A recent ruling from the Massachusetts Appeals Court confirms that email correspondence between Concord’s Select Board members and the town manager is protected by attorney-client privilege, even when no lawyer is included in the communication. This decision emerged from a legal dispute involving residents Susannah Kay and Brooks Read, who were sued by the town over blocking access to a public trail abutting their properties. The plaintiffs requested unredacted versions of emails exchanged between the

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) recently issued a significant ruling on the controversial MBTA Communities Act, a 2021 zoning reform law aimed at increasing multifamily housing production across the state. This decision upholds the constitutionality of the law, confirms the authority of the Attorney General (AG) to enforce it, and sets the stage for municipalities to come into compliance with newly crafted emergency regulations. What Did the SJC Decide? The SJC’s 23-page decision clarified

The Affordable Homes Act, recently passed in Massachusetts, is the most ambitious law aimed at addressing the state's severe housing affordability crisis. The Act involves a massive $5.16 billion investment, marking the largest housing bond bill in the state's history. The funding authorizes spending over the next five years along with 49 policy initiatives to counter rising housing costs caused by high demand and limited supply by increasing the production of affordable housing, preserving existing

The Nantucket Land Court recently issued a significant ruling that may have far-reaching implications for short-term rentals. The issue arose when Cathy Ward, a property owner in a residential area of Nantucket, raised concerns about her neighbors, the Grapes, using their house for short-term rentals. Ward argued that these rentals violated town bylaws, which restrict the use of properties to specific purposes outlined in the zoning regulations. Ward testified that since the Grapes began renting