The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, in a matter of first impression in the First Circuit, has joined the majority of courts to find that a junior lienholder's issuance of a 1099-C to a mortgagor following foreclosure does not extinguish...
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SJC Determines Unpaid Commissions Due to Retaliatory Firing “[M]ust Be Trebled,” per the Wage Act
Recently in Parker v. EnerNOC, Inc., the Supreme Judicial Court held that, per the Massachusetts Wage Act, G.L. c. 149, §§ 148A, 150, an employee, who was deprived of a commission as a result of a retaliatory termination by her employer prior to the commission coming...
Federal Court Permits Plaintiffs’ Claims That “Rent-A-Bank” Predatory Lending Scheme Violated Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act
In Kaur v. World Bus. Lenders, LLC, Judge Willian Young of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts has partially denied a motion brought by World Business Lenders, LLC and Axos Bank to dismiss claims that the defendant lenders violated the...
When does the statute of limitations clock begin running in multi-phase, multi-building real estate development projects?
Large, multi-unit, multi-building real estate developments can be seen all over the greater Boston area these days. As with any major project, problems can arise, and what looked like perfect, shiny new building may start to form a few cracks. Once cracks start to...
I have an out-of-state child support order, but my child and his other parent moved to Massachusetts. Does this change how long I am obligated to continue paying child support?
Different states have different rules regarding when a parent's child support obligation ends. In some states, a parent's child support obligation ends when a child turns 18 years old. In Massachusetts, a parent's child support obligation generally lasts at least...
Are Comp Time and Work-Related Travel Expenses Recoverable Under the Wage Act?
The Massachusetts Wage Act allows an employee to recover "wages" that have been "unreasonably retained" by an employer. A salary is within the scope of the statute. What else is considered "wages"? It's not clear because the term "wages" is not defined. The...
Why Are Mediation and Conciliation Confidential?
Mediation and conciliation are two of the most common methods of alternative dispute resolution ("ADR"). In each of these voluntary processes, a third party neutral with no stake in the case tries to facilitate a compromise or agreement between parties who are in...
United States Supreme Court Rejects Discovery Rule for Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, But Leaves Potential Fraud-Specific Discovery Rule for Another Day
The United States Supreme Court has agreed with the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and resolved a circuit split with the Fourth and Ninth Circuits, holding that the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692, et seq....
Massachusetts District Court Applies Precondition Test to Determine That Employees Are Not Entitled to Overtime Pay for Employee-Required Training
In a recent Memorandum and Order, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts District Court granted summary judgment to a group of defendant banks after applying a "precondition" test established by the First Circuit regarding overtime pay to...
First Circuit Rules That Massachusetts State Wage Act Not Preempted by Federal Law
In the recent case of Capron v. Office of Attorney Gen. of Mass., the federal First Circuit Court of Appeals issued an interesting ruling regarding the intersection of federal and state law, affirming a U.S. District Court order of dismissal providing that state wage...
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