Bill > H1737

This bill introduces new legal protections for historic homes in Massachusetts by creating a specific criminal offense for willfully damaging or removing items from properties listed in the State Register of Historic Places or identified with an official historic homestead plaque. Under the proposed law, individuals who intentionally remove items such as copper gutters, copper wiring, aluminum, or brick; displace, destroy, deface, mar, or injure walls, wainscoting, or other parts of a historic home would face legal consequences. The penalty for such actions would include a fine ranging from $100 to $1,000, potential imprisonment for up to two years, and mandatory reimbursement to the historic home owner for the total damage incurred. The bill aims to protect the architectural and historical integrity of significant residential properties by establishing clear legal consequences for intentional vandalism or theft of historic home components.

Justice

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H1737