[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. 
Board of Selectmen. The words "Board of Selectmen" shall mean the Board of Selectmen of the Town of Stoughton.
B. 
Commonwealth. The word "Commonwealth" shall mean the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
C. 
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. 
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. 
Month. The word "month" shall mean a calendar month.
F. 
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. 
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. 
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. 
Person. The word "person" shall extend and be applied to associations, firms, partnerships, and bodies politic and corporate as well as to individuals.
J. 
Preceding and following. The words "preceding" and "following" mean next before and next after, respectively.
K. 
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. 
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. 
Time. Words used in the past or present tense include the future as well as the past and present.
N. 
Town. The word "Town" shall mean the Town of Stoughton in the County of Norfolk, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
O. 
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. 
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]]
[1]
Editor’s Note: Chapter 200, Zoning, as amended through 5-5-2014, was superseded 11-18-2015 ATM, Art. 1.