Filings Month Ending 2024 March 31

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2024-03-01 Search Period End: 2024-03-31 Earliest Case: 2024-03-01 Latest Case: 2024-03-29 Total Cases: 3307 Total Transfers: 63 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 23.5% Of those, percentage pro se: 47.1% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Florence Least stable with 10+ filings: Indian Orchard Least stable with 100+ filings: Dorchester Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 110 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 696 21.0% northeast 566 17.1% western 504 15.2% central 447 13.5% southeast 342 10.3% metro_south 315 9.5% malden district 37 1.1% bmc west roxbury 29 0.9% lawrence district 29 0.9% quincy district 27 0.8% fall river district 23 0.7% waltham district 21 0.6% brockton district 18 0.5% lowell district 15 0.5% woburn district 14 0.4% cambridge district 13 0.4% lynn district 13 0.4% attleboro district 12 0.4% chelsea district 12 0.4% haverhill district 12 0.4% pittsfield district 11 0.3% salem district 11 0.3% springfield district 11 0.3% chicopee district 10 0.3% bmc dorchester 9 0.3% framingham district 9 0.3% new bedford district 9 0.3% bmc brighton 8 0.2% northern berkshire district 8 0.2% worcester district 8 0.2% somerville district 7 0.2% wrentham district 7 0.2% barnstable district 6 0.2% dedham district 5 0.2% fallmouth district 5 0.2% newburyport district 5 0.2% bmc east boston 4 0.1% orleans district 4 0.1% concord district 3 0.1% bmc central 2 0.1% bmc south boston 2 0.1% milford district 2 0.1% palmer district 2 0.1% stoughton district 2 0.1% westfield district 2 0.1% bmc roxbury 1 0.0% edgartown district 1 0.0% gardner district court 1 0.0% hingham district 1 0.0% holyoke district 1 0.0% nantucket district 1 0.0% newton district 1 0.0% peabody district 1 0.0% plymouth district 1 0.0% taunton district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 2530 11 Natural Person 777 3296 Total 3307 3307 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 76.5% 0.3% Natural Person 23.5% 99.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 2487 43 2530 Optional 411 366 777 Total 2898 409 3307 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 75.2% 1.3% 76.5% Optional 12.4% 11.1% 23.5% Total 87.6% 12.4% 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 0 11 11 Optional 21 3275 3296 Total 21 3286 3307 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.3% 0.3% Optional 0.6% 99.0% 99.7% Total 0.6% 99.4% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 94 2.8% 1 2419 73.1% 2 645 19.5% 3 105 3.2% 4 29 0.9% 5 11 0.3% 6 2 0.1% 7 1 0.0% 8 1 0.0% Total 3307 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 2425 73.3% Cause 458 13.8% No Fault 386 11.7% Foreclosure 37 1.1% Unknown/Other 1 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 527 5 Dennis Port 158 5 Indian Orchard 148 15 Mattapan 145 53 Holyoke 142 57 Chestnut Hill 141 3 Three Rivers 136 4 Florida 132 1 Framingham 128 88 Hyannis 127 18 Chicopee 112 62 Great Barrington 112 8 Dorchester 111 103 Roslindale 110 32 Randolph 108 35 Marlborough 106 41 Pittsfield 102 46 Salem 101 42 Springfield 100 154 Fall River 96 86 Allston 95 28 Southbridge 95 16 Brockton 94 89 Haydenville 88 1 Chelsea 85 30 Norwood 83 24 Bridgewater 82 22 Wrentham 82 9 Chesterfield 81 1 Revere 81 42 Greenfield 80 14 Roxbury 80 48 Lowell 79 85 Braintree 78 28 Charlemont 78 1 Taunton 78 44 Chester 74 1 Rockland 74 13 Worcester 72 132 West Springfield 70 20 Lynn 69 63 Pocasset 69 2 Ayer 67 5 Richmond 67 1 New Bedford 66 63 Hyde Park 65 22 Kingston 63 8 Woburn 62 24 Plainville 60 5 Fitchburg 59 24 Adams 58 5 Buzzards Bay 58 2 Lawrence 58 45 North Adams 58 8 East Sandwich 57 2 Brighton 54 24 Sunderland 54 2 Dorchester Center 53 49 Quincy 53 49 Webster 53 9 Baldwinville 52 1 Vineyard Haven 52 1 Spencer 51 6 Stockbridge 51 1 Dracut 50 15 Jamaica Plain 50 19 Ware 50 5 East Boston 49 20 Hinsdale 49 1 Granby 48 3 Hanscom Afb 48 1 South Easton 48 5 Stoughton 48 13 Holbrook 46 5 Monson 46 4 West Wareham 46 1 Huntington 45 1 Gardner 44 9 Littleton 44 4 Medford 44 25 Waltham 44 27 Attleborough 43 19 Carver 43 5 North Chelmsford 43 4 Malden 42 25 Northampton 42 12 Marion 40 2 Winthrop 40 7 Maynard 39 4 Natick 39 13 Sudbury 39 7 West Roxbury 39 12 Chelmsford 38 13 Hull 38 4 South Boston 38 13 Westborough 38 7 Abington 37 6 Bedford 37 5 Bradford 37 5 North Falmouth 37 1 Peabody 37 19 West Yarmouth 37 2 Cambridge 36 38 Clinton 36 5 Haverhill 36 22 Hudson 36 7 Wellfleet 36 1 Charlestown 35 6 Milford 35 10 Berlin 34 1 East Falmouth 34 2 Medfield 33 4 North Reading 33 5 Townsend 33 3 East Wareham 32 7 Fiskdale 32 1 Westport 32 5 Everett 31 13 Leominster 31 13 Arlington 30 13 Ashland 30 5 Cheshire 30 1 Billerica 29 12 Nahant 29 1 Belmont 28 7 Lakeville 28 3 Mashpee 28 4 Northborough 28 4 Pembroke 28 5 Watertown 28 9 Beverly 27 11 Somerville 27 21 West Brookfield 27 1 Danvers 26 7 Hopkinton 26 4 West Boylston 26 2 Weymouth 26 14 Boxford 25 2 Shrewsbury 25 9 Amesbury 24 4 North Andover 24 7 Palmer 24 3 Turners Falls 24 1 Wakefield 24 6 Westfield 24 10 Canton 23 5 Foxborough 23 4 Holden 23 4 Medway 23 3 Montague 23 2 Acton 22 5 Avon 22 1 Blackstone 22 2 Forestdale 22 1 Melrose 22 6 Oak Bluffs 22 1 South Grafton 22 1 South Hadley 22 4 Boston 21 132 Mansfield 21 5 North Brookfield 21 1 Seekonk 21 3 Swampscott 21 3 Belchertown 20 3 Brewster 20 2 Tewksbury 20 6 Deerfield 19 1 Hampden 19 1 Hanson 19 2 Lenox 19 1 Marshfield 19 5 Methuen 19 9 Nantucket 19 2 Newtonville 19 1 Winchendon 19 2 Franklin 18 6 Milton 18 5 Stoneham 18 4 Athol 17 2 Feeding Hills 17 2 Gloucester 17 5 Lynnfield 17 2 Mendon 17 1 Middleborough 17 4 Plymouth 17 10 Rowley 17 1 Sharon 17 3 Tyngsborough 17 2 Dedham 16 4 Orleans 16 1 South Lee 16 1 Walpole 16 4 Groveland 15 1 Lexington 15 5 Lincoln 15 1 Norton 15 3 Saugus 15 4 Stow 15 1 Centerville 14 2 Dalton 14 1 East Bridgewater 14 2 Hanover 14 2 Ludlow 14 3 Oxford 14 2 Raynham 14 2 Sandwich 14 3 East Weymouth 13 7 Halifax 13 1 Hingham 13 3 North Attleborough 13 4 Wareham 13 3 Westford 13 3 Westminster 13 1 Bellingham 12 2 Lancaster 12 1 Longmeadow 12 2 Millis 12 1 North Dartmouth 12 3 Reading 12 3 Salisbury 12 1 Sterling 12 1 Williamstown 12 1 Concord 11 2 Douglas 11 1 Middleton 11 1 Newburyport 11 2 Somerset 11 2 Marblehead 10 2 Roxbury Crossing 10 6 Southborough 10 1 Southwick 10 1 Sturbridge 10 1 Acushnet 9 1 Falmouth 9 3 North Billerica 9 1 Brookline 8 5 Burlington 8 2 Dudley 8 1 Harwich 8 1 Pepperell 8 1 South Yarmouth 8 1 Wilmington 8 2 Agawam 7 2 Charlton 7 1 Dennis 7 1 Holliston 7 1 Millbury 7 1 North Easton 7 1 Wayland 7 1 Wilbraham 7 1 Andover 6 2 Auburn 6 1 Easthampton 6 1 Fairhaven 6 1 Needham Heights 6 2 Northbridge 6 1 Westwood 6 1 Amherst 5 2 Bourne 5 1 Scituate 5 1 South Weymouth 5 3 Onset 4 1 Winchester 4 1 Yarmouth 4 1 Needham 3 1 Wellesley Hills 3 1 Newton 2 2 Newton Highlands 1 1 (not given) 0 308 span 0 6 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 481 342 Berkshire 470 76 Plymouth 460 199 Suffolk 327 646 Bristol 300 247 Barnstable 290 56 Norfolk 289 247 Middlesex 248 580 Worcester 248 276 Essex 237 261 Hampshire 206 38 Franklin 199 21 Nantucket 56 2 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/.