§ 1 Telephone and telegraph companies; subscription and payment for stock; filing of statement
§ 2 Debt limitation
§ 3 Liability of president and treasurer for wilful neglect or omission
§ 4 Issue of stock, bonds, coupon notes and other evidences of indebtedness
§ 5 Enforcement of orders of department relating to stocks and bonds
§ 6 Improper issue; penalty
§ 7 Increase of capital stock; shareholders’ rights to new shares
§ 8 Shares authorized to be sold at auction; place of sale
§ 9 Issue of stock or scrip before payment for shares at par
§ 10 Effect of issue of stock or scrip before payment for shares; liability of directors
§ 11 Annual return
§ 12 Failure to make annual return; penalty
§ 12A Condensed return of business and financial condition
§ 13 Telephone companies; connections with exchanges; equal facilities for all companies; definition of ”person” or ”company”
§ 14 Connections with exchanges; equal facilities for applicants for telephone service; cost of extensions
§ 14A Enhanced 911 service
§ 15 Equal facilities for those connecting with exchange; enforcement
§ 15A Entitlement to hand sets as station equipment
§ 15B Sales and transfers to similar corporations
§ 15C Emergency calls; refusal to yield party line; misrepresentation of emergency
§ 15D Energized cables in excavations endangering telephone company employees; notice to electric company; precautionary cooperation
§ 15E Definitions; required equipment and services for disabled subscribers; advisory committee on disabled persons’ accessibility to telephone service
§ 16 Receipt and transmission of despatches
§ 17 Rates to other telegraph companies or by mail
§ 18 Violations; penalties
§ 19 Liability for negligent transmission; claim; exceptions
§ 20 Indication of time filed and received on addressee’s copy
§ 21 Location of construction of electric transmission lines
§ 21A Coming into close proximity to high voltage lines
§ 21B Protection of overhead high voltage lines
§ 21C Warnings; operation of equipment near high voltage lines
§ 21D Warning signs; size; posting
§ 21E Notification of operation near high voltage lines
§ 21F Exemptions; definitions
§ 21G Violations; penalties; liability
§ 22 Consent of municipal officers to construct or alter lines
§ 22A Definitions
§ 22B Program for prohibition or removal of overhead wires
§ 22C Prohibition and removal of overhead wires; fines and penalties
§ 22D Removal of overhead wires; sequence; replacement; fines and penalties
§ 22E Cooperative agreements to remove overhead wires
§ 22F Notice of hearing or ordinance to remove overhead wires
§ 22G Emergency erection of overhead wires
§ 22H Underground construction; responsibility of utility
§ 22I Underground construction; customer service facilities
§ 22J Removal of municipal equipment from poles
§ 22K Extension of time for removal
§ 22L Rate differential; adoption of removal ordinance
§ 22M Billing surcharge; adoption of removal ordinance
§ 22N Effective date of adopting ordinance
§ 23 Citizens establishing and maintaining lines
§ 24 Construction of lines for private use; privileges of town; protection of lines
§ 25 Underground telegraph, telephone or television lines; regulations
§ 25A Attachments; regulation by department of public utilities
§ 26 Violation of regulations
§ 27 Approval by department of ordinances or regulations of municipality
§ 28 Approval by department of location; public hearing; place of hearing; determination; fees
§ 29 Persons entitled to damages
§ 30 Regulations concerning wires
§ 31 Fixtures supporting wires or cables; marking to show ownership
§ 32 Municipal inspector of wires; appointment; qualifications; powers and duties; liability for removal of wires
§ 32A Inspector of wires working as electrician; inspection by assistant inspector
§ 33 Enforcement of Secs. 30 to 32
§ 34 Poles and other structures used to support lines; protection of employees and public
§ 35 Use of poles and other fixtures for communication without consent of owner
§ 36 Marking name of corporation maintaining or operating on poles or other fixtures
§ 37 Prescriptive easements
§ 38 Intentional injury or destruction of property; penalty
§ 39 Temporary removal of wires; refusal of company to act
§ 40 Removal of wires without notice; penalty
§ 41 Removal of wires without notice; exception
§ 42 Liability of telegraph company for injury caused by poles, wires or other apparatus
§ 42A Telecommunication service; fraud; penalty
§ 42B Fraudulently avoiding charges for telecommunication service; use of equipment, etc.; penalties
§ 43 Owners and associations subject to chapter
§ 44 Service observing; interception
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Terms Used In Massachusetts General Laws > Chapter 166 - Telephone and Telegraph Companies, and Lines for the Transmission of Electricity

  • Arrest: Taking physical custody of a person by lawful authority.
  • Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
  • Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Other entity: includes a domestic or foreign nonprofit corporation. See Massachusetts General Laws ch. 156D sec. 11.01
  • Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.