An Act relative to the effective enforcement of municipal ordinances and by-laws

This bill amends Massachusetts law to strengthen how cities and towns enforce their local rules and regulations. It increases the maximum number of days a court can allow for a violation to be corrected from three to five days. Additionally, the bill allows courts to impose civil penalties on individuals or businesses that violate these rules, with fines paid to the municipality. When setting these fines, judges must consider factors such as whether the violation was intentional, the harm caused, and the violator's history of noncompliance. The legislation also permits courts to award reasonable attorney fees and costs to the city or town in these enforcement cases.