On April 20, 2020, Governor Baker signed Housing Bill 4647 (“House Bill”) into law. The Housing Bill provides for a moratorium (“Moratorium”) on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., a temporary prohibition on evictions and foreclosure). The Moratorium has a severe impact on landlords and mortgage holders. The experienced attorneys at Goldman & Pease have carefully analyzed the Housing Bill and offer you pertinent information to assist you during this difficult time.
When Does the Moratorium Expire?
The Moratorium is currently in effect and will expire the sooner of:
- August 18, 2020 (120 days after the date of the Housing Bill); or
- 45 days after the COVID-19 emergency declaration has been lifted.
The Governor has the ability to extend the Moratorium for periods of not more than 90 days. However, the Moratorium cannot be extended for more than 45 days after the COVID-19 emergency declaration has been lifted. [Read more…]
As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to change the way our society functions, the legislature and the Massachusetts trial courts have enacted numerous orders to address the spread of the Coronavirus. The Commonwealth’s highest court endorsed an Order on April 1, 2020 which declared that only emergency matters will be heard by the Courts until May 4, 2020. The separate divisions of the trial courts (i.e., Superior Court Division, District Court Division, Housing Court Division) are responsible for defining which matters constitute an emergency.
