Newell v. Rent Board of Peabody

The plaintiffs challenge the validity of an ordinance of the city of Peabody, regulating mobile home park rents and evictions, enacted pursuant to authority purportedly granted by a special act of the Legislature. St. 1976, c. 131. They filed a complaint seeking a declaration that the ordinance is unconstitutional because the special act was not properly enacted pursuant to the Home Rule Amendment (art. 2 of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth as amended by art. 89 of those Amendments). They also contended that the special act denies them due process of law because it was…