Congratulations to Christopher Brown for his election as President of the Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association for FY 2027.

G.L. c. 61A encourages the preservation of agricultural land by providing a tax incentive for owners to keep the land in agricultural and horticultural use. In return, if the use is converted to other than agriculture or horticulture, the municipality must be notified of the intent to convert and given the right to purchase the land. In Watermark LLC v. R H Benea Cranberry Co., Inc., SJC-13843 (June 12, 2026), the purchaser of a cranberry bog informed the seller that it did n

The seller in this case entered into an agreement to sell a 21 acre cranberry bog to a buyer who intended to discontinue the agricultural use. As was the case in the Watermark case, the seller provided the Town Manager with the notice of intent to sell for nonagricultural use. However, the statute, G.L. c. 61A, § 14, requires that notice also be sent to the board of assessors, the planning board, the conservation commission, the state forester, and the select board. There was

Not too many cases arise involving claims against surety bonds in public construction contracts, so a recent Appeals Court case may be of interest. G.L. c. 149, § 29 requires that a surety bond be secured for most public building and public works projects for payment by the contractor and subcontractor for labor and materials used on the projects. In New England Carpenters Central Collection Agency v. Arch Insurance Company, No. 25-P-74 (Appeals Court June 10, 2026), the plai

Guidance on the Energy Revolving Loan Fund The Division of Local Services has issued a new Informational Guidelines Release (IGR) 2026-10 regarding G.L. c. 44, § 53E3/4, which allows municipalities to borrow funds to provide loans to private landowners for energy conservation and renewable energy projects on their property. This may be a helpful tool to municipalities whose citizens are interested in lowering the carbon footprint but who may need financial assistance.