winthrop, our Tax Title Recovery team leads efforts to restore abandoned and dangerous properties and enforce compliance with the Massachusetts Sanitary Code. This work protects public health and safety,
Real Estate Market Heating Up Boston Globe (View article source) As Everett voters prepare to have their say on a $1.2 billion casino proposal for their city’s riverfront on Saturday, homebuyers and developers aren’t waiting to see what hand they’re dealt. Observers report brisk action in residential and commercial real estate markets in Everett, Revere, and nearby communities. Many hope
Federal Civil Rights case against Town dismissed before trial. Our litigators obtained pre-trial dismissal of a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Town of Norfolk and its code inspectors. A real estate developer brought a lawsuit alleging that the Town’s inspectors engaged in retaliatory code enforcement in retaliation for his complaints about their conduct and decisions on development projects. In
Successful Defense of City in Federal Civil Rights Case. When the City of Chelsea was sued by a local church alleging violation of its First Amendment rights, our Tax Title Recovery team persuaded the court that the Federal Tax Injunction Act barred the lawsuit. The City was sued by a church claiming that it was entitled to a religious tax
Boston Globe’s Kevin Cullen on “Newest Tax Scofflaws.” Boston Globe (View article source) If the various elected and appointed officials of Revere could tear themselves away from dope slapping each other at wakes, and put aside, just for a moment, their quest for metal detectors on the Blue Line to keep out-of-town “yutes” from corrupting their fair city, maybe they
D’Ambrosio LLP Retained by UPS in Multi-Million Dollar Wrongful Death Lawsuit in Federal Court. Gloucester Times (View article source) United Parcel Service, Inc. retained D’Ambrosio LLP in connection with a fatal intersection collision between a UPS package car and a motorcyclist in Gloucester, Massachusetts. The wrongful death lawsuit was filed in the Boston Division of the United States District Court
Chelsea Auction Solves Old Issues, Aids City’s Bottom Line. Chelsea Record (View article source) Auctioneer Paul Zekos kept things lively and light at last Thursday’s City Auction in City Hall. City officials are hailing the sale a success, especially considering that six of the seven properties were taken after a four-year legal fight. The list of seven properties going on
Court Overturns Town’s Attempt to Stop Development. When the Town of Oak Bluffs stopped our client’s development of two adjoining parcels of land, our Real Estate Development team brought suit in Dukes County Superior Court. Our team quickly filed a summary judgment motion and the court ruled against the Town. In upholding the property owner’s rights to construct, the court
Court Dismisses Inmate Claims. Appointed as Special Assistant Attorney Generals for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, D’Ambrosio LLP litigators won a complete dismissal of an inmate’s civil rights claims against the Plymouth County Sheriff and the Plymouth County Correctional Facility. The inmate filed a complaint alleging that he was physically disabled and sustained serious injuries as a result of excessive force,
Massachusetts Family Manages to Avoid Financial Free Fall. NECN TV (Watch video) (John Moroney, NECN) – For families on a fixed income keeping up a mortgage can become a burden. But one Massachusetts couple was able to avoid a financial free-fall. Dorothy Prescod is much happier these days … Now that she and her husband are able to pay the
Framingham’s Addilson mansion sold for $155k at auction. May 19, 2011 ( View article source ) Frank Ferrari sees potential in the charred black pile of debris that is the historic Addilson Belknap house. The Framingham resident took a chance on his vision yesterday, buying the Waveney Road mansion from the town, “as is,” for $155,000. Ferrari outbid local contractor
Foreclosed, but not forsaken. June 6, 2012 (View article source) On a quiet, tree-lined street in Melrose’s family-friendly Lincoln School neighborhood, the disheveled appearance of the Cape Cod-style home was demoralizing. The roof leaked. The paint was peeling. The side stairs were in disrepair and falling off the neglected house. Neighbors had long complained – even pleaded with the homeowner