[HISTORY: Adopted 5-1-1995 ATM, Art. 36. Amendments noted
where applicable.]
A domestic partnership shall exist between any
two (2) persons, regardless of their sex, if the following is true:
A.Â
The persons are not related by blood closer than would
bar marriage in the State of Massachusetts.
B.Â
Neither person is married or related by marriage.
C.Â
The persons share the common necessities of life.
D.Â
The persons are eighteen (18) years old or older.
E.Â
The persons are competent to enter a contract.
F.Â
The persons declare that they are each other's sole
domestic partner.
G.Â
The persons are responsible for each other's sole
domestic partner.
H.Â
The persons agree to notify the Town of any change
in the status of their domestic partnership.
I.Â
Neither person has declared that he or she has a different
domestic partner.
A.Â
Contents.
(1)Â
Domestic partners may make an official record of their
domestic partnership by completing, signing and submitting to the
Town Clerk a statement of domestic partnership. Persons submitting
a statement of domestic partnership must declare under penalty of
perjury;
(a)Â
The persons are not related by blood closer than would
bar marriage in the State of Massachusetts.
(b)Â
Neither person is married or related by marriage.
(c)Â
The persons share the common necessities of life.
(d)Â
The persons are eighteen (18) years of age or older.
(e)Â
The persons are competent to enter a contract.
(f)Â
The persons declare that they are each other's sole
domestic partner.
(g)Â
The persons agree to be responsible for each other's
welfare.
(h)Â
The persons agree to notify the Town of any change
in the status of their domestic partnership.
(i)Â
Neither person has declared that he or she has a different
domestic partner.
(2)Â
The domestic partnership statement shall include the
date on which the persons became each other's domestic partner and
the address or addresses of both partners.
B.Â
Amendment of domestic partnership statement. Partners
may amend the statement at any time in order to change an address
by filing a new statement.
C.Â
Termination of domestic partnership. Any member of
a domestic partnership may terminate the domestic partnership by filing
a termination statement with the Town Clerk. The person filing the
termination statement must declare under penalty of perjury that:
D.Â
New statements of domestic partnership. No person
who has filed an affidavit of domestic partnership may file another
statement of domestic partnership until six (6) months after a statement
of termination of a previous partnership has been filed with the Town
Clerk.
A.Â
Anyone who signs a statement of domestic partnership
may not file another statement of domestic partnership until six (6)
months after a statement of termination of a previous partnership
has been filed with the Town Clerk.
B.Â
Form of statements. All statements relating to domestic
partnership shall be executed as a declaration made under penalty
of perjury. The Town Clerk shall provide forms as necessary to interested
individuals.
C.Â
Fees for statements.
(1)Â
The Town Clerk shall charge a fee for filing a domestic
partnership statement, a termination of domestic partnership statement
and for an amendment to a domestic partnership statement. The amount
of this fee shall be determined by the Town Clerk.
(2)Â
Payment of the above fee entitles the person filing
a statement on behalf of the domestic partnership to have two (2)
copies of the statement certified by the Town Clerk. Certification
of additional copies at the time of filing shall cost an amount per
copy to be determined by the Town Clerk. Certification of additional
copies at any other time shall cost an amount per copy to be determined
by the Town Clerk.
The Town Clerk shall maintain adequate records
of domestic partnership statements, showing which domestic partnerships
have been created, terminated or amended.
Any person defrauded by a false statement contained
in a statement may bring a civil action for fraud to recover his or
her losses.
