HS148SST LLC v. City of Boston (Commercial Property Tax Retaliation Class Action)
HS148SST LLC, owner of the office building at 148 State Street in Boston, sued the City of Boston in Suffolk Superior Court alleging the Assessor's Office ran an undisclosed 'Add-Back Policy' that restored a prior year's higher valuation for commercial properties that had appealed their assessments to the state Appellate Tax Board. Judge Peter Krupp denied the city's motion to dismiss on May 12, 2026, finding the allegations -- which the complaint says affected at least 60 properties -- serious enough to require discovery before deciding whether equitable relief is warranted.
Why it matters
The suit advances a First Amendment retaliation theory against a municipal assessor's office, arguing that conditioning a property's valuation on whether its owner exercised its legal right to appeal is itself unlawful. Surviving a motion to dismiss on that theory, with class claims and a request for repayment of excess taxes across dozens of properties, gives commercial owners elsewhere a potential template for challenging similar post-appeal valuation patterns.
Case timeline · 2 entries Latest: May 12, 2026 — Judge Peter Krupp denies the city's motion to dismiss and orders limited discovery into the alleged policy
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