Outcomes for February 2025

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: 2025-02-01 Search Period End: 2025-02-28 Earliest Case: 2025-02-03 Latest Case: 2025-02-28 Total Cases: 2937 Total Transfers: 46 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 22.2% Of those, percentage pro se: 47.7% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Florence Least stable with 10+ filings: Florence Least stable with 100+ filings: Springfield Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 108 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 northeast 544 18.5% eastern 541 18.4% western 424 14.4% central 408 13.9% southeast 370 12.6% metro_south 247 8.4% malden district 42 1.4% quincy district 42 1.4% brockton district 28 1.0% bmc west roxbury 24 0.8% lynn district 21 0.7% lawrence district 16 0.5% cambridge district 14 0.5% chelsea district 14 0.5% fall river district 14 0.5% waltham district 14 0.5% springfield district 13 0.4% lowell district 12 0.4% northern berkshire district 12 0.4% bmc brighton 11 0.4% bmc dorchester 9 0.3% haverhill district 8 0.3% woburn district 8 0.3% dedham district 7 0.2% pittsfield district 7 0.2% plymouth district 7 0.2% somerville district 7 0.2% salem district 6 0.2% framingham district 5 0.2% peabody district 5 0.2% worcester district 5 0.2% fallmouth district 4 0.1% fitchburg district 4 0.1% new bedford district 4 0.1% wareham district 4 0.1% attleboro district 3 0.1% ayer district 3 0.1% bmc central 3 0.1% newton district 3 0.1% westfield district 3 0.1% barnstable district 2 0.1% bmc east boston 2 0.1% bmc south boston 2 0.1% concord district 2 0.1% edgartown district 2 0.1% northampton district 2 0.1% stoughton district 2 0.1% wrentham district 2 0.1% chicopee district 1 0.0% natick district 1 0.0% newburyport district 1 0.0% orleans district 1 0.0% palmer district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 2285 4 Natural Person 652 2933 Total 2937 2937 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 77.8% 0.1% Natural Person 22.2% 99.9% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 2278 7 2285 Optional 341 311 652 Total 2619 318 2937 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 77.6% 0.2% 77.8% Optional 11.6% 10.6% 22.2% Total 89.2% 10.8% 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 1 3 4 Optional 174 2759 2933 Total 175 2762 2937 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% Optional 5.9% 93.9% 99.9% Total 6.0% 94.0% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 69 2.3% 1 1980 67.4% 2 725 24.7% 3 117 4.0% 4 32 1.1% 5 11 0.4% 6 2 0.1% 7 1 0.0% Total 2937 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 2179 74.2% Cause 384 13.1% No Fault 342 11.6% Foreclosure 31 1.1% Unknown/Other 1 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 1054 10 Sunderland 244 9 Chestnut Hill 188 4 Berlin 174 5 Erving 166 3 North Adams 153 21 Holyoke 125 50 Springfield 124 190 Southbridge 107 18 New Bedford 106 101 Everett 105 44 Fall River 105 94 Vineyard Haven 105 2 Roslindale 96 28 Lowell 95 102 Dorchester 94 87 Framingham 93 64 West Wareham 92 2 Roxbury 90 54 "Salem" 89 37 Fitchburg 89 36 West Warren 88 1 Buzzards Bay 87 3 Randolph 87 28 Charlestown 83 14 Brockton 82 77 Ware 81 8 Malden 80 48 Worcester 80 146 Gardner 79 16 Charlemont 78 1 Hyannis 78 11 Dorchester Center 77 71 Millers Falls 77 1 Revere 77 40 Bradford 74 10 Lynn 74 67 Westborough 71 13 Maynard 69 7 Feeding Hills 68 8 Norwood 66 19 Chelsea 65 23 Lawrence 65 50 Greenfield 63 11 West Springfield 63 18 Rockland 62 11 Mattapan 60 22 Chicopee 57 32 Marlborough 57 22 South Hadley 57 10 Abington 56 9 Holbrook 55 6 Pittsfield 55 25 Hyde Park 53 18 Watertown 53 17 Raynham 52 7 Saugus 52 14 Allston 51 15 Middleborough 51 12 Brighton 50 22 "Hull" 48 5 Attleborough 48 21 Quincy 48 45 South Easton 48 5 Tewksbury 48 14 Adams 47 4 West Townsend 47 1 Canton 46 10 Andover 45 15 Haverhill 44 27 Oak Bluffs 44 2 Athol 43 5 Whitinsville 43 3 Milford 42 12 Spencer 42 5 Franklin 41 13 Gloucester 41 12 Webster 41 7 Burlington 40 10 Holland 40 1 Billerica 39 16 Indian Orchard 39 4 Marshfield 39 10 Manchester 38 2 Millis 38 3 Newtonville 38 2 Orange 38 3 Plymouth 38 22 Warren 38 2 Bedford 37 5 North Falmouth 37 1 Peabody 37 19 Waltham 37 23 West Yarmouth 37 2 Amesbury 36 6 East Falmouth 34 2 Taunton 34 19 Three Rivers 34 1 Woburn 34 13 Bridgewater 33 9 Lee 33 2 Littleton 33 3 Beverly 32 13 East Wareham 32 7 Fiskdale 32 1 Cambridge 31 33 Dennis Port 31 1 Dunstable 31 1 Medway 31 4 Weymouth 31 17 Dracut 30 9 Groveland 30 2 Sheffield 30 1 Dalton 29 2 Foxborough 29 5 Leominster 29 12 Nahant 29 1 Seekonk 29 4 Stoughton 29 8 West Hatfield 29 1 Westfield 29 12 Braintree 27 10 Brimfield 27 1 Shirley 27 2 South Dennis 27 1 Cohasset 26 2 Hudson 26 5 Jamaica Plain 26 10 Tyngsborough 26 3 Newton Center 25 1 Northbridge 25 4 South Yarmouth 25 3 Agawam 24 7 Natick 24 8 Plainville 24 2 Kingston 23 3 Monson 23 2 North Easton 23 3 "Lynn" 22 20 Assonet 22 2 Danvers 22 6 Millbury 22 3 West Roxbury 22 7 "Mashpee" 21 3 North Brookfield 21 1 Belchertown 20 3 Brewster 20 2 Eastham 20 1 Marion 20 1 North Reading 20 3 South Boston 20 7 Whitman 20 3 East Boston 19 8 Hadley 19 1 Hanson 19 2 Lunenburg 19 2 Somerville 19 15 Acton 18 4 Easthampton 18 3 Milton 18 5 Rochdale 18 2 Roxbury Crossing 18 11 Swansea 18 3 Wrentham 18 2 "North Andover" 17 5 Carver 17 2 Dudley 17 2 Newburyport 17 3 North Attleborough 17 5 Northampton 17 5 Pepperell 17 2 "Methuen" 16 8 Chatham 16 1 Dedham 16 4 Hopedale 16 1 Pembroke 16 3 Scituate 16 3 Shrewsbury 16 6 Amherst 15 6 Bourne 15 3 Charlton 15 2 East Taunton 15 1 Wayland 15 2 Arlington 14 6 Clinton 14 2 Dighton 14 1 Hanover 14 2 Ludlow 14 3 Medford 14 8 Melrose 14 4 Rockport 14 1 South Weymouth 14 8 Swampscott 14 2 "Duxbury" 13 2 "Quincy" 13 12 Ayer 13 1 East Weymouth 13 7 Hopkinton 13 2 Needham 13 4 Stoneham 13 3 Wareham 13 3 Westford 13 3 "Salisbury" 12 1 Auburn 12 2 Bellingham 12 2 Belmont 12 3 Boston 12 78 Fairhaven 12 2 Mansfield 12 3 North Grafton 12 1 Rutland 12 1 South Attleboro 12 1 South Hamilton 12 1 Templeton 12 1 Wakefield 12 3 Williamstown 12 1 "Cambridge" 11 12 Chelmsford 11 4 Douglas 11 1 Holden 11 2 Sutton 11 1 Auburndale 10 1 Fayville 10 1 North Chelmsford 10 1 Norton 10 2 Cherry Valley 9 1 Hingham 9 2 Brookline 8 5 Norfolk 8 1 Palmer 8 1 Reading 8 2 Wilmington 8 2 Holliston 7 1 Ipswich 7 1 Northborough 7 1 West Newton 7 1 Falmouth 6 2 Needham Heights 6 2 Westwood 6 1 Winthrop 5 1 E. Boston 4 2 North Dartmouth 4 1 Onset 4 1 Sandwich 4 1 Lexington 3 1 Newton 3 3 Wellesley 3 1 Wellesley Hills 3 1 "South Dartmouth" 2 1 Newton Highlands 2 2 Newton Lower Falls 1 1 North Weymouth 1 1 (not given) 0 31 span 0 2 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 Hampden 464 330 Plymouth 442 191 Berkshire 347 56 Bristol 335 276 Essex 293 323 Worcester 286 319 Norfolk 272 232 Franklin 265 28 Suffolk 262 518 Hampshire 255 47 Middlesex 232 543 Barnstable 191 37 Dukes 97 4 Nantucket 0 0 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 2632 89.6% Ongoing/Error 305 10.4% 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 1180 44.8% Dismissed 878 33.4% Defaulted 495 18.8% Heard 77 2.9% Other 2 0.1% Total 2632 100.0% Outcome by reason: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 75 69 179 13 1 Foreclosure 7 6 12 4 0 No Fault 54 63 183 15 0 Non-payment 741 357 806 45 1 Unknown/Other 1 0 0 0 0 Outcome by reason, as a percent of disposed cases: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 2.8% 2.6% 6.8% 0.5% 0.0% Foreclosure 0.3% 0.2% 0.5% 0.2% 0.0% No Fault 2.1% 2.4% 7.0% 0.6% 0.0% Non-payment 28.2% 13.6% 30.6% 1.7% 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 1319 50.1% 44.9% Judgment inferred 174 6.6% 5.9% No judgment 1139 43.3% 38.8% Total 2632 100.0% 50.8% Judgments by reason, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std Dev Total Cause 172 6.5% 0 46,452 3,158 5,897 543,320 Foreclosure 14 0.5% 0 383 190 130 2,661 No fault 157 6.0% 0 103,712 5,509 9,750 864,986 Non-payment 976 37.1% 0 59,032 7,327 6,643 7,151,200 Subtotal 1319 50.1% 0 103,712 6,491 7,142 8,562,168 Judgments by outcome, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std dev Total Dismissed 83 3.2% 0 18,395 4,102 3,868 340,530 Defaulted 454 17.2% 0 59,032 7,097 7,424 3,222,342 Mediated 750 28.5% 0 103,712 6,342 7,226 4,756,853 Heard 31 1.2% 0 22,846 7,471 6,094 231,619 Other 1 0.0% 10,822 10,822 10,822 0 10,822 Subtotal 1319 50.1% 0 103,712 6,491 7,142 8,562,168 By prevailing party, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed defendant 5 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% plaintiff 1464 98.1% 55.6% 49.8% unknown 24 1.6% 0.9% 0.8% Total 1493 100.0% 56.7% 50.8% Judgments All Cases: Count: 1319 Range: 0.000 - 103712.230; Mean: 6491.409; Median: 4699.520; Stddev: 7145.022 Percentiles: 90th: 14161.510; 95th: 17774.740; 99th: 31292.590 0.000 - 182.813: 6 # 182.813 - 370.616: 150 ####################### 370.616 - 750.297: 30 ##### 750.297 - 1517.900: 80 ############ 1517.900 - 3069.766: 184 ############################ 3069.766 - 6207.180: 302 ############################################## 6207.180 - 12550.099: 348 ##################################################### 12550.099 - 25373.600: 158 ######################## 25373.600 - 51298.920: 21 ### 51298.920 - 103712.230: 3 | Judgments By Reason Cause: Count: 172 Range: 0.000 - 46452.800; Mean: 3158.840; Median: 312.710; Stddev: 5914.536 Percentiles: 90th: 10207.340; 95th: 14405.150; 99th: 26924.620 0.000 - 285.861: 50 ##################################################### 285.861 - 503.841: 37 ####################################### 503.841 - 887.460: 4 #### 887.460 - 1562.583: 9 ########## 1562.583 - 2750.721: 9 ########## 2750.721 - 4841.702: 10 ########### 4841.702 - 8521.581: 15 ################ 8521.581 - 14997.731: 15 ################ 14997.731 - 26394.986: 6 ###### 26394.986 - 46452.800: 2 ## Foreclosure: Count: 14 Range: 0.000 - 383.390; Mean: 190.108; Median: 231.895; Stddev: 135.829 Percentiles: 90th: 346.540; 95th: 383.390; 99th: 383.390 0.000 - 176.846: 1 ############# 176.846 - 228.943: 1 ############# 228.943 - 249.503: 4 ##################################################### 249.503 - 296.301: 1 ############# 296.301 - 322.883: 1 ############# 322.883 - 351.842: 1 ############# 351.842 - 383.390: 1 ############# No Fault: Count: 157 Range: 0.000 - 103712.230; Mean: 5509.469; Median: 3689.950; Stddev: 9781.702 Percentiles: 90th: 10462.600; 95th: 12677.840; 99th: 44689.720 0.000 - 289.177: 27 ##################################### 289.177 - 556.633: 8 ########### 556.633 - 1070.603: 2 ### 1070.603 - 2058.301: 12 ################ 2058.301 - 3956.360: 20 ########################### 3956.360 - 7603.861: 39 ##################################################### 7603.861 - 14613.266: 30 ######################################### 14613.266 - 28083.243: 3 #### 28083.243 - 53968.505: 2 ### 53968.505 - 103712.230: 1 # Non-payment: Count: 976 Range: 0.000 - 59032.540; Mean: 7327.049; Median: 5481.725; Stddev: 6647.009 Percentiles: 90th: 14983.880; 95th: 18395.990; 99th: 31292.590 0.000 - 172.741: 2 | 172.741 - 331.007: 23 ##### 331.007 - 633.441: 20 #### 633.441 - 1211.370: 45 ######### 1211.370 - 2315.750: 105 ##################### 2315.750 - 4426.138: 198 ####################################### 4426.138 - 8458.935: 266 ##################################################### 8458.935 - 16165.312: 234 ############################################### 16165.312 - 30891.630: 68 ############## 30891.630 - 59032.540: 10 ## Judgments By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 83 Range: 0.000 - 18395.990; Mean: 4102.783; Median: 2996.540; Stddev: 3891.820 Percentiles: 90th: 10328.280; 95th: 10920.220; 99th: 18395.990 0.000 - 352.685: 6 ######################## 352.685 - 547.652: 5 #################### 547.652 - 850.096: 2 ######## 850.096 - 1319.260: 11 ############################################# 1319.260 - 2047.051: 8 ################################# 2047.051 - 3176.035: 12 ################################################# 3176.035 - 4927.369: 13 ##################################################### 4927.369 - 7644.121: 10 ######################################### 7644.121 - 11858.478: 12 ################################################# 11858.478 - 18395.990: 3 ############ Defaulted: Count: 454 Range: 0.000 - 59032.540; Mean: 7097.671; Median: 5164.375; Stddev: 7432.379 Percentiles: 90th: 15556.270; 95th: 20323.480; 99th: 32046.430 0.000 - 172.741: 2 # 172.741 - 331.007: 54 ########################### 331.007 - 633.441: 14 ####### 633.441 - 1211.370: 12 ###### 1211.370 - 2315.750: 38 ################### 2315.750 - 4426.138: 79 ####################################### 4426.138 - 8458.935: 108 ##################################################### 8458.935 - 16165.312: 101 ################################################## 16165.312 - 30891.630: 34 ################# 30891.630 - 59032.540: 6 ### Mediated: Count: 750 Range: 0.000 - 103712.230; Mean: 6342.471; Median: 4595.285; Stddev: 7230.965 Percentiles: 90th: 13970.620; 95th: 17350.000; 99th: 31713.870 0.000 - 281.035: 54 ################ 281.035 - 542.704: 32 ########## 542.704 - 1047.145: 28 ######## 1047.145 - 2019.600: 62 ################## 2019.600 - 3894.285: 128 ###################################### 3894.285 - 7508.279: 178 ##################################################### 7508.279 - 14475.288: 175 #################################################### 14475.288 - 27906.195: 55 ################ 27906.195 - 53798.121: 10 ### 53798.121 - 103712.230: 1 | Heard: Count: 31 Range: 0.000 - 22846.890; Mean: 7471.603; Median: 7500.000; Stddev: 6195.089 Percentiles: 90th: 15554.150; 95th: 17755.000; 99th: 22846.890 0.000 - 299.655: 4 ############################## 299.655 - 485.456: 1 ######## 485.456 - 5393.113: 5 ###################################### 5393.113 - 8726.611: 6 ############################################# 8726.611 - 14120.172: 7 ##################################################### 14120.172 - 22846.890: 5 ###################################### 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 1163 77.9% 44.2% 39.6% Issued 885 59.3% 33.6% 30.1% Levied 215 14.4% 8.2% 7.3% Levied by reason: Count Percentage of Levied Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Cause 29 13.5% 1.9% 1.1% 1.0% Foreclosure 8 3.7% 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% No Fault 32 14.9% 2.1% 1.2% 1.1% Non-payment 146 67.9% 9.8% 5.5% 5.0% Unknown/Other 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% All Reasons 215 100.0% 14.4% 8.2% 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 18 8.4% 1.2% 0.7% 0.6% Defaulted 87 40.5% 5.8% 3.3% 3.0% Mediated 107 49.8% 7.2% 4.1% 3.6% Heard 3 1.4% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% Other 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% All Outcomes 215 100.0% 14.4% 8.2% 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 8 31 25.8% No Fault 32 342 9.4% Cause 29 384 7.6% Non-payment 146 2179 6.7% Unknown/Other 0 1 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 Defaulted 87 495 17.6% Mediated 107 1180 9.1% Heard 3 77 3.9% Dismissed 18 878 2.1% Other 0 2 0.0% 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 2 584 84 91 Non-payment 1 607 72 82 No Fault 8 639 82 83 Foreclosure 18 595 129 145 Unknown/Other 0 0 0 0 All Reasons 1 639 75 85 (days) Shortest Longest Average Std Dev Dismissed 1 548 62 78 Defaulted 14 440 62 50 Mediated 4 639 89 95 Heard 11 595 109 116 Other 0 0 0 0 All Outcomes 1 639 75 85 All Cases: Count: 2632 Range: 1.000 - 639.000; Mean: 75.603; Median: 49.000; Stddev: 85.002 Percentiles: 90th: 150.000; 95th: 250.000; 99th: 462.000 1.000 - 2.561: 10 | 2.561 - 5.340: 24 # 5.340 - 10.287: 37 ## 10.287 - 19.095: 82 ### 19.095 - 34.777: 330 ############# 34.777 - 62.697: 1301 ##################################################### 62.697 - 112.406: 468 ################### 112.406 - 200.906: 207 ######## 200.906 - 358.472: 97 #### 358.472 - 639.000: 76 ### By Reason Cause: Count: 337 Range: 2.000 - 584.000; Mean: 84.496; Median: 51.000; Stddev: 91.209 Percentiles: 90th: 194.000; 95th: 311.000; 99th: 468.000 2.000 - 4.083: 3 # 4.083 - 13.593: 8 #### 13.593 - 23.725: 6 ### 23.725 - 40.893: 98 ############################################ 40.893 - 69.981: 117 ##################################################### 69.981 - 119.267: 47 ##################### 119.267 - 202.774: 28 ############# 202.774 - 344.265: 19 ######### 344.265 - 584.000: 11 ##### Non-payment: Count: 1950 Range: 1.000 - 607.000; Mean: 72.249; Median: 47.000; Stddev: 82.599 Percentiles: 90th: 134.000; 95th: 232.000; 99th: 461.000 1.000 - 2.543: 8 | 2.543 - 5.275: 23 # 5.275 - 10.115: 28 # 10.115 - 18.687: 70 #### 18.687 - 33.871: 210 ########### 33.871 - 60.767: 1006 ##################################################### 60.767 - 108.406: 347 ################## 108.406 - 192.789: 136 ####### 192.789 - 342.254: 58 ### 342.254 - 607.000: 64 ### No Fault: Count: 315 Range: 8.000 - 639.000; Mean: 82.127; Median: 53.000; Stddev: 83.215 Percentiles: 90th: 175.000; 95th: 230.000; 99th: 449.000 8.000 - 12.786: 1 | 12.786 - 20.117: 2 # 20.117 - 31.346: 19 ######### 31.346 - 48.547: 118 ##################################################### 48.547 - 74.895: 83 ##################################### 74.895 - 115.253: 32 ############## 115.253 - 177.073: 32 ############## 177.073 - 271.767: 16 ####### 271.767 - 416.817: 7 ### 416.817 - 639.000: 5 ## Foreclosure: Count: 29 Range: 18.000 - 595.000; Mean: 129.276; Median: 78.000; Stddev: 145.517 Percentiles: 90th: 459.000; 95th: 462.000; 99th: 595.000 18.000 - 25.817: 1 ######## 25.817 - 36.849: 4 ############################## 36.849 - 52.420: 7 ##################################################### 52.420 - 74.396: 2 ############### 74.396 - 105.414: 5 ###################################### 105.414 - 149.193: 4 ############################## 149.193 - 210.982: 1 ######## 210.982 - 298.190: 2 ############### 298.190 - 595.000: 3 ####################### By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 878 Range: 1.000 - 548.000; Mean: 62.097; Median: 42.000; Stddev: 78.731 Percentiles: 90th: 118.000; 95th: 193.000; 99th: 449.000 1.000 - 2.507: 10 # 2.507 - 5.148: 22 ### 5.148 - 9.779: 23 ### 9.779 - 17.899: 76 ########### 17.899 - 32.136: 143 #################### 32.136 - 57.097: 372 ##################################################### 57.097 - 100.861: 121 ################# 100.861 - 177.593: 62 ######### 177.593 - 312.125: 21 ### 312.125 - 548.000: 28 #### Defaulted: Count: 495 Range: 14.000 - 440.000; Mean: 62.370; Median: 50.000; Stddev: 50.060 Percentiles: 90th: 98.000; 95th: 136.000; 99th: 350.000 14.000 - 20.034: 1 | 20.034 - 28.496: 5 # 28.496 - 40.361: 146 ######################################### 40.361 - 57.000: 191 ##################################################### 57.000 - 80.333: 81 ###################### 80.333 - 113.051: 35 ########## 113.051 - 158.932: 18 ##### 158.932 - 223.269: 7 ## 223.269 - 313.488: 4 # 313.488 - 440.000: 7 ## Mediated: Count: 1180 Range: 4.000 - 639.000; Mean: 89.011; Median: 53.000; Stddev: 95.505 Percentiles: 90th: 192.000; 95th: 311.000; 99th: 512.000 4.000 - 7.123: 2 | 7.123 - 12.195: 1 | 12.195 - 20.435: 5 # 20.435 - 33.822: 92 ######### 33.822 - 55.569: 514 ##################################################### 55.569 - 90.896: 287 ############################## 90.896 - 148.285: 114 ############ 148.285 - 241.515: 79 ######## 241.515 - 392.966: 48 ##### 392.966 - 639.000: 38 #### Heard: Count: 77 Range: 11.000 - 595.000; Mean: 109.857; Median: 62.000; Stddev: 116.490 Percentiles: 90th: 253.000; 95th: 400.000; 99th: 595.000 11.000 - 16.733: 2 ####### 16.733 - 25.206: 2 ####### 25.206 - 37.726: 15 ################################################## 37.726 - 56.228: 13 ########################################### 56.228 - 83.569: 16 ##################################################### 83.569 - 123.974: 9 ############################## 123.974 - 183.683: 9 ############################## 183.683 - 271.919: 4 ############# 271.919 - 402.311: 4 ############# 402.311 - 595.000: 3 ########## -- 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/.