SENATE, No. 1031

By Mr. Panagiotakos, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1031) of Steven C. Panagiotakos for legislation to clarify the law regarding wrongful conduct of landlords. The Judiciary

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Seal of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In the Year Two Thousand and Five.


AN ACT TO CLARIFY THE LAW REGARDING WRONGFUL CONDUCT BY LANDLORDS

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 14 of chapter 186 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out the first sentence and inserting place thereof the following: -

            Any lessor or landlord of any building or part  thereof occupied for dwelling purposes, other than a room or rooms in a hotel, but including a manufactured home or land therefore, who is required by law or by the express or implied terms of any contract or lease or tenancy at will to furnish water, hot water, heat, light, power, gas, elevator service, telephone service,  janitor service, or refrigeration service at any time when the same is necessary to the proper or customary use of such building or part thereof, or any lessor or landlord who willfully interferes with the furnishing by another of such utilities or services or transfers the responsibility for payment for any utility services to the occupant without his knowledge or consent , or any lessor or landlord who willfully interferes with the quiet enjoyment of any residential premises by the occupant, or who attempts to regain possession of such premises by force without benefit of judicial process, shall be punished by a fine of not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than three hundred dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than six months.