Trespass

Check Before You Cut! Massachusetts Illegal Tree Cutting Carries Substantial Civil Penalties

by Rich Vetstein 01.27.2013 Adverse Possession

Triple Damage Penalty for Willful Cutting Of Neighbor’s Trees  We may be in the middle of winter here in Massachusetts, but homeowners and utility companies are still out there chopping down trees. I always advise property owners who intend to cut trees near boundary lines to consult a survey or plot plan to ensure that [...]

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Footprints In The Sand: Massachusetts Beach Access Law

by Rich Vetstein 07.20.2012 Adverse Possession

“My life is like a stroll on the beach…as near to the edge as I can go.” – Henry Thoreau No Massachusetts summer is complete without some good times spent on the beach, be it on Cape Cod, Ipswich, or Duxbury. But what happens when you are taking a nice stroll on the beach and [...]

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Spite Fences Make For Bad Neighbors: Massachusetts Fence Law

by Rich Vetstein 06.12.2012 Fences

The old Robert Frost poem Mending Wall goes “Good fences make good neighbors.” But a neighbor can quickly turn from good to bad when a they maliciously construct a “spite fence” on the property line. And that includes Sarah Palin who installed this 14 feet monstrous fence at her Wasilla, Alaska home. What Is An [...]

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2011 Massachusetts Real Estate Law Year In Review

by Rich Vetstein 12.30.2011 Foreclosure
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It’s time again for our annual review of highlights in Massachusetts Real Estate Law for the past year. It’s been a very busy year. From the foreclosure fallout, to Occupy Boston, to the new homestead law, there’s been lots to report on. We’ll start in order of importance this year. SJC Decides Controversial U.S. Bank [...]

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Massachusetts Real Estate Litigation: What You Can Expect Going To Court, Part 1

by Rich Vetstein 12.17.2011 Condominium Law
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For most folks, litigation and courtrooms are as foreign as Belgium. When a new clients comes to me with a potential litigation matter, I spend most of our first consultation discussing the process of litigation and how it works. Then inevitably we have to talk about the cost and expense, which for most lawsuits is [...]

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No Trespassing! Judge Evicts Occupy Boston Protesters From Taking Over Dewey Square

by Rich Vetstein 12.07.2011 Massachusetts Real Estate Law

Judge Rules That Occupy Movement Protesters Are Common Trespassers Today, Massachusetts Superior Court Justice Frances A. McIntyre issued a ruling clearing the way for the eviction of the Occupy Boston protest which has taken over Dewey Square in downtown Boston. Judge McIntyre had originally granted the protesters a temporary restraining order sustaining the protests, but [...]

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When Good Fences Make Upset Neighbors: Adverse Possession Law In Massachusetts

by Rich Vetstein 06.02.2010 Adverse Possession

Click here to read about my most recent adverse possession trial win. Massachusetts Adverse Possession Law Robert Frost ‘s famous poem The Mending Wall says “good fences make good neighbors.” When that fence encroaches over a neighbor’s property line, that neighbor can turn from good to upset very quickly. When boundary or encroachments disputes arise, [...]

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