Save Our Family’s Home: Stop Retroactive Bylaw Attacks & Pro

My wife and I purchased our Massachusetts townhouse-style condominium in 2017, just one month before our wedding. Over the past eight years, we’ve raised three beautiful children here. Our backyard—with its pool, swing set, fire pit, and mulch area—became their playground, a space filled with first steps, laughter, and cherished memories. Our beloved dog, a family member for over 10 years, has grown old alongside them in this home.

The Hidden Truth:

This isn’t just a condo it’s a single-family townhome improperly registered as a condominium on the Massachusetts Registry of Deeds. For years, we operated on mutual respect and verbal agreements with the previous owner, who co-managed the property as a shared home, not a rigidly divided space. Together, we waived outdated bylaws to create a practical, family-friendly environment.

The Crisis:

In September 2024, the previous owner (our co-trustee in this flexible arrangement) sold the unit. The new owner arrived in February 2025 and:

• Neglected to Disclose Critical Information: The property’s unique “townhouse” structure and years of precedent.

• Retroactively Enforced Bylaws never once acknowledged or enforced in 8 years.

• Admitted to Purchasing in Bad Faith: They openly plan to install a partition fence, violating Massachusetts law requiring the yard to remain an undivided 50/50 split.

Their Demands:

• Erase Our Children’s Childhood: Remove the pool, swing set, fire pit, and mulch area.

• Rehome Our Elderly Dog: A loyal family member for a decade.

• Restructure the Entire Yard: Force costly, unnecessary changes while ignoring their own violations (e.g., their AC unit in the common area).

The Hypocrisy:

• Selective Enforcement: Targeting our family while ignoring their own bylaw breaches.

• Bad Faith Tactics: Demanding strict compliance with rules they knew were waived when purchasing.

The Legal Battle:

We’ve already spent 3,000 on legal fees to defend our home. Now we need 5,000 more to fight this in arbitration. Without help, we risk losing:

• Our dog’s home.

• The backyard where our children grew up.

• The equity we’ve built in a property now under threat of devaluation.

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How You Can Help:

• Donate: Help us cover legal fees to challenge this injustice.

• Share: Spread our story to hold the new owner accountable.

• Advocate: Highlight how retroactive enforcement harms families.

Your Impact:

• Protect Our Children’s Safe Space

• Keep Our Family Whole (including our dog!)

• Expose Bad-Faith Condo Enforcement

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A Personal Plea:

This fight isn’t just about property it’s about preserving 8 years of love, laughter, and memories. We’re begging for your help to stop a neighbor determined to erase our family’s history.

With gratitude,

The Scerra Family