Outcomes for September 2024

Residential summary process: Outcomes Report This report examines cases filed at least one year before reading, for which outcomes were largely known. Search Period Start: 2024-09-01 Search Period End: 2024-09-30 Earliest Case: 2024-09-02 Latest Case: 2024-09-30 Total Cases: 3419 Total Transfers: 74 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 24.6% Of those, percentage pro se: 47.7% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Mount Washington Least stable with 10+ filings: Randolph Least stable with 100+ filings: New Bedford Least stable county: Berkshire Cases per day: 117 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 689 20.2% northeast 559 16.3% central 482 14.1% western 450 13.2% southeast 386 11.3% metro_south 312 9.1% lawrence district 49 1.4% malden district 47 1.4% quincy district 46 1.3% lynn district 43 1.3% cambridge district 34 1.0% fall river district 28 0.8% springfield district 22 0.6% waltham district 21 0.6% chelsea district 18 0.5% lowell district 18 0.5% haverhill district 17 0.5% brockton district 16 0.5% attleboro district 12 0.4% worcester district 11 0.3% northern berkshire district 10 0.3% bmc west roxbury 9 0.3% bmc east boston 8 0.2% somerville district 8 0.2% woburn district 8 0.2% barnstable district 7 0.2% newton district 7 0.2% plymouth district 7 0.2% salem district 7 0.2% bmc dorchester 6 0.2% peabody district 6 0.2% bmc central 5 0.1% framingham district 5 0.1% orleans district 5 0.1% stoughton district 5 0.1% westfield district 5 0.1% bmc brighton 4 0.1% holyoke district 4 0.1% pittsfield district 4 0.1% wareham district 4 0.1% bmc roxbury 3 0.1% concord district 3 0.1% dedham district 3 0.1% fallmouth district 3 0.1% gloucester district 3 0.1% newburyport district 3 0.1% palmer district 3 0.1% chicopee district 2 0.1% milford district 2 0.1% taunton district 2 0.1% ayer district 1 0.0% eastern hampshire district 1 0.0% edgartown district 1 0.0% hingham district 1 0.0% nantucket district 1 0.0% natick district 1 0.0% northampton district 1 0.0% wrentham district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 2578 8 Natural Person 841 3411 Total 3419 3419 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 75.4% 0.2% Natural Person 24.6% 99.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 2561 17 2578 Optional 440 401 841 Total 3001 418 3419 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 74.9% 0.5% 75.4% Optional 12.9% 11.7% 24.6% Total 87.8% 12.2% 100.0% Defendant Representation Note: Limited Assistance Representation should be reflected here. Tenancy preservation or other social services may not be reflected. (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 2 6 8 Optional 181 3230 3411 Total 183 3236 3419 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.1% 0.2% 0.2% Optional 5.3% 94.5% 99.8% Total 5.4% 94.6% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 111 3.2% 1 2363 69.1% 2 790 23.1% 3 111 3.2% 4 28 0.8% 5 8 0.2% 6 3 0.1% 7 1 0.0% 8 2 0.1% 9 1 0.0% 10 1 0.0% Total 3419 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 2456 71.8% Cause 496 14.5% No Fault 441 12.9% Foreclosure 26 0.8% Unknown/Other 0 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Mount Washington 598 1 Chestnut Hill 282 6 Randolph 196 63 Mattapan 164 60 North Adams 145 20 Berlin 139 4 New Bedford 135 129 Southbridge 131 22 Turners Falls 121 5 Holyoke 120 48 Springfield 120 185 Chelsea 119 42 Teaticket 117 2 Lawrence 116 89 Malden 114 68 Roxbury 109 65 Charlestown 107 18 Lynn 106 96 Florence 105 1 Framingham 105 72 Vineyard Haven 105 2 Gardner 103 21 Pittsfield 102 46 Fall River 100 89 Revere 100 52 Hinsdale 98 2 Lowell 98 105 Dorchester 97 90 Marlborough 93 36 Maynard 89 9 Haydenville 88 1 Chicopee 83 46 Hyde Park 83 28 Norwood 83 24 Worcester 82 149 South Dennis 81 3 Hyannis 78 11 Feeding Hills 77 9 Salem 77 32 Cambridge 74 78 Canton 74 16 Fitchburg 74 30 Greenfield 74 13 Haverhill 73 45 Quincy 72 67 Kingston 71 9 Webster 71 12 Adams 70 6 Athol 69 8 East Falmouth 69 4 Pocasset 69 2 Provincetown 67 2 Hardwick 66 2 Whately 66 1 West Boylston 65 5 Leominster 63 26 West Springfield 63 18 Roslindale 62 18 Braintree 61 22 Middleborough 60 14 Stoughton 59 16 Brockton 58 55 Nahant 58 2 Warren 58 3 Abington 56 9 Jamaica Plain 56 21 Russell 56 1 Everett 55 23 Sagamore 54 2 Waltham 54 33 West Brookfield 54 2 Milford 53 15 Tyngsborough 53 6 Westfield 53 22 Buckland 52 1 Clinton 51 7 Seekonk 51 7 Taunton 51 29 Methuen 50 24 North Truro 49 1 Attleborough 48 21 Bridgewater 48 13 South Deerfield 48 1 South Easton 48 5 Tewksbury 48 14 West Townsend 47 1 Hopkinton 46 7 Somerville 44 34 North Chelmsford 43 4 Swampscott 43 6 West Bridgewater 43 3 North Andover 42 12 Southwick 42 4 Spencer 42 5 Allston 41 12 East Boston 41 17 Marstons Mills 41 2 Melrose 40 11 Rockland 40 7 Wakefield 40 10 Ware 40 4 Wilmington 40 9 Winthrop 40 7 Lenox 39 2 South Hadley 39 7 Woburn 39 15 Yarmouth Port 39 2 Mansfield 38 9 Orange 38 3 Westborough 38 7 Franklin 37 12 Peabody 37 19 Templeton 37 3 Belmont 36 9 Plainville 36 3 Wellfleet 36 1 Westford 36 8 Beverly 35 14 Foxborough 35 6 Dorchester Center 34 32 Gloucester 34 10 Three Rivers 34 1 Watertown 34 11 Andover 33 11 Lee 33 2 Plymouth 33 19 Northfield 32 1 Dennis Port 31 1 East Taunton 31 2 Amesbury 30 5 Bedford 30 4 Brewster 30 3 Cheshire 30 1 Brighton 29 13 Buzzards Bay 29 1 Hull 29 3 Indian Orchard 29 3 Lunenburg 29 3 West Hatfield 29 1 Winchendon 29 3 Burlington 28 7 East Bridgewater 28 4 Essex 28 1 Great Barrington 28 2 Northampton 28 8 Northborough 28 4 Pembroke 28 5 Whitinsville 28 2 Brimfield 27 1 East Wareham 27 6 Holbrook 27 3 Marshfield 27 7 Shirley 27 2 Westminster 27 2 Whitman 27 4 Wrentham 27 3 Dudley 26 3 Hudson 26 5 Shrewsbury 25 9 Williamstown 25 2 Easthampton 24 4 Salisbury 24 2 Billerica 22 9 Danvers 22 6 Falmouth 22 7 Oak Bluffs 22 1 Raynham 22 3 Saugus 22 6 South Weymouth 22 12 Townsend 22 2 Arlington 21 9 Mashpee 21 3 North Brookfield 21 1 Roxbury Crossing 21 13 Wilbraham 21 3 Dracut 20 6 East Weymouth 20 11 Eastham 20 1 Marblehead 20 4 Marion 20 1 Southborough 20 2 Wenham 20 1 Boston 19 122 Hadley 19 1 Hanson 19 2 Nantucket 19 2 Newtonville 19 1 Fairhaven 18 3 Lakeville 18 2 Leicester 18 2 West Yarmouth 18 1 Weymouth 18 10 Carver 17 2 Chelmsford 17 6 Medford 17 10 South Yarmouth 17 2 Southampton 17 1 Granby 16 1 Hopedale 16 1 Mattapoisett 16 1 Palmer 16 2 Sudbury 16 3 West Roxbury 16 5 Amherst 15 6 Groveland 15 1 Ipswich 15 2 Lincoln 15 1 Merrimac 15 1 Millbury 15 2 Newbury 15 1 Norton 15 3 Stow 15 1 Centerville 14 2 Ludlow 14 3 Rockport 14 1 Uxbridge 14 2 Ayer 13 1 Cohasset 13 1 Halifax 13 1 Lancaster 12 1 North Grafton 12 1 Northbridge 12 2 Blackstone 11 1 Manchaug 11 1 Middleton 11 1 Monson 11 1 Agawam 10 3 Newton 10 9 North Attleborough 10 3 Sturbridge 10 1 Acton 9 2 Cherry Valley 9 1 Hingham 9 2 Lexington 9 3 Natick 9 3 North Billerica 9 1 Stoneham 9 2 Dedham 8 2 Harwich 8 1 Medfield 8 1 Rehoboth 8 1 South Boston 8 3 Walpole 8 2 Charlton 7 1 Medway 7 1 Milton 7 2 Oxford 7 1 West Newton 7 1 Ashland 6 1 Auburn 6 1 Bellingham 6 1 Duxbury 6 1 Longmeadow 6 1 Needham 6 2 North Reading 6 1 Swansea 6 1 Wellesley Hills 6 2 Westport 6 1 Westwood 6 1 Holden 5 1 Newburyport 5 1 Scituate 5 1 Somerset 5 1 Easton 4 1 North Dartmouth 4 1 Onset 4 1 Reading 4 1 Sandwich 4 1 Wareham 4 1 Winchester 4 1 Needham Heights 3 1 North Weymouth 3 2 Wellesley 3 1 Barnstable 2 1 E. Boston 2 1 Brookline 1 1 Newton Highlands 1 1 (not given) 0 49 span 0 1 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 520 84 Hampden 493 351 Plymouth 400 173 Bristol 375 309 Essex 357 393 Norfolk 344 294 Worcester 331 369 Suffolk 313 619 Barnstable 290 56 Middlesex 281 656 Franklin 237 25 Hampshire 190 35 Dukes 73 3 Nantucket 56 2 Rate per 100,000 renter households based on 2019 ACS. Counties appear even if no evictions filed. OUTCOMES Concluded cases are 'disposed'. Not all cases were disposed at time of reading. Cases are read approximately 18 months after filing. Court Record Reads This Report Reads Stipulation of Dismissal Dismissed Voluntary Dismissal Dismissed Dismissal Dismissed Agreement for Judgment Mediated Agreement Mediated Judgment by Default Defaulted Findings Heard Order Heard Disposed Heard (unrecognized) Other Dismissals: Stipulations of dismissal are not legally the same as voluntary dismissals, but both are treated here as scenarios in which either money has been paid or cause cured. Mediation: Agreements are not legally the same as agreements for judgment, but both are treated here as mediations in which a tenancy may be preserved; judgment or execution may enter thereafter, looked at separately. Tenancy preservation program is generally not visible, may influence either mediation or dismissal. Some disposed cases may have a judgment entered. Judgments may be for money only, money and possession, or possession only. Some judgments for possession may result in an execution. Dispositions Count Percentage Disposed 2987 87.4% Ongoing/Error 432 12.6% Cases not yet disposed were either ongoing at time of reading or left open due to clerical error only. Note that agreements for judgment may not all be filed properly, and that mediations may be undercounted. By outcome, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Mediated 1326 44.4% Dismissed 966 32.3% Defaulted 592 19.8% Heard 101 3.4% Other 2 0.1% Total 2987 100.0% Outcome by reason: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 88 93 179 29 0 Foreclosure 6 7 11 1 0 No Fault 97 86 227 10 1 Non-payment 775 406 909 61 1 Unknown/Other 0 0 0 0 0 Outcome by reason, as a percent of disposed cases: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 2.9% 3.1% 6.0% 1.0% 0.0% Foreclosure 0.2% 0.2% 0.4% 0.0% 0.0% No Fault 3.2% 2.9% 7.6% 0.3% 0.0% Non-payment 25.9% 13.6% 30.4% 2.0% 0.0% Unknown/Other 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Judgments The financial obligation of one party to another, net of counterclaims. Judgments recorded for the plaintiff may be lower than total eviction costs (e.g., moving and storage often not included). Judgments may not be ordered paid if the debtor receives any form of public assistance. Otherwise, judgments are enforceable any time in the 20 years after issuance. Judgments of small amounts typically reflect court filing fees rather than rent arrears. Mediated agreements for judgment are judgments; otherwise mediated agreements are not recorded. Amounts in excess of 100% of cases disposed indicate a judgment was inferred from the docket history but no dollar amount was entered and the case was not yet disposed. Count Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Judgment entered 1535 51.4% 44.9% Judgment inferred 199 6.7% 5.8% No judgment 1253 41.9% 36.6% Total 2987 100.0% 50.7% Judgments by reason, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std Dev Total Cause 187 6.3% 0 42,375 3,019 6,299 564,726 Foreclosure 11 0.4% 0 9,815 1,116 2,753 12,283 No fault 191 6.4% 0 51,125 4,527 6,557 864,720 Non-payment 1146 38.4% 0 142,822 7,468 8,802 8,559,236 Subtotal 1535 51.4% 0 142,822 6,515 8,423 10,000,967 Judgments by outcome, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std dev Total Dismissed 129 4.3% 0 74,292 5,186 7,902 669,082 Defaulted 542 18.1% 0 45,142 6,169 6,548 3,343,690 Mediated 828 27.7% 0 142,822 6,972 9,489 5,773,482 Heard 34 1.1% 0 49,192 5,841 8,480 198,613 Other 2 0.1% 0 16,097 8,048 8,048 16,097 Subtotal 1535 51.4% 0 142,822 6,515 8,423 10,000,967 By prevailing party, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed defendant 7 0.4% 0.2% 0.2% plaintiff 1678 96.8% 56.2% 49.1% unknown 49 2.8% 1.6% 1.4% Total 1734 100.0% 58.1% 50.7% Judgments All Cases: Count: 1535 Range: 0.000 - 142822.930; Mean: 6515.288; Median: 4500.000; Stddev: 8426.336 Percentiles: 90th: 14100.000; 95th: 19344.950; 99th: 38040.890 0.000 - 60.511: 1 | 60.511 - 144.525: 4 | 144.525 - 343.288: 176 ################### 343.288 - 813.525: 65 ####### 813.525 - 1926.024: 170 ################## 1926.024 - 4558.004: 314 ################################# 4558.004 - 10784.808: 500 ##################################################### 10784.808 - 25516.343: 225 ######################## 25516.343 - 60368.589: 32 ### 60368.589 - 142822.930: 6 # Judgments By Reason Cause: Count: 187 Range: 0.000 - 42375.130; Mean: 3019.928; Median: 310.540; Stddev: 6316.595 Percentiles: 90th: 8344.800; 95th: 14522.850; 99th: 33721.280 0.000 - 345.689: 85 ##################################################### 345.689 - 590.356: 12 ####### 590.356 - 1007.690: 6 #### 1007.690 - 1719.548: 7 #### 1719.548 - 2933.783: 11 ####### 2933.783 - 5004.933: 8 ##### 5004.933 - 8537.746: 20 ############ 8537.746 - 14563.754: 8 ##### 14563.754 - 24842.468: 5 ### 24842.468 - 42375.130: 4 ## Foreclosure: Count: 11 Range: 0.000 - 9815.570; Mean: 1116.665; Median: 298.000; Stddev: 2887.870 Percentiles: 90th: 366.680; 95th: 9815.570; 99th: 9815.570 0.000 - 384.029: 8 ##################################################### 384.029 - 9815.570: 1 ####### No Fault: Count: 191 Range: 0.000 - 51125.690; Mean: 4527.332; Median: 3140.870; Stddev: 6574.518 Percentiles: 90th: 10378.660; 95th: 14034.690; 99th: 49192.540 0.000 - 54.506: 1 # 54.506 - 117.497: 2 ## 117.497 - 251.974: 23 ########################### 251.974 - 539.061: 43 ################################################## 539.061 - 1151.950: 2 ## 1151.950 - 2460.376: 11 ############# 2460.376 - 5253.669: 41 ############################################### 5253.669 - 11216.932: 46 ##################################################### 11216.932 - 23947.606: 13 ############### 23947.606 - 51125.690: 2 ## Non-payment: Count: 1146 Range: 0.000 - 142822.930; Mean: 7468.793; Median: 5407.885; Stddev: 8806.484 Percentiles: 90th: 15479.610; 95th: 20144.460; 99th: 40213.380 0.000 - 179.257: 3 | 179.257 - 377.436: 26 #### 377.436 - 793.500: 38 ###### 793.500 - 1666.996: 109 ################## 1666.996 - 3500.837: 209 ################################## 3500.837 - 7350.855: 323 ##################################################### 7350.855 - 15433.691: 310 ################################################### 15433.691 - 32403.025: 100 ################ 32403.025 - 68028.921: 12 ## 68028.921 - 142822.930: 4 # Judgments By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 129 Range: 0.000 - 74292.260; Mean: 5186.687; Median: 3282.310; Stddev: 7933.183 Percentiles: 90th: 10721.280; 95th: 14997.590; 99th: 33721.280 0.000 - 436.901: 8 ############# 436.901 - 773.651: 11 ################## 773.651 - 1369.366: 15 ######################### 1369.366 - 2423.192: 19 ############################### 2423.192 - 4287.421: 20 ################################# 4287.421 - 7585.261: 32 ##################################################### 7585.261 - 13419.176: 16 ########################### 13419.176 - 23739.432: 4 ####### 23739.432 - 41996.072: 2 ### 41996.072 - 74292.260: 1 ## Defaulted: Count: 542 Range: 0.000 - 45142.260; Mean: 6169.171; Median: 4485.365; Stddev: 6554.462 Percentiles: 90th: 14059.250; 95th: 17704.830; 99th: 30455.900 0.000 - 250.048: 23 ########## 250.048 - 445.986: 77 ################################### 445.986 - 794.850: 10 ##### 794.850 - 1415.996: 26 ############ 1415.996 - 2521.935: 53 ######################## 2521.935 - 4491.038: 69 ############################### 4491.038 - 7996.989: 102 ############################################## 7996.989 - 14239.268: 117 ##################################################### 14239.268 - 25353.528: 41 ################### 25353.528 - 45142.260: 10 ##### Mediated: Count: 828 Range: 0.000 - 142822.930; Mean: 6972.805; Median: 4651.830; Stddev: 9495.140 Percentiles: 90th: 14752.100; 95th: 20810.030; 99th: 42026.920 0.000 - 60.511: 1 | 60.511 - 144.525: 3 # 144.525 - 343.288: 78 ############### 343.288 - 813.525: 32 ###### 813.525 - 1926.024: 81 ################ 1926.024 - 4558.004: 189 #################################### 4558.004 - 10784.808: 275 ##################################################### 10784.808 - 25516.343: 126 ######################## 25516.343 - 60368.589: 19 #### 60368.589 - 142822.930: 5 # Heard: Count: 34 Range: 0.000 - 49192.540; Mean: 5841.585; Median: 4478.325; Stddev: 8607.855 Percentiles: 90th: 10217.250; 95th: 13404.590; 99th: 49192.540 0.000 - 668.012: 2 ############# 668.012 - 1077.500: 1 ####### 1077.500 - 1737.626: 3 #################### 1737.626 - 4517.331: 4 ########################### 4517.331 - 7282.902: 8 ##################################################### 7282.902 - 11741.216: 6 ######################################## 11741.216 - 18928.367: 2 ############# 18928.367 - 49192.540: 1 ####### Executions A levy of execution is a forced (court ordered) move-out, what is commonly meant by "eviction". If an execution is requested but not issued, the court has denied the landlord's request. If an execution is issued but not levied, the renters have left on their own. If an execution is levied, the renters and their belongings were removed per the move-and-store laws. Possession of the housing was returned to the owner. It is not possible to know from court records whether belongings were stored in a licensed and bonded warehouse (renter has not yet obtained new housing) or delivered per the renter's instructions (renter has obtained new housing). The landlord customarily pays for the cost of moving and storage. Executions are considered levied if a return of service appears in the record. Executions for possession only must be returned to the court even if not actually served. Executions for money may be kept (not returned) for attempts to collect. Percentages of judgments in excess of 100% indicate that the judgment for one or more cases was not officially recorded when the record was examined, or was recorded ambiguously. Count Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Requested 1391 80.2% 46.6% 40.7% Issued 1073 61.9% 35.9% 31.4% Levied 251 14.5% 8.4% 7.3% Levied by reason: Count Percentage of Levied Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Cause 25 10.0% 1.4% 0.8% 0.7% Foreclosure 12 4.8% 0.7% 0.4% 0.4% No Fault 42 16.7% 2.4% 1.4% 1.2% Non-payment 172 68.5% 9.9% 5.8% 5.0% Unknown/Other 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% All Reasons 251 100.0% 14.5% 8.4% 7.3% Read as X% of cases filed are levied for nonpayment, for example. Levied by outcome: Count Percentage of Levied Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Dismissed 27 10.8% 1.6% 0.9% 0.8% Defaulted 87 34.7% 5.0% 2.9% 2.5% Mediated 135 53.8% 7.8% 4.5% 3.9% Heard 1 0.4% 0.1% 0.0% 0.0% Other 1 0.4% 0.1% 0.0% 0.0% All Outcomes 251 100.0% 14.5% 8.4% 7.3% Read as X% of cases filed are levied following default, for example. Conditional probabilities: 'Given a case is about X, what are the odds of a forced move-out?' Levies Filings Percentage Chance Foreclosure 12 26 46.2% No Fault 42 441 9.5% Non-payment 172 2456 7.0% Cause 25 496 5.0% Unknown/Other 0 0 0.0% Percentage chance is not intended to be summed across reasons. Conditional probabilities: 'Given a case ends with X, what are the odds of a forced move-out?' Levies Filings Percentage Chance Other 1 2 50.0% Defaulted 87 592 14.7% Mediated 135 1326 10.2% Dismissed 27 966 2.8% Heard 1 101 1.0% Percentage chance is not intended to be summed across outcomes. Causality cannot be inferred from this data (e.g., did mediation prevent a levy? or was mediation avoided because one party assumed a levy was inevitable?). Court Duration for Disposed Cases (days) Nothing leading up to the filing of the summary process case is considered. Nothing following the summary process case is considered. Excludes grace period, notice period, and entry delays. Excludes execution and appeal period, if any. Actual eviction duration will be at least 40 days longer than indicated for a 30 day notice to quit and 10 day appeal period. Zero may indicate either 0 or no data, see histogram below. (days) Shortest Longest Average Std Dev Cause 2 558 83 88 Non-payment 0 564 83 89 No Fault 8 557 80 81 Foreclosure 2 288 97 80 Unknown/Other 0 0 0 0 All Reasons 0 564 82 87 (days) Shortest Longest Average Std Dev Dismissed 0 561 75 92 Defaulted 13 501 69 56 Mediated 4 564 94 95 Heard 15 469 93 72 Other 0 0 0 0 All Outcomes 0 564 82 87 All Cases: Count: 2987 Range: 0.000 - 564.000; Mean: 82.969; Median: 50.000; Stddev: 87.749 Percentiles: 90th: 183.000; 95th: 267.000; 99th: 493.000 0.000 - 2.517: 9 | 2.517 - 5.183: 26 # 5.183 - 9.873: 42 ## 9.873 - 18.118: 79 ### 18.118 - 32.615: 183 ####### 32.615 - 58.107: 1467 ##################################################### 58.107 - 102.930: 543 #################### 102.930 - 181.745: 335 ############ 181.745 - 320.327: 200 ####### 320.327 - 564.000: 102 #### By Reason Cause: Count: 389 Range: 2.000 - 558.000; Mean: 83.943; Median: 50.000; Stddev: 88.083 Percentiles: 90th: 199.000; 95th: 289.000; 99th: 476.000 2.000 - 4.060: 5 ## 4.060 - 7.535: 4 ## 7.535 - 13.395: 6 ## 13.395 - 23.279: 15 ###### 23.279 - 39.951: 86 ################################# 39.951 - 68.071: 138 ##################################################### 68.071 - 115.500: 64 ######################### 115.500 - 195.496: 31 ############ 195.496 - 330.423: 25 ########## 330.423 - 558.000: 15 ###### Non-payment: Count: 2152 Range: 0.000 - 564.000; Mean: 83.064; Median: 50.000; Stddev: 89.024 Percentiles: 90th: 182.000; 95th: 267.000; 99th: 498.000 0.000 - 2.517: 7 | 2.517 - 5.183: 22 # 5.183 - 9.873: 33 ## 9.873 - 18.118: 67 ### 18.118 - 32.615: 123 ###### 32.615 - 58.107: 1061 ##################################################### 58.107 - 102.930: 374 ################### 102.930 - 181.745: 246 ############ 181.745 - 320.327: 142 ####### 320.327 - 564.000: 76 #### No Fault: Count: 421 Range: 8.000 - 557.000; Mean: 80.729; Median: 51.000; Stddev: 81.203 Percentiles: 90th: 171.000; 95th: 236.000; 99th: 487.000 8.000 - 12.598: 2 # 12.598 - 19.546: 2 # 19.546 - 30.043: 13 #### 30.043 - 45.903: 167 ##################################################### 45.903 - 69.866: 100 ################################ 69.866 - 106.072: 56 ################## 106.072 - 160.777: 35 ########### 160.777 - 243.431: 28 ######### 243.431 - 368.313: 10 ### 368.313 - 557.000: 8 ### Foreclosure: Count: 25 Range: 2.000 - 288.000; Mean: 97.280; Median: 66.000; Stddev: 80.845 Percentiles: 90th: 259.000; 95th: 270.000; 99th: 288.000 2.000 - 3.737: 1 ####### 3.737 - 45.493: 8 ##################################################### 45.493 - 72.412: 4 ########################### 72.412 - 114.916: 4 ########################### 114.916 - 182.029: 3 #################### 182.029 - 288.000: 5 ################################# By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 966 Range: 0.000 - 561.000; Mean: 75.125; Median: 42.000; Stddev: 92.109 Percentiles: 90th: 177.000; 95th: 270.000; 99th: 498.000 0.000 - 2.515: 9 # 2.515 - 5.177: 25 ### 5.177 - 9.855: 37 ##### 9.855 - 18.077: 68 ######### 18.077 - 32.526: 108 ############## 32.526 - 57.919: 403 ##################################################### 57.919 - 102.544: 132 ################# 102.544 - 180.968: 90 ############ 180.968 - 318.791: 58 ######## 318.791 - 561.000: 35 ##### Defaulted: Count: 592 Range: 13.000 - 501.000; Mean: 69.316; Median: 50.000; Stddev: 56.204 Percentiles: 90th: 126.000; 95th: 157.000; 99th: 324.000 13.000 - 19.026: 2 | 19.026 - 39.973: 132 ############################### 39.973 - 57.608: 225 ##################################################### 57.608 - 82.833: 117 ############################ 82.833 - 118.915: 45 ########### 118.915 - 170.526: 46 ########### 170.526 - 244.351: 10 ## 244.351 - 349.951: 10 ## 349.951 - 501.000: 5 # Mediated: Count: 1326 Range: 4.000 - 564.000; Mean: 94.017; Median: 56.000; Stddev: 95.450 Percentiles: 90th: 203.000; 95th: 301.000; 99th: 503.000 4.000 - 7.022: 4 | 7.022 - 11.870: 3 | 11.870 - 19.649: 9 # 19.649 - 32.128: 50 ##### 32.128 - 52.151: 561 ##################################################### 52.151 - 84.274: 298 ############################ 84.274 - 135.812: 156 ############### 135.812 - 218.499: 126 ############ 218.499 - 351.160: 67 ###### 351.160 - 564.000: 52 ##### Heard: Count: 101 Range: 15.000 - 469.000; Mean: 93.139; Median: 66.000; Stddev: 72.378 Percentiles: 90th: 188.000; 95th: 236.000; 99th: 287.000 15.000 - 21.435: 3 ###### 21.435 - 30.457: 4 ######## 30.457 - 43.108: 11 ###################### 43.108 - 60.846: 26 ##################################################### 60.846 - 85.718: 21 ########################################### 85.718 - 120.592: 13 ########################### 120.592 - 169.492: 11 ###################### 169.492 - 238.057: 7 ############## 238.057 - 334.197: 4 ######## 334.197 - 469.000: 1 ## -- 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/.