CatoFriedman

CatoFriedman t1_j8ujjxz wrote

Reply to I am looking for 3bd houses in an excellent (8+ rating) school district in Massachusetts, with good community/neighborhood. I work in Cambridge thus wanted to keep commuting distance under 1hr. Can you suggest few good towns and approx. house price. Thanks!!! by AloneManagement8650

Sharon has a great school system and they might have a 3bd home in your price range. If you take the commuter rail, you can be at south station in 40 mins.

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CatoFriedman OP t1_j0aau8c wrote

Reply to comment by syphax in Is it more efficient for me to heat my home with my ductless mini split or my old boiler? by CatoFriedman

National Grid. I might need to sign up with one of these alt providers though, like through this - https://www.massenergyrates.com/massachusetts-electricity-suppliers.

1300 sq ft house. Just added a lot of insulation for cheap using mass save. Mostly in the attic. Also have solar panels so that helps a lot. I went into this winter with a $300 credit towards electricity from producing more than i used during the summer. Thats going quick though!

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CatoFriedman OP t1_j0a6v5m wrote

Reply to comment by modernhomeowner in Is it more efficient for me to heat my home with my ductless mini split or my old boiler? by CatoFriedman

ModernHomeOwner, when you say lock in rates, are you talking about the alternative energy suppliers? Like this, https://www.massenergyrates.com/massachusetts-electricity-suppliers? I have not done this but feel like it is an obvious way to save money? Is that true? I have solar panels as well, would signing up affect my solar benefits, if you know? Also, thanks again for your help.

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CatoFriedman t1_iz4ga3w wrote

Reply to Employment question: we are a non profit seeking someone for landscaping and light maintenance from time to time. Without hiring them as full time, Is this a 1099 situation? How can we pay them accordingly and protect them and ourselves from tax issues? by [deleted]

I am an MA employment attorney. It is difficult to hire independent contractors in MA. Look up MGL c. 149 Sec 148B. In order to hire an independent contractor, you the employer must be able to prove all three of these tests:

1- free from control and direction (ex. you let them do the job as they see fit, you do not make then wear your uniform, you do not have strict set hours of work, etc)

2- the service is performed outside the usual scope of work (ex. you likely cannot be a landscaping non profit and hire an independent contractor landscaper, you likely cannot be a handyman service and hire a independent contractor handyman)

3- the individual is customarily engaged in an independently established trade, occupation, profession or business of the same nature as that involved in the service performed. (Ex. The individual has a business, has workers comp insurance, has his own business name, has business insurance, and works for other clients doing the same thing).

You can open yourself up to some serious liability if you improperly hire somebody as an independent contractor. In essence, they can sue you for triple damages for the lost value they have received for being a contractor instead of an employee. As the commenter in a different post wrote, your best bet is to hire a landscaping company to perform this work. Also, this is not official legal advice. I recommend you officially consult with an attorney.

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