Data Table Key for Researchers

File names

You may receive files with the following file name endings:

*_control.txt is the input file MassLandlords used to generate your request. It will reference an internal database file.

*_output.txt contains summary statistics for your particular query.

*_aug.csv is an augmented csv. We gather all dockets into a csv file. We then analyze that gathered csv to produce the augmented csv.

Excel users: If your aug file contains zip codes, use the "Data Import" feature of Excel to preserve leading zeros.

m00 Contains dockets read within three weeks of filing. This dataset contains few case outcomes.

m18 Contains dockets read 18 months after filing. This dataset contains many case outcomes.

Depending on the nature of your request, the following columns may appear in your augmented csv file:

case_number: Docket number

court_division: Court division

court_person: Name of the last public servant to touch the case

court_person_type: The role of court_person, either a clerk, mediator or judge

defendant: Name of the defendant. Please note: We do not release names except under court order.

defendant_atty: Attorney(s) of the defendant.

disposition: The official court entry for case ending type

disposition_date: Either the official court entry for case ending date, or MassLandlords' read of the docket for actual case ending date

disposition_found: MassLandlords' read of the docket for actual case ending type

docket_history: Full text of the docket

duration: Length of case from filing to disposition in days

execution: Whether forced removal was requested, granted or known to be carried out

file_date: When the case was made known to the court

hasAttyD: 0 defendant did not have an attorney. 1 defendant did have an attorney.

hasAttyP: 0 plaintiff did not have an attorney. 1 plaintiff had have an attorney.

iehap: 1 Plaintiff was a legal entity (LLC, Inc. Trust, partnership etc.) and had an attorney. 0 false.

inhad: 1 Defendant was a legal entity and had an attorney. 0 false.

initiating_action: The as-written court explanation for how the case came to be filed. See "reason".

isEntityD: 1 defendant was a legal entity. 0 was not.

isEntityP: 1 plaintiff was a legal entity. 0 was not.

judgment: Dollar amount owed at time of decision.

judgment_for_pdu: Whether a judgment is known to be for the plaintiff, the defendant or unknown.

latest_docket_date: The most recent court action recorded.

plaintiff: Name of the plaintiff.

plaintiff_atty: Name of the plaintiff's attorney(s).

property_address_city: City in which the rental unit resided as parsed by MassLandlords.

property_address_full: Full as-written court record of the rental unit address.

property_address_state: State in which the rental unit resided as parsed by MassLandlords.

property_address_street: Street address for the rental unit as parsed by MassLandlords.

property_address_zip: Zip code for the rental unit as parsed by MassLandlords.

reason: The summary label for initiation action used by MassLandlords to aggregate cases and calculate statistics.