Filings Quarter Ending 2024 September 30

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2024-07-01 Search Period End: 2024-09-30 Earliest Case: 2024-07-01 Latest Case: 2024-09-30 Total Cases: 10258 Total Transfers: 220 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 24.7% Of those, percentage pro se: 52.0% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Mount Washington Least stable with 10+ filings: Chestnut Hill Least stable with 100+ filings: Randolph Least stable county: Berkshire Cases per day: 112 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 1955 19.1% northeast 1770 17.3% central 1430 13.9% western 1401 13.7% southeast 1193 11.6% metro_south 1003 9.8% malden district 130 1.3% lawrence district 118 1.2% lynn district 103 1.0% quincy district 101 1.0% fall river district 84 0.8% cambridge district 73 0.7% lowell district 72 0.7% brockton district 57 0.6% haverhill district 52 0.5% waltham district 47 0.5% chelsea district 44 0.4% pittsfield district 44 0.4% somerville district 40 0.4% springfield district 38 0.4% northern berkshire district 33 0.3% attleboro district 32 0.3% salem district 29 0.3% worcester district 27 0.3% bmc west roxbury 26 0.3% woburn district 23 0.2% framingham district 22 0.2% bmc east boston 20 0.2% barnstable district 19 0.2% bmc dorchester 19 0.2% peabody district 15 0.1% dedham district 14 0.1% fallmouth district 14 0.1% bmc central 13 0.1% newton district 13 0.1% plymouth district 13 0.1% stoughton district 12 0.1% wrentham district 12 0.1% holyoke district 11 0.1% westfield district 11 0.1% orleans district 10 0.1% concord district 9 0.1% ayer district 8 0.1% bmc brighton 8 0.1% gloucester district 8 0.1% milford district 7 0.1% newburyport district 7 0.1% palmer district 6 0.1% taunton district 6 0.1% wareham district 6 0.1% bmc roxbury 5 0.0% brookline district 5 0.0% hingham district 5 0.0% chicopee district 4 0.0% eastern hampshire district 4 0.0% new bedford district 4 0.0% southern berkshire district 4 0.0% edgartown district 3 0.0% natick district 3 0.0% orange district 3 0.0% clinton district 2 0.0% greenfield district 2 0.0% fitchburg district 1 0.0% gardner district court 1 0.0% marlborough district 1 0.0% nantucket district 1 0.0% northampton district 1 0.0% uxbridge district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 7727 23 Natural Person 2531 10235 Total 10258 10258 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 75.3% 0.2% Natural Person 24.7% 99.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 7617 110 7727 Optional 1215 1316 2531 Total 8832 1426 10258 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 74.3% 1.1% 75.3% Optional 11.8% 12.8% 24.7% Total 86.1% 13.9% 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 22 23 Optional 75 10160 10235 Total 76 10182 10258 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.2% 0.2% Optional 0.7% 99.0% 99.8% Total 0.7% 99.3% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 333 3.2% 1 7369 71.8% 2 2085 20.3% 3 338 3.3% 4 92 0.9% 5 24 0.2% 6 9 0.1% 7 2 0.0% 8 3 0.0% 9 3 0.0% Total 10258 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 7298 71.1% Cause 1577 15.4% No Fault 1320 12.9% Foreclosure 61 0.6% Unknown/Other 2 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Mount Washington 1197 2 Chestnut Hill 659 14 Florence 527 5 Randolph 420 135 Southbridge 412 69 Holyoke 378 151 New Bedford 361 344 Fall River 357 318 Mattapan 353 129 East Falmouth 345 20 Springfield 337 516 North Adams 328 45 Norwood 318 91 Dorchester 309 285 Lynn 308 279 Fitchburg 307 124 Lawrence 301 230 Pittsfield 299 134 Lowell 296 316 Chelsea 287 101 Hyannis 283 40 Brockton 279 262 Roxbury 278 166 Salem 273 113 Worcester 272 494 Gardner 271 55 Marlborough 262 101 Revere 253 131 Framingham 248 170 Malden 245 146 Webster 238 40 Chicopee 236 131 Ware 222 22 Hyde Park 221 74 Canton 217 47 Greenfield 211 37 Charlestown 209 35 Haverhill 198 121 Jamaica Plain 194 73 Rockland 194 34 Roslindale 193 56 Everett 179 75 Quincy 177 164 Tyngsborough 177 20 Gilbertville 173 2 Athol 172 20 West Springfield 172 49 Cambridge 170 179 Shelburne Falls 170 3 Three Rivers 170 5 Turners Falls 170 7 Bridgewater 165 44 Whitman 165 24 Milford 164 46 Fiskdale 161 5 Taunton 159 89 Kingston 158 20 Maynard 158 16 Vineyard Haven 158 3 Plainfield 154 1 Adams 153 13 Orange 153 12 East Boston 150 61 Indian Orchard 148 15 Peabody 146 75 Waltham 146 89 Buzzards Bay 145 5 Feeding Hills 145 17 Wellfleet 145 4 Stoughton 144 39 Thorndike 144 1 Leominster 142 58 West Barnstable 141 4 Berlin 139 4 North Andover 137 39 Westborough 136 25 South Dennis 135 5 Winchendon 135 14 Hardwick 133 4 Danvers 132 35 Housatonic 132 1 Braintree 131 47 Tewksbury 131 38 Dorchester Center 129 119 Middleborough 129 30 Rockport 129 9 Bedford 127 17 Allston 126 37 Methuen 124 59 Plainville 121 10 Dalton 118 8 Woburn 118 45 South Easton 117 12 Teaticket 117 2 Attleborough 114 50 Westfield 111 46 Sagamore 108 4 Sunderland 108 4 West Brookfield 108 4 Abington 106 17 Foxborough 106 18 Hull 106 11 Somerville 106 81 Baldwinville 105 2 Franklin 104 33 West Boylston 104 8 Pocasset 103 3 Brighton 102 45 Newton Center 102 4 New Salem 101 1 Swampscott 101 14 Eastham 100 5 Great Barrington 98 7 Hinsdale 98 2 North Chelmsford 98 9 Gloucester 97 28 South Deerfield 97 2 Beverly 96 38 Clinton 95 13 West Townsend 94 2 Hopkinton 93 14 Cheshire 92 3 Wakefield 92 23 Lunenburg 89 9 Shrewsbury 89 32 Dracut 88 26 Haydenville 88 1 North Oxford 88 2 West Warren 88 1 Easthampton 87 14 Weymouth 87 47 Winthrop 85 15 Lee 84 5 Northampton 84 24 Northborough 84 12 Norton 84 16 Shirley 83 6 Marstons Mills 82 4 Wenham 82 4 Burlington 81 20 Marion 81 4 Dedham 80 20 Seekonk 80 11 Amesbury 79 13 Charlemont 78 1 East Taunton 78 5 Hudson 78 15 Millers Falls 77 1 Plymouth 77 44 Warren 77 4 Newtonville 76 4 North Attleborough 76 22 Fairhaven 75 12 Ipswich 75 10 Roxbury Crossing 75 45 West Roxbury 75 23 Chester 74 1 Palmer 74 9 Mansfield 73 17 Whitinsville 72 5 Brewster 71 7 Marshfield 71 18 Mashpee 71 10 Belchertown 68 10 Forestdale 68 3 Pembroke 67 12 Provincetown 67 2 Wilmington 67 15 Andover 66 22 Whately 66 1 Oxford 65 9 South Boston 65 22 Holbrook 64 7 Williamstown 64 5 Dennis Port 63 2 South Weymouth 63 34 Southwick 63 6 Wrentham 63 7 Otis 62 1 Ashland 60 10 Belmont 60 15 Medford 60 34 Salisbury 60 5 Saugus 60 16 South Yarmouth 60 7 Centerville 59 8 East Wareham 59 13 Lenox 59 3 Phillipston 59 1 Raynham 59 8 Watertown 59 19 Hampden 58 3 Monson 58 5 Nahant 58 2 Essex 57 2 South Hadley 57 10 West Bridgewater 57 4 Lakeville 56 6 North Billerica 56 6 Russell 56 1 Shutesbury 56 1 Ayer 53 4 Boston 53 329 Agawam 52 15 Buckland 52 1 Dudley 52 6 Millbury 52 7 Melrose 51 14 Spencer 51 6 Stockbridge 51 1 Chelmsford 50 17 Marblehead 50 10 Billerica 49 20 Edgartown 49 2 North Truro 49 1 East Weymouth 48 26 North Reading 47 7 Westwood 47 7 Natick 45 15 Sudbury 45 8 Westford 45 10 Arlington 44 19 Falmouth 44 14 Oak Bluffs 44 2 South Grafton 44 2 Townsend 44 4 Carver 43 5 Rehoboth 43 5 Amherst 42 16 Ludlow 42 9 Acton 41 9 Paxton 41 2 Hingham 40 9 Holland 40 1 Wellesley Hills 40 12 Nantucket 39 4 Sharon 39 7 Yarmouth Port 39 2 East Dennis 38 1 Hadley 38 2 Manchester 38 2 Somerset 38 7 Barre 37 2 Templeton 37 3 Walpole 37 9 West Yarmouth 37 2 Bellingham 36 6 East Bridgewater 36 5 Plympton 35 1 Brookline 34 20 Lynnfield 34 4 Southampton 34 2 Ashburnham 32 2 Chatham 32 2 Lanesborough 32 1 Northfield 32 1 Wareham 32 7 Wellesley 32 9 Westport 32 5 Medway 31 4 Millville 31 1 Northbridge 31 5 Charlton 30 4 Groveland 30 2 Newbury 30 2 Southborough 30 3 Acushnet 29 3 West Hatfield 29 1 West Newton 29 4 Grafton 28 5 Hanover 28 4 Osterville 28 1 Brimfield 27 1 Leicester 27 3 Onset 27 6 Sagamore Beach 27 1 Westminster 27 2 Millis 25 2 Milton 25 7 Waban 25 2 Lancaster 24 2 South Dartmouth 23 8 Bradford 22 3 Littleton 22 2 Uxbridge 22 3 Auburndale 21 2 North Brookfield 21 1 Sturbridge 21 2 Wilbraham 21 3 Carlisle 20 1 Deerfield 19 1 Duxbury 19 3 Hanson 19 2 Lexington 19 6 Norwell 19 2 Cherry Valley 18 2 Rochdale 18 2 Stoneham 18 4 E. Boston 17 7 Mendon 17 1 Rowley 17 1 Granby 16 1 Hopedale 16 1 Mattapoisett 16 1 North Dartmouth 16 4 Orleans 16 1 Topsfield 16 1 Lincoln 15 1 Merrimac 15 1 Newton 15 13 North Easton 15 2 Stow 15 1 Cohasset 13 1 Halifax 13 1 Needham 13 4 Upton 13 1 Auburn 12 2 East Longmeadow 12 2 Longmeadow 12 2 North Grafton 12 1 Reading 12 3 Rutland 12 1 South Attleboro 12 1 South Hamilton 12 1 Sterling 12 1 Blackstone 11 1 Dartmouth 11 4 Douglas 11 1 Holden 11 2 Manchaug 11 1 Montague 11 1 Newburyport 11 2 Sutton 11 1 Needham Heights 10 3 Harwich 8 1 Medfield 8 1 Pepperell 8 1 West Groton 8 1 Dennis 7 1 North Weymouth 7 4 Wayland 7 1 Swansea 6 1 Bourne 5 1 Concord 5 1 Scituate 5 1 Easton 4 1 Sandwich 4 1 Winchester 4 1 East Walpole 3 1 Newton Lower Falls 3 3 South Walpole 3 1 Barnstable 2 1 (not given) 0 560 span 0 21 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 Berkshire 1431 231 Hampden 1391 989 Plymouth 1366 590 Bristol 1148 945 Essex 1039 1143 Worcester 1025 1141 Norfolk 982 837 Suffolk 887 1753 Barnstable 854 165 Middlesex 723 1689 Franklin 701 74 Hampshire 591 109 Dukes 170 7 Nantucket 113 4 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/.