Easton, Mass., Code of Bylaws ch 506 § 506-9
Evictions (Easton Mobile Home Park Rules and Regulations)
Operative Text
A. No Owner shall bring an action to recover possession of a Manufactured Housing Community accommodation pursuant to MGL c. 140, § 32J unless: (1) The Tenant has failed to pay the rent to which the Owner is entitled; or (2) The Tenant is in substantial violation of an enforceable rule of the mobile home park; or (3) The Tenant is in violation of a law or ordinance which protects the health or safety of other Manufactured Housing Community residents; or (4) There is a discontinuance in good faith by the Owner of the use of part or all of the land owned and licensed as a Manufactured Housing Community subject to any existing contractual right between the Owner and the Tenant located in the Manufactured Housing Community. No such discontinuance shall be valid for any Manufactured Home sold by the licensee and for which a Manufactured Home site was made available at the time of the said sale by the licensee for a period of five years from the date of said sale. B. Prior to the commencement of any summary process for eviction, the Owner must provide the Board with satisfactory evidence that all notice requirements as to any alleged violation have been provided to the Tenant in a timely manner and the Tenant has failed to cure the alleged violation in a timely manner, all as set forth in MGL c. 140, § 32J, as amended. C. Prior to the commencement of any summary process for eviction: (1) The Owner shall file an application to the Board for a certificate of eviction, with a filing fee of $100 for each unit for which eviction is sought. The fee shall be paid by check or money order made payable to the Town of Easton and presented at the time of filing the application for a certificate of eviction. (2) An application for certificate of eviction shall be signed by the Owner under the penalties of perjury and shall describe in complete detail the proposed basis (or bases) for eviction and the facts in support of such basis (or bases). A copy of the Rental Housing Agreement (or lease) and the rules and regulations of the Manufactured Housing Community Owner shall be submitted with the application where the Tenant is claimed to have violated either said Agreement or the park regulations. (3) An application for certificate of eviction which fails to comply with the foregoing provisions of this Subsection C shall not be processed until such defects have been corrected or removed. (4) Within 10 days of receipt of an application for certificate of eviction, the Board shall, by certificate mail, return receipt requested, forward to the Tenant(s) listed on the application for a certificate of eviction a copy of the application for a certificate of eviction, as received, together with a notice of the date, time and place of the hearing. (5) An application for a certificate of eviction shall be scheduled for a hearing within 30 days following the mailing of the Notice referenced in the preceding paragraph. Hearings shall be conducted by the Board in accordance with the informal rules under 801 CMR 1.01 et seq., as may be modified by these regulations. (6) A request, by the Tenant or the Owner, for postponement of the hearing may be granted for good cause shown. (7) At the hearing the Owner shall have the burden of establishing the facts and basis for the eviction. Testimony shall be taken under oath and either the Tenant or the Owner (or their duly designated representative) shall have the right to cross-examine witnesses of the other party and to introduce evidence in support of its position. (8) A written order granting or denying a certificate of eviction shall be issued by the Board within 30 calendar days of the date of the final hearing and its order denying a certificate of eviction shall be a defense in any summary process action commenced by the Owner against the Tenant or Tenants named on the application for a certificate of eviction. D. An Owner who seeks to recover possession of a Manufactured Housing Community accommodation without a certificate of eviction shall be deemed to have violated these Regulations and the above-described Special Act and Bylaw. [1] [1] Editor's Note: Refers to Chapter 88 of the Acts of 2013 and the Mobile Home Parks Bylaw adopted by STM 2-6-2012, Art. 1 (See Ch. 168 , Mobile Home Parks.), mentioned in the preamble to these rules and regulations. E. The provisions of this section shall be construed as additional restrictions on the right to recover possession of a mobile home park accommodation. The issuance of an Order denying a Certificate of Eviction may be used as a defense to a summary process action instituted under MGL c. 140, § 32J. No provision of this section shall entitle any person to recover possession of such a mobile home park accommodation. Upon a decision of said Board concerning the granting or withholding of a certificate of eviction, either party concerned may appeal to the Taunton District Court or the Bristol County Superior Court for review, pursuant to MGL c. 30A, § 14.
Section 506-9 of Easton's Code of Bylaws establishes that owners of manufactured housing communities may only pursue eviction under a narrow set of circumstances — nonpayment of rent, substantial rule violations, health-or-safety law violations, or a good-faith discontinuance of the community's use. Before any court eviction proceeding can begin, the owner must obtain a certificate of eviction from the Board, a process that includes a formal application, a $100 filing fee per unit, a noticed hearing, and a written decision issued within 30 days of the final hearing. A Board order denying a certificate of eviction serves as a legal defense in any subsequent summary process action, and an owner who bypasses this process is deemed to have violated the regulations.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators of manufactured housing communities in Easton subject to CH. 506 § 506-9 are generally expected to file a certificate-of-eviction application with the Board before initiating any court eviction proceeding, paying the $100-per-unit filing fee by check or money order made out to the Town of Easton. The application must be signed under penalty of perjury, describe the eviction basis in complete detail with supporting facts, and include copies of the rental agreement and park rules where a violation of those documents is alleged. Compliant operators also ensure that all required notices of alleged violations were provided to the tenant in a timely manner and that the tenant was given an opportunity to cure before the application is submitted.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Residents of manufactured housing communities in Easton are protected under CH. 506 § 506-9, which limits the grounds on which an owner may seek eviction and requires the owner to obtain a Board-issued certificate of eviction before any court proceeding can begin. Tenants listed on an eviction application are entitled to receive a copy of that application by certified mail along with notice of the hearing date, and they have the right to appear, cross-examine witnesses, and present evidence at the hearing. If the Board issues a written order denying the certificate of eviction, that order may be raised as a defense in any summary process action; tenants may also appeal a Board decision to the Taunton District Court or Bristol County Superior Court under MGL c. 30A, § 14, and consulting a tenant-rights organization can help in understanding available options.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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