[HISTORY: Adopted by the Town Meeting of
the Town of Stoughton as indicated in article histories. Amendments
noted where applicable.]
[Adopted 2-6-1939 ATM as Art. X of the 1939 Bylaws,
approved 4-3-1939 (Ch. 1, Art. I, of the 1983 Code)]
[Added 4-30-1984 ATM, Art. 43]
In the construction of the bylaws and regulations
contained in this volume and of all bylaws and regulations, the following
rules of construction shall be observed unless such construction would
be inconsistent with the manifest intent of the Town:
A.Â
Board of Selectmen. The words "Board of Selectmen"
shall mean the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Stoughton.
B.Â
Commonwealth. The word "Commonwealth" shall mean the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
C.Â
Computation of time. The time in which an act is to
be done shall be computed by excluding the first and including the
last day; and if the last day be Sunday or a legal holiday, that shall
be excluded.
D.Â
Gender. A word importing the masculine gender only
shall extend and be applied to females and to firms, partnerships
and corporations as well as to males.
E.Â
Month. The word "month" shall mean a calendar month.
F.Â
Number. A word importing the singular number only
may extend and be applied to several persons and things as well as
to one person and thing.
G.Â
Oath. The word "oath" shall be construed to include
an affirmation in all cases in which by law an affirmation may be
substituted for an oath, and in such cases the words "swear" and "sworn"
shall be equivalent to the words "affirm" and "affirmed."
H.Â
Owner. The word "owner" applied to a building or land,
shall include any part owner, tenant in common, tenant in partnership,
joint tenant or tenant by the entirety, of the whole or of a part
of such building or land.
I.Â
Person. The word "person" shall extend and be applied
to associations, firms, partnerships, and bodies politic and corporate
as well as to individuals.
J.Â
Preceding and following. The words "preceding" and
"following" mean next before and next after, respectively.
K.Â
Street. The word "street" shall be construed to include
public ways, streets, avenues, boulevards, roads, alleys, lanes, courts,
viaducts, public squares, sidewalks and all other public highways
in the Town.
L.Â
Tenant. The words "tenant" or "occupant" applied to
a building or land, shall include any person holding a written or
oral lease of, or who occupies, the whole or a part of such building
or land, either alone or with others.
M.Â
Time. Words used in the past or present tense include
the future as well as the past and present.
N.Â
Town. The word "Town" shall mean the Town of Stoughton
in the County of Norfolk, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
O.Â
Words purporting to give a joint authority to three
or more officers or other persons shall be construed as giving such
authority to a majority of such officers or persons.
P.Â
The words "written or in writing" shall be construed
to include any representation of words, letters or figures whether
by printing or otherwise.
[Added 4-30-1984 ATM, Art. 43]
The catch lines of the several sections of the
bylaws and rules and regulations printed in boldface type are intended
as mere catchwords to indicate the contents of the section and shall
not be deemed or taken to be titles of such sections, nor as any part
of the section, nor, unless expressly so provided, shall they be so
deemed when any of such sections, including the catch lines, are amended
or reenacted.
[Amended 4-28-1980 ATM, Art. 57, approved 8-11-1980]
These bylaws may be amended at any Annual or
Special Town Meeting, an Article having been inserted for the purpose
in the warrant for such meeting, and upon the approval of these bylaws,
all bylaws heretofore passed shall be annulled and repealed.
[Amended 4-29-1974 ATM, Art. 73, approved 7-10-1974]
The penalty of any violation of these bylaws
shall, when not otherwise provided for, be the forfeiture and payment
for each offense of a fine not exceeding $50.
[The General Bylaws of the Town of Stoughton were adopted 4-30-1984 ATM, Art. 43. Legislation adopting the renumbering of the General Bylaws in 2005 is currently pending adoption at Town Meeting. The recodification, recaptioning and editorial corrections of Ch. 200, Zoning, including all amendments adopted and approved by the Attorney General through December 2012, having been proofread by the Town Code Review Committee and the Town Meeting Charter Review Committee, were approved by ATM 2013, Art. 74.[1]]
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