Filings Quarter Ending 2021 September 30

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2021-07-01 Search Period End: 2021-09-30 Earliest Case: 2021-07-01 Latest Case: 2021-09-30 Total Cases: 5575 Total Transfers: 155 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 37.7% Of those, percentage pro se: 51.2% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: West Hyannisport Least stable with 10+ filings: Fall River Least stable with 100+ filings: Fall River Least stable county: Bristol Cases per day: 61 Housing crisis baseline max cases per day (UCL): 130 Housing crisis baseline min cases per day (LCL): 44 The number of filings this period is not statistically different from the pre-pandemic housing crisis baseline. -- Courts (n) Count Percent central 982 17.6% northeast 947 17.0% southeast 873 15.7% western 872 15.6% eastern 634 11.4% metro_south 492 8.8% quincy district 71 1.3% pittsfield district 53 1.0% lynn district 47 0.8% fall river district 44 0.8% malden district 40 0.7% chelsea district 34 0.6% northern berkshire district 33 0.6% cambridge district 25 0.4% lowell district 25 0.4% waltham district 23 0.4% attleboro district 22 0.4% barnstable district 21 0.4% woburn district 21 0.4% brockton district 19 0.3% bmc west roxbury 18 0.3% lawrence district 17 0.3% taunton district 17 0.3% bmc east boston 16 0.3% ayer district 15 0.3% haverhill district 15 0.3% plymouth district 15 0.3% framingham district 14 0.3% somerville district 14 0.3% new bedford district 10 0.2% springfield district 9 0.2% hingham district 8 0.1% nantucket district 8 0.1% wareham district 8 0.1% westfield district 8 0.1% dedham district 7 0.1% newburyport district 7 0.1% orleans district 7 0.1% wrentham district 7 0.1% fallmouth district 6 0.1% milford district 5 0.1% newton district 5 0.1% palmer district 5 0.1% peabody district 5 0.1% bmc brighton 4 0.1% bmc central 4 0.1% brookline district 4 0.1% eastern hampshire district 4 0.1% edgartown district 4 0.1% salem district 4 0.1% stoughton district 4 0.1% gloucester district 3 0.1% orange district 3 0.1% worcester district 3 0.1% chicopee district 2 0.0% clinton district 2 0.0% southern berkshire district 2 0.0% uxbridge district 2 0.0% bmc roxbury 1 0.0% bmc south boston 1 0.0% concord district 1 0.0% greenfield district 1 0.0% ipswich district 1 0.0% leominster district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 3473 11 Natural Person 2102 5564 Total 5575 5575 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 62.3% 0.2% Natural Person 37.7% 99.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 3381 92 3473 Optional 1025 1077 2102 Total 4406 1169 5575 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 60.6% 1.7% 62.3% Optional 18.4% 19.3% 37.7% Total 79.0% 21.0% 100.0% Defendant Representation Important: Defendants will not have an attorney known to the plaintiff at time of filing unless this is an ongoing matter. 100% pro se is to be expected in all filing reports except to the extent time passes between filing and staff review. See outcomes report for final assessment. (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 2 9 11 Optional 101 5463 5564 Total 103 5472 5575 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.2% 0.2% Optional 1.8% 98.0% 99.8% Total 1.8% 98.2% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 437 7.8% 1 3775 67.7% 2 1073 19.2% 3 188 3.4% 4 74 1.3% 5 21 0.4% 6 2 0.0% 7 2 0.0% 8 1 0.0% 11 1 0.0% 12 1 0.0% Total 5575 100.0% Note: Households may appear with zero adults due to clerical delay entering known defendants, identity protection obscuring known defendants (e.g., 42 USC Sections 13701 through 1404 Violence Against Women Act), or no adult defendants (e.g., abandonment of minors). Initiating Action Count Percent Non-payment 3098 55.6% Cause 1231 22.1% No Fault 1212 21.7% Foreclosure 31 0.6% Unknown/Other 3 0.1% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count West Hyannisport 2222 4 Wendell Depot 1111 1 Fall River 320 285 New Bedford 225 214 East Falmouth 224 13 Worcester 211 383 Southbridge 209 35 North Adams 204 28 Adams 200 17 Randolph 186 60 Gardner 182 37 Fitchburg 181 73 Lawrence 175 134 Norwood 174 50 Gilbertville 173 2 Athol 172 20 East Sandwich 172 6 Marlborough 168 65 Lowell 164 175 Baldwinville 158 3 Royalston 158 2 Framingham 150 103 Chestnut Hill 141 3 East Taunton 140 9 Brockton 137 129 West Dennis 137 3 Revere 135 70 Housatonic 132 1 Pittsfield 129 58 South Yarmouth 129 15 Stoughton 129 35 Taunton 128 72 Chelsea 127 45 Marion 122 6 Quincy 121 112 Lunenburg 118 12 Rockland 114 20 South Grafton 111 5 Milford 110 31 Nantucket 108 11 Haverhill 106 65 Hyannis 106 15 Lynn 106 96 Everett 103 43 Newton Center 102 4 Provincetown 101 3 Dorchester 100 92 Townsend 100 9 Lanesborough 97 3 Warren 97 5 Clinton 95 13 Webster 95 16 Ayer 94 7 Dennis Port 94 3 Goshen 94 1 Spencer 94 11 West Yarmouth 94 5 Roslindale 93 27 Orange 89 7 South Easton 88 9 Malden 87 52 Whitinsville 86 6 North Brookfield 85 4 North Andover 84 24 Bridgewater 82 22 Marstons Mills 82 4 Mattapoisett 82 5 Eastham 80 4 Braintree 78 28 East Dennis 77 2 Winchendon 77 8 Abington 75 12 Barre 74 4 Methuen 74 35 East Wareham 73 16 Middleborough 73 17 Wareham 73 16 Swampscott 72 10 Leominster 71 29 Mattapan 71 26 Saugus 71 19 Northborough 70 10 Tyngsborough 70 8 West Barnstable 70 2 Berlin 69 2 Jamaica Plain 69 26 Forestdale 68 3 East Boston 66 27 Hardwick 66 2 Oak Bluffs 66 3 Peabody 66 34 Whately 66 1 Hyde Park 65 22 Plymouth 65 37 Norton 63 12 Bolton 61 3 Andover 60 20 Cotuit 60 2 Millbury 60 8 Pepperell 60 7 Salisbury 60 5 Foxborough 59 10 Phillipston 59 1 Allston 58 17 Clarksburg 58 1 Hull 58 6 Teaticket 58 1 Mashpee 57 8 Newtonville 57 3 Winthrop 57 10 Attleborough 55 24 Dorchester Center 55 51 Shirley 55 4 Woburn 55 21 Bondsville 53 1 Oakham 52 1 Uxbridge 52 7 Vineyard Haven 52 1 Centerville 51 7 Springfield 51 79 Tewksbury 51 15 Westport 51 8 Beverly 50 20 Fairhaven 50 8 North Truro 49 1 Westborough 49 9 Chatham 48 3 Salem 48 20 Turners Falls 48 2 Franklin 47 15 Holyoke 47 19 Mansfield 47 11 West Townsend 47 1 Bedford 45 6 Boylston 45 2 North Attleborough 45 13 Roxbury 45 27 Wrentham 45 5 Blackstone 44 4 North Oxford 44 1 Waltham 44 27 East Bridgewater 43 6 Marshfield 43 11 Amesbury 42 7 Billerica 42 17 Shrewsbury 42 15 Somerville 42 32 West Roxbury 42 13 Charlestown 41 7 Marblehead 40 8 Wilmington 40 9 Indian Orchard 39 4 Maynard 39 4 Sharon 39 7 Yarmouth Port 39 2 Millis 38 3 North Easton 38 5 North Grafton 38 3 Auburn 37 6 Danvers 37 10 Holbrook 37 4 North Falmouth 37 1 Raynham 37 5 Belmont 36 9 Georgetown 36 3 Hingham 36 8 Plainville 36 3 Cambridge 35 37 Monument Beach 35 1 Pocasset 34 1 Whitman 34 5 Walpole 33 8 Ashby 32 1 Canton 32 7 Chelmsford 32 11 Fiskdale 32 1 North Chelmsford 32 3 Sturbridge 32 3 Berkley 31 2 Swansea 31 5 Charlton 30 4 Ipswich 30 4 Sheffield 30 1 Ware 30 3 Buzzards Bay 29 1 East Weymouth 29 16 Nahant 29 1 Princeton 29 1 Arlington 28 12 Dighton 28 2 Medford 28 16 North Billerica 28 3 Pembroke 28 5 Reading 28 7 West Bridgewater 28 2 Chicopee 27 15 Dracut 27 8 Leicester 27 3 Natick 27 9 Sagamore 27 1 Sagamore Beach 27 1 Somerset 27 5 Sunderland 27 1 Westminster 27 2 Carver 26 3 Halifax 26 2 Hopkinton 26 4 Hudson 26 5 Brighton 25 11 Williamstown 25 2 Ashland 24 4 Bellingham 24 4 Burlington 24 6 Dedham 24 6 Edgartown 24 1 Gloucester 24 7 Palmer 24 3 Sherborn 24 1 Weymouth 24 13 Brookline 23 14 Medway 23 3 Acton 22 5 Avon 22 1 Holliston 22 3 Newburyport 22 4 Sutton 22 2 Hanover 21 3 North Dartmouth 21 5 Seekonk 21 3 Watertown 21 7 West Springfield 21 6 Westfield 21 9 Boxborough 20 1 Brewster 20 2 East Freetown 20 1 Needham Heights 20 6 North Reading 20 3 Paxton 20 1 Southborough 20 2 Westwood 20 3 E. Boston 19 8 Lenox 19 1 Northbridge 19 3 Boston 18 112 Lakeville 18 2 Ludlow 18 4 Melrose 18 5 Stoneham 18 4 Dudley 17 2 Feeding Hills 17 2 Greenfield 17 3 South Boston 17 6 Harwich 16 2 Hopedale 16 1 Sudbury 16 3 Wakefield 16 4 Falmouth 15 5 Kingston 15 2 Lincoln 15 1 Stow 15 1 Dalton 14 1 Oxford 14 2 Wilbraham 14 2 Belchertown 13 2 Cohasset 13 1 Onset 13 3 South Weymouth 13 7 West Boylston 13 1 Westford 13 3 Boxford 12 1 Lancaster 12 1 Lexington 12 4 South Hamilton 12 1 Templeton 12 1 Waban 12 1 Assonet 11 1 Grafton 11 2 Littleton 11 1 Manchaug 11 1 Milton 11 3 Roxbury Crossing 11 7 Bourne 10 2 Fayville 10 1 Wellesley 10 3 Acushnet 9 1 Groton 9 1 Hanson 9 1 Norwell 9 1 Rochdale 9 1 Sandwich 9 2 Dartmouth 8 3 Norfolk 8 1 South Dartmouth 8 3 West Harwich 8 1 Weston 8 1 Dennis 7 1 Duxbury 6 1 Easthampton 6 1 Longmeadow 6 1 Concord 5 1 Holden 5 1 Scituate 5 1 South Hadley 5 1 Agawam 3 1 East Walpole 3 1 Needham 3 1 Northampton 3 1 Amherst 2 1 Newton Highlands 2 2 E. Weymouth 1 1 Newton 1 1 North Weymouth 1 1 (not given) 0 919 span 0 5 Rate per 100,000 residents based on 2010 census. Municipalities do not appear if no evictions filed. Where neighborhoods are commonly recognized as municipalities, data appears under the neighborhood rather than the legal entity (e.g., "Roxbury" is separate from "Boston".) Where municipalities have alternate spellings (e.g., Marlboro for Marlborough), totals appear under the long form. Efforts are made to correct clerical errors in the court database, but clerical errors may appear. Rate per 100,000 County Renter Households Count Bristol 858 706 Plymouth 792 342 Worcester 726 809 Berkshire 700 113 Barnstable 657 127 Norfolk 510 435 Essex 480 528 Middlesex 342 800 Nantucket 313 11 Suffolk 305 604 Hampden 205 146 Franklin 142 15 Dukes 121 5 Hampshire 54 10 Rate per 100,000 renter households based on 2019 ACS. Counties appear even if no evictions filed. -- Data Sources (report errors to hello@masslandlords.net): County Data Households Percent Renters Barnstable 96,509 20.0% Berkshire 53,792 30.0% Bristol 220,528 37.3% Dukes 18,146 22.6% Essex 297,898 36.9% Franklin 30,927 34.1% Hampden 179,970 39.5% Hampshire 60,002 30.7% Middlesex 612,366 38.1% Nantucket 11,399 30.8% Norfolk 269,717 31.6% Plymouth 191,041 22.6% Suffolk 309,945 63.7% Worcester 316,162 35.2% County Households: 2019 ACS TableID S1101 County Households and Renters, Dukes and Nantucket: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/dukescountymassachusetts County Households and Renters, Large Counties: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=S11&g=0400000US25.050000&d=ACS%201-Year%20Estimates%20Subject%20Tables&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1101&hidePreview=true Dukes County Renters: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/dukescountymassachusetts Nantucket County Renters: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/nantucketcountymassachusetts -- Methodology Publicly available records at MassCourts.org are read fully manually at two intervals: 1.) For a filings report, once within approximately one week of filing; 2.) For an outcomes report, once again approximately 12 to 18 months after filing. Cases are searched by 'case type' = 'summary process', party type = 'plaintiff' within date ranges, typically weekly. MassCourts.org displays matches, not cases. X plaintiffs on a single case result in X separate matches. Cases are manually de-duplicated. Where the number of matches exceeds the number displayed (e.g., 'Displaying 100 of 257 total matches.'), date ranges are reduced until all cases may be viewed. If the date range cannot be reduced (i.e., is one day) but matches still exceed the display limit of 100, then two additional passes are taken. First, municipalities are filtered in stages. Second, to capture cases with no municipality entered, the search switches from 'case type' to 'case number', guessing the missing numbers assuming serialized entry. This method results in 'matches' reconciled to case counts. This effort costs more than 1 FTE. Summary spreadsheets are produced by copying exactly what is read. The spreadsheets are processed using proprietary software. Repeated analyses of local spreadsheets does not burden the MassCourts servers. The software is developed using best practices for revision control and regression testing. Limitations: Data are snapshots. As such, we cannot track individual cases over time or produce real-time reports. MassLandlords does not have access to court databases beyond what is published in human readable form at MassCourts.org. As of this report, MassLandlords staff were not considering information available to attorneys (e.g., the contents of notices, discovery, evidence, etc.) but not available to the general public. All data presented here are readily verifiable at MassCourts.org without special permission. Information is not independently verified outside of the court record. For instance, clerical errors in address, omissions of a defendant, etc. are not readily verifiable. As this process matures, reporting algorithms may change. Transfers are counted as new cases. Clerical differences between original case and transfer (e.g., middle initial included then dropped; defendant dropped on transfer; street address spelling changed) as well as the potential for indefinite circular transferring (e.g., foreclosure cases moving between housing, land, and/or superior courts) make it very difficult to programmatically identify continuing matters. -- When Citing This Work, Please Credit: MassLandlords, Inc. Available online at https://masslandlords.net/policy/eviction-data/.