Filings Quarter Ending 2023 March 31

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2023-01-01 Search Period End: 2023-03-31 Earliest Case: 2023-01-02 Latest Case: 2023-03-31 Total Cases: 9947 Total Transfers: 207 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 23.1% Of those, percentage pro se: 52.0% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Fall River Least stable with 10+ filings: Fall River Least stable with 100+ filings: Fall River Least stable county: Bristol Cases per day: 111 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 eastern 1708 17.2% northeast 1620 16.3% western 1490 15.0% central 1450 14.6% southeast 1260 12.7% metro_south 869 8.7% malden district 123 1.2% quincy district 122 1.2% lynn district 107 1.1% lawrence district 99 1.0% lowell district 95 1.0% fall river district 73 0.7% somerville district 70 0.7% brockton district 68 0.7% pittsfield district 63 0.6% chelsea district 50 0.5% cambridge district 42 0.4% springfield district 41 0.4% woburn district 35 0.4% haverhill district 34 0.3% northern berkshire district 33 0.3% waltham district 32 0.3% chicopee district 31 0.3% attleboro district 30 0.3% framingham district 27 0.3% new bedford district 27 0.3% salem district 26 0.3% bmc east boston 25 0.3% bmc west roxbury 22 0.2% dedham district 22 0.2% peabody district 21 0.2% wrentham district 21 0.2% barnstable district 18 0.2% worcester district 17 0.2% bmc dorchester 11 0.1% concord district 10 0.1% fallmouth district 10 0.1% taunton district 10 0.1% bmc roxbury 9 0.1% gloucester district 9 0.1% orleans district 9 0.1% plymouth district 9 0.1% hingham district 8 0.1% holyoke district 8 0.1% bmc brighton 7 0.1% newburyport district 7 0.1% southern berkshire district 7 0.1% stoughton district 7 0.1% nantucket district 6 0.1% newton district 6 0.1% westfield district 6 0.1% ayer district 4 0.0% northampton district 4 0.0% palmer district 4 0.0% eastern hampshire district 3 0.0% ipswich district 3 0.0% milford district 3 0.0% natick district 3 0.0% wareham district 3 0.0% bmc central 2 0.0% clinton district 2 0.0% edgartown district 2 0.0% greenfield district 2 0.0% bmc south boston 1 0.0% uxbridge district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 7651 30 Natural Person 2296 9917 Total 9947 9947 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 76.9% 0.3% Natural Person 23.1% 99.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 7479 172 7651 Optional 1103 1193 2296 Total 8582 1365 9947 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 75.2% 1.7% 76.9% Optional 11.1% 12.0% 23.1% Total 86.3% 13.7% 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 1 29 30 Optional 76 9841 9917 Total 77 9870 9947 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.3% 0.3% Optional 0.8% 98.9% 99.7% Total 0.8% 99.2% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 550 5.5% 1 7461 75.0% 2 1605 16.1% 3 233 2.3% 4 76 0.8% 5 19 0.2% 6 2 0.0% 10 1 0.0% Total 9947 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 7248 72.9% Cause 1468 14.8% No Fault 1143 11.5% Foreclosure 85 0.9% Unknown/Other 3 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Fall River 456 406 New Bedford 397 378 Southbridge 328 55 Stoughton 318 86 Worcester 310 563 Marlborough 303 117 Chestnut Hill 282 6 Fitchburg 272 110 Gilbertville 260 3 Brockton 249 234 East Falmouth 242 14 Buzzards Bay 233 8 Lynn 230 208 Gardner 227 46 South Easton 225 23 Norwood 220 63 Chelsea 213 75 Hyannis 212 30 Berlin 209 6 Randolph 208 67 Athol 207 24 Framingham 206 141 East Sandwich 201 7 Quincy 195 180 Westborough 191 35 Oxford 189 26 Malden 179 107 Dedham 177 44 Salem 174 72 Bridgewater 173 46 Revere 173 90 Whitinsville 172 12 Leominster 171 70 Dorchester 164 151 Roxbury 164 98 North Adams 160 22 Canton 157 34 Pittsfield 156 70 Cheshire 154 5 West Yarmouth 151 8 Taunton 148 83 Turners Falls 146 6 North Billerica 140 15 West Wareham 138 3 South Dennis 135 5 Mattapan 134 49 Housatonic 132 1 Abington 131 21 Braintree 131 47 Beverly 126 50 Milford 125 35 Clinton 124 17 Plainville 121 10 Rockland 120 21 Waltham 120 73 Yarmouth Port 118 6 Middleborough 116 27 Saugus 116 31 Harwich Port 115 2 Peabody 115 59 North Attleborough 114 33 Raynham 112 15 Lawrence 111 85 Wrentham 109 12 Attleborough 107 47 Halifax 106 8 Florence 105 1 Whitman 103 15 Kingston 102 13 Woburn 102 39 Danvers 101 27 Provincetown 101 3 Webster 101 17 East Wareham 100 22 Everett 100 42 Roslindale 100 29 North Truro 99 2 Great Barrington 98 7 Weymouth 98 53 Dorchester Center 97 90 Dudley 96 11 Adams 94 8 Dennis Port 94 3 Foxborough 94 16 East Taunton 93 6 Hyde Park 92 31 Lowell 92 99 North Dartmouth 89 21 Somerville 88 67 West Warren 88 1 Haverhill 87 53 Winchendon 87 9 Hanover 86 12 South Yarmouth 86 10 Brighton 82 36 Marstons Mills 82 4 Millbury 82 11 Chicopee 81 45 West Springfield 81 23 Seekonk 80 11 Medford 78 44 Medway 78 10 Walpole 78 19 West Chatham 78 1 Blackstone 77 7 Hull 77 8 Newton Center 77 3 Northborough 77 11 Spencer 77 9 Warren 77 4 Hingham 76 17 Newtonville 76 4 West Stockbridge 76 1 North Falmouth 74 2 Bellingham 73 12 Hudson 73 14 Rockport 71 5 North Dighton 70 3 Burlington 69 17 Lunenburg 69 7 Natick 69 23 Nantucket 68 7 Norton 68 13 North Andover 67 19 Lakeville 66 7 Cambridge 65 69 Plymouth 65 37 South Boston 65 22 Stoneham 65 14 Swampscott 65 9 East Boston 64 26 Fiskdale 64 2 Norfolk 62 7 Allston 61 18 Shrewsbury 61 22 Westwood 61 9 Charlestown 59 10 Douglas 59 5 Nahant 58 2 East Weymouth 57 31 Franklin 56 18 Mansfield 56 13 Osterville 56 2 Gloucester 55 16 Holbrook 55 6 Melrose 55 15 Auburndale 54 5 Wareham 54 12 Baldwinville 52 1 Bedford 52 7 Vineyard Haven 52 1 Wakefield 52 13 Winthrop 51 9 Brewster 50 5 Lee 50 3 Northbridge 50 8 Orleans 50 3 Rutland 50 4 Sudbury 50 9 Watertown 50 16 Ashburnham 49 3 E. Boston 49 20 Mashpee 49 7 Hanson 48 5 Jamaica Plain 48 18 Marshfield 47 12 Avon 45 2 West Dennis 45 1 Littleton 44 4 North Oxford 44 1 Brookline 42 25 Acton 41 9 Belmont 40 10 Bourne 40 8 Marion 40 2 Cohasset 39 3 Maynard 39 4 West Boylston 39 3 Fairhaven 37 6 Holliston 36 5 Wellfleet 36 1 Plympton 35 1 Carver 34 4 Lynnfield 34 4 Mendon 34 2 Pocasset 34 1 Sharon 34 6 Hardwick 33 1 Hopkinton 33 5 Roxbury Crossing 33 20 Chatham 32 2 Lanesborough 32 1 Reading 32 8 Springfield 32 49 Sturbridge 32 3 Lexington 31 10 Lincoln 31 2 Auburn 30 5 Cotuit 30 1 Holyoke 30 12 Newbury 30 2 Billerica 29 12 Dalton 29 2 Princeton 29 1 South Weymouth 29 16 Jefferson 28 1 Newburyport 28 5 Pembroke 28 5 Leicester 27 3 Chelmsford 26 9 Tyngsborough 26 3 West Roxbury 26 8 Arlington 25 11 Marblehead 25 5 Methuen 25 12 Millis 25 2 Ashland 24 4 Bradford 22 3 Centerville 22 3 Forestdale 22 1 Hubbardston 22 1 Oak Bluffs 22 1 Somerset 22 4 South Grafton 22 1 Uxbridge 22 3 Andover 21 7 North Brookfield 21 1 Boston 20 128 Boxborough 20 1 East Freetown 20 1 North Reading 20 3 Ware 20 2 Duxbury 19 3 Lenox 19 1 Westport 19 3 Amesbury 18 3 Barre 18 1 Needham 17 5 Rowley 17 1 Westfield 17 7 Grafton 16 3 Harwich 16 2 Mattapoisett 16 1 Newton Upper Falls 16 1 Topsfield 16 1 Charlton 15 2 Groveland 15 1 Ipswich 15 2 Stow 15 1 Dighton 14 1 Milton 14 4 Ayer 13 1 Dracut 13 4 Onset 13 3 Westford 13 3 Westminster 13 1 East Templeton 12 1 Hamilton 12 1 North Grafton 12 1 Salisbury 12 1 South Hamilton 12 1 Swansea 12 2 Assonet 11 1 East Walpole 11 3 Middleton 11 1 Townsend 11 1 Amherst 10 4 North Chelmsford 10 1 Southwick 10 1 Wellesley 10 3 Acushnet 9 1 Cherry Valley 9 1 Indian Orchard 9 1 Ludlow 9 2 Norwell 9 1 Rochdale 9 1 Sandwich 9 2 Medfield 8 1 Wilmington 8 2 East Bridgewater 7 1 North Easton 7 1 North Uxbridge 7 1 Wayland 7 1 Belchertown 6 1 Falmouth 6 2 Tewksbury 6 2 Concord 5 1 Greenfield 5 1 Holden 5 1 South Hadley 5 1 Newton Highlands 4 4 North Weymouth 3 2 Northampton 3 1 Newton 2 2 South Dartmouth 2 1 Newton Lower Falls 1 1 (not given) 0 3227 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 1304 1073 Plymouth 1253 541 Worcester 1054 1173 Norfolk 942 803 Barnstable 756 146 Berkshire 749 121 Essex 624 686 Suffolk 470 928 Middlesex 462 1078 Nantucket 199 7 Hampden 196 140 Franklin 66 7 Hampshire 54 10 Dukes 48 2 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. Methodology changes: 2022-03: Where docket history shows judgment and/or execution, but case has not been disposed, infer judgment and/or execution. 2022-05: Correct counting error in 'By prevailing party' section where agreement for judgment renders prevailing party unknown. Rows now sum to total. 2023-01: We now report dispositions on the basis of the last disposition found in a docket. Previously we were using a prioritized keyword match, which produced inaccurate results for complex cases. -- When Citing This Work, Please Credit: MassLandlords, Inc. Available online at https://masslandlords.net/policy/eviction-data/.