Schofield Donnelly
Massachusetts Zoning Changes Could Unlock Value and Development Opportunities
We are pleased to share that our Managing Partner, Tim Schofield, was published in the Boston Real Estate Times concerning recent important changes to the Massachusetts Zoning Act. As Tim explains in the article: โThe changes, which took effect immediately, dramatically alter the existing law and create new opportunities for owners and developers by increasing […]
Tim Schofield Featured in New England Real Estate Journal
We’re proud to share that our Managing Partner, Tim Schofield was featured in the New England Real Estate Journal (NEREJ) 2026 Mid-Year Review Industry Pulse. In the feature, Tim discusses how our firm’s agility, entrepreneurial mindset, and commitment to exceptional client service continue to create opportunities for both the firm and its clients. Thank you […]
Tim Schofield Interviewed About Important Appellate Case
Our Managing Partner, ๐ง๐ถ๐บ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฒ๐น๐ฑ, was interviewed and quoted in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly for his analysis of a recent Appeals Court decision addressing several important legal issues. As Tim noted: “๐๐๐๐ง๐’๐จ ๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง๐, ๐๐จ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ค๐ง, ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฉ๐. ๐๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ช๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ช๐๐จ, ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐ง๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ช๐๐จ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช’๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐ฉ […]
Massachusetts Housing Court Adopts New Permanent Rules for Remote and In-Person Hearings
Effective June 1, 2026, the Massachusetts Housing Court implements new procedures governing when court events will occur remotely, in person, or in a hybrid format. The new rule, Housing Court Standing Order 1-26: In-Person and Remote Court Hearings, replaces the temporary pandemic-era remote hearing framework and formally establishes a long-term hybrid court model for Housing […]
Massachusetts Nears 100 โHousing Choiceโ Communities as State Expands Rural Participation
Massachusetts continues to push aggressively to address its housing shortage, and one of the stateโs primary incentive-based programs is expanding. On April 13, 2026, the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (โEOHLCโ) designated 29 additional municipalities as โHousing Choice Communities,โ bringing the statewide total to 92 communities โ including 27 designated as โRural and […]
Court Refuses to Dissolve Lis Pendens After Seller Allegedly Shrinks Parcel Before Closing
A recent Essex Superior Court decision offers an important reminder to Massachusetts real estate litigators: courts will not dissolve a lis pendens simply because a defendant disputes the facts. In SRO Development LLC v. 46 Seagrass LLC, the court allowed a buyerโs lis pendens to remain in place after the seller allegedly reduced the size […]
Legal Fees and the Delicate Balance of Summary Process Proceedings
Two federal lawsuits pending in Boston are challenging a practice that has long operated in the background of Massachusetts summary process cases: the assessment of landlord legal fees before a case proceeds to judgment and before a judge reviews those fees. The cases, filed against AvalonBay Communities and Greystar, ask a federal court to determine […]
Condominium Board Discretion is Not Absolute
A recent decision from the Massachusetts Land Court serves as an important reminder that while condominium boards are afforded broad discretion, that discretion is not without limits. In Feldman v. Sanctuary Condominium Association, the Land Court held that a condominium board failed to act in good faith and in the exercise of its honest judgment […]
20 Years and Counting…and Growing!
20 Years! When Tim Schofieldย started hisย legal career at Goulstonย &ย Storrs, the firm was celebrating its 100th Anniversary.ย When heย moved toย Sally & Fitch (nowย Fitch Law Partners), the firm was celebrating its 20th Anniversary.ย Both milestones seemed impossibly distant when Timย launched Schofield & Associates in 2004.ย And yet, here we are 20 years later celebrating what has […]
What’s In a Name?
What’s in a Name? When your business is built on trust, your name is everything. Over the last 19 years, Tim Schofield has built a law firm with a reputation for providing candid counsel and sensible and sophisticated solutions. Since 2014, Chris Donnelly has helped define our firm through his intelligence, hard work, and commitment to our clients. His knowledge, experience, and […]