When handling a commercial case between parties from different countries, it is important to consider what impact, if any, the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods ("CISG") may have on the dispute. If it applies to a contract...
Month: February 2015
Supreme Judicial Court Authorizes Parent Coordinators But Limits their Authority
During a contested divorce or paternity action involving minor children, and often long after the case is formally resolved, some parents face ongoing disputes over "day to day" matters such as whether should participate in two...
Massachusetts Appeals Court Issues Important Zoning Clarification
In Pelullo v. Croft, the Massachusetts Appeals Court issued an important decision regarding zoning by-laws. 86 Mass. App. Ct. 908 (2014). The Defendant applied to the Natick building inspector for a permit to construct a single family home on his lot at 15 Upland...
Argument Foreclosed Where Party Did Not Appeal
A recent SJC decision illustrates the unfortunate position in which a party may find itself when it fails to file an appeal but finds itself before an appellate court nonetheless as a result of an appeal filed by the opposing party. In Town of Athol v. Professional...
Massachusetts Appeals Court Reaffirms MERS Mortgage System
The Massachusetts Appeals Court has reaffirmed its holding in Sullivan v. Kondaur Capital Corp., 85 Mass.App.Ct. 202 (2014), that mortgagors have standing only to challenge assignments of their mortgages that are void, not merely voidable, and that the Mortgage...
Supreme Judicial Court Determines that Retirement Provision of Massachusetts Alimony Reform Act Is Not Retroactive
On January 20, 2015, the Supreme Judicial Court issued decisions in three cases involving an important provision of the Massachusetts Alimony Reform Act ("the Act"). In each of these cases, which are described more fully below, the alimony payor wanted to terminate...
Do Violations of the Building Code Violate Chapter 93A?
The Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act, General Laws Chapter 93A, § 2, prohibits "unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of trade or commerce." Since Chapter 93A was enacted in 1967, the Commonwealth's courts have continued to define the scope...
Alabama Supreme Court Holds Bank of First Deposit Must Bear Liability for Under-Encoded Check
On September 30, 2014, the Alabama Supreme Court issued an important decision with wide-ranging implications for depositary institutions. In the case of Troy Bank and Trust Co. v. The Citizens Bank, 2014 WL 4851511 (Ala. 2014), the Court held that a bank that...
Earned Sick Time For Employees
In November 2014, Massachusetts voters approved a ballot question that requires all private sector employers to provide employees with up to 40 hours of sick leave per calendar year. Under the new law, which goes into effect July 1, 2015, employers of 11 or more...
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