Massachusetts
What Massachusetts law says about deposits, firings, overtime, collectors and accidents — and where each claim gets filed.
5 guides written for this state
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| claim | time to file | penalty | statute |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landlord & tenant a landlord keeping my deposit | — | Three times the deposit, plus 5% interest, court costs and reasonable attorney's fees, where the landlord failed to hold the deposit in a proper escrow account, failed to transfer it to a successor, or failed to return it within 30 days of the tenancy ending (§ 15B(7), reaching clauses (a), (d) and (e) of § 15B(6)). Failing to furnish the itemized list of damages within 30 days, or using an unlawful lease term, forfeits the right to retain anything and the right to counterclaim for damage to the unit — but does not carry the trebling.↗ | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B |
| Employment unpaid overtime | 3 years↗ | "An employee so aggrieved who prevails in such an action shall be awarded treble damages, as liquidated damages, for any lost wages and other benefits" and shall also be awarded costs of the litigation and reasonable attorneys' fees (c. 149, § 150).↗ | M.G.L. c. 151, § 1A |
| Consumer a debt collector harassing me | — | — | — |
| Employment being fired for complaining | — | — | — |
| Injury a car accident | 3 years↗ | — | M.G.L. c. 260, § 2A |
time to file · 2 of 5 jurisdictions carry this column.
penalty · 2 of 5 jurisdictions carry this column.
statute · 3 of 5 jurisdictions carry this column.
Every value links to the primary source it was written from. A value with no “checked” date has been written from that source but not yet compared against it by a person.
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