Filings Month Ending 2024 May 31

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2024-05-01 Search Period End: 2024-05-31 Earliest Case: 2024-05-01 Latest Case: 2024-05-31 Total Cases: 2979 Total Transfers: 54 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 24.9% Of those, percentage pro se: 55.5% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Woronoco Least stable with 10+ filings: Randolph Least stable with 100+ filings: Worcester Least stable county: Plymouth Cases per day: 99 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 635 21.3% northeast 515 17.3% central 467 15.7% southeast 340 11.4% western 334 11.2% metro_south 288 9.7% lynn district 36 1.2% malden district 34 1.1% quincy district 27 0.9% lawrence district 21 0.7% cambridge district 20 0.7% fall river district 20 0.7% chelsea district 17 0.6% brockton district 14 0.5% lowell district 13 0.4% northern berkshire district 13 0.4% pittsfield district 12 0.4% haverhill district 11 0.4% springfield district 11 0.4% waltham district 11 0.4% somerville district 10 0.3% bmc west roxbury 8 0.3% chicopee district 8 0.3% dedham district 8 0.3% salem district 8 0.3% fallmouth district 7 0.2% newburyport district 7 0.2% woburn district 7 0.2% bmc dorchester 6 0.2% bmc east boston 5 0.2% eastern hampshire district 5 0.2% orleans district 5 0.2% worcester district 5 0.2% ayer district 4 0.1% wrentham district 4 0.1% barnstable district 3 0.1% gloucester district 3 0.1% milford district 3 0.1% palmer district 3 0.1% stoughton district 3 0.1% taunton district 3 0.1% attleboro district 2 0.1% bmc brighton 2 0.1% concord district 2 0.1% edgartown district 2 0.1% framingham district 2 0.1% newton district 2 0.1% peabody district 2 0.1% plymouth district 2 0.1% wareham district 2 0.1% bmc central 1 0.0% fitchburg district 1 0.0% leominster district 1 0.0% natick district 1 0.0% new bedford district 1 0.0% northampton district 1 0.0% westfield district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 2236 7 Natural Person 743 2972 Total 2979 2979 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 75.1% 0.2% Natural Person 24.9% 99.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 2188 48 2236 Optional 331 412 743 Total 2519 460 2979 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 73.4% 1.6% 75.1% Optional 11.1% 13.8% 24.9% Total 84.6% 15.4% 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 7 7 Optional 23 2949 2972 Total 23 2956 2979 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.2% 0.2% Optional 0.8% 99.0% 99.8% Total 0.8% 99.2% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 109 3.7% 1 2125 71.3% 2 588 19.7% 3 112 3.8% 4 30 1.0% 5 12 0.4% 6 2 0.1% 7 1 0.0% Total 2979 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 2125 71.3% Cause 455 15.3% No Fault 370 12.4% Foreclosure 28 0.9% Unknown/Other 1 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Woronoco 1801 2 Baldwinville 158 3 Truro 149 3 Three Rivers 136 4 Randolph 127 41 Ware 121 12 Buzzards Bay 116 4 Fitchburg 116 47 Marlborough 116 45 Mattapan 115 42 Roxbury 112 67 Florence 105 1 East Falmouth 103 6 Chelsea 102 36 North Adams 102 14 New Bedford 97 93 Warren 97 5 West Boylston 91 7 Webster 89 15 Cataumet 88 1 Athol 86 10 Gilbertville 86 1 Roslindale 86 25 Dorchester 85 79 Chicopee 84 47 Fall River 84 75 Gardner 84 17 Worcester 83 152 Salem 82 34 Lynn 81 74 South Dennis 81 3 Winthrop 80 14 Indian Orchard 79 8 South Easton 78 8 Brockton 77 73 South Boston 77 26 Southbridge 77 13 Pittsfield 75 34 North Falmouth 74 2 Springfield 73 112 Bridgewater 71 19 Hyde Park 71 24 Tyngsborough 70 8 Berlin 69 2 Allston 68 20 Taunton 66 37 Holyoke 65 26 Danvers 64 17 Stoughton 63 17 Norwood 62 18 Whitman 62 9 South Lancaster 61 1 West Springfield 59 17 Braintree 58 21 Dorchester Center 57 53 Milford 57 16 Rockland 57 10 Russell 56 1 Erving 55 1 Ayer 53 4 Foxborough 53 9 Vineyard Haven 52 1 Framingham 51 35 Cambridge 50 53 Everett 50 21 Amesbury 49 8 South Deerfield 48 1 Turners Falls 48 2 Adams 47 4 Chestnut Hill 47 1 West Townsend 47 1 Holbrook 46 5 Quincy 46 43 Greenfield 45 8 Jamaica Plain 45 17 Clinton 44 6 Revere 44 23 Abington 43 7 Middleborough 43 10 Canton 41 9 Eastham 40 2 Lowell 40 43 Marion 40 2 Cohasset 39 3 East Boston 39 16 Brighton 38 17 Gloucester 38 11 Wayland 38 5 Westborough 38 7 Malden 37 22 Peabody 37 19 Raynham 37 5 Saugus 37 10 Hudson 36 7 Hyannis 35 5 North Andover 35 10 Somerville 35 27 Attleborough 34 15 Spencer 34 4 Woburn 34 13 Hopkinton 33 5 Provincetown 33 1 West Roxbury 32 10 Leominster 31 13 North Attleborough 31 9 Tewksbury 31 9 Ashland 30 5 Beverly 30 12 Cheshire 30 1 Ipswich 30 4 Sheffield 30 1 Nahant 29 1 Oxford 29 4 Westfield 29 12 East Sandwich 28 1 Essex 28 1 Lakeville 28 3 Waltham 28 17 Lawrence 27 21 Sagamore 27 1 Sunderland 27 1 East Weymouth 26 14 Haverhill 26 16 North Reading 26 4 Feeding Hills 25 3 Newton Center 25 1 North Grafton 25 2 Orange 25 2 Sterling 25 2 Bellingham 24 4 Natick 24 8 Palmer 24 3 Charlestown 23 4 Charlton 23 3 Ludlow 23 5 Methuen 23 11 North Dighton 23 1 Blackstone 22 2 Forestdale 22 1 Oak Bluffs 22 1 Mansfield 21 5 North Brookfield 21 1 Northampton 21 6 Roxbury Crossing 21 13 Seekonk 21 3 Swampscott 21 3 Belchertown 20 3 Dedham 20 5 Southborough 20 2 Acushnet 19 2 East Longmeadow 19 3 Hull 19 2 Lenox 19 1 Manchester 19 1 Northbridge 19 3 Shrewsbury 19 7 Acton 18 4 Andover 18 6 Brookline 18 11 Easthampton 18 3 Hingham 18 4 Swansea 18 3 West Yarmouth 18 1 Pepperell 17 2 Plymouth 17 10 South Hadley 17 3 Burlington 16 4 Chatham 16 1 Hopedale 16 1 Lee 16 1 Medfield 16 2 Scituate 16 3 Sudbury 16 3 Weymouth 16 9 Bedford 15 2 Kingston 15 2 Marblehead 15 3 Marshfield 15 4 Watertown 15 5 Agawam 14 4 Billerica 14 6 Boston 14 91 Centerville 14 2 Great Barrington 14 1 Hanover 14 2 Mashpee 14 2 Medford 14 8 Melrose 14 4 Northborough 14 2 Rockport 14 1 Whitinsville 14 1 Duxbury 13 2 Wareham 13 3 Westford 13 3 Belmont 12 3 Lancaster 12 1 Longmeadow 12 2 Millis 12 1 Salisbury 12 1 Templeton 12 1 Wakefield 12 3 Arlington 11 5 Douglas 11 1 Littleton 11 1 Pembroke 11 2 Sharon 11 2 Amherst 10 4 Auburndale 10 1 Brewster 10 1 Southwick 10 1 Sturbridge 10 1 East Wareham 9 2 Lunenburg 9 1 Maynard 9 1 North Billerica 9 1 Norwell 9 1 Winchendon 9 1 Wrentham 9 1 Carver 8 1 Dudley 8 1 Groton 8 1 Harwich 8 1 Norfolk 8 1 North Dartmouth 8 2 Reading 8 2 South Yarmouth 8 1 Weston 8 1 East Bridgewater 7 1 Holliston 7 1 Millbury 7 1 Uxbridge 7 1 West Newton 7 1 Auburn 6 1 Dracut 6 2 Falmouth 6 2 Franklin 6 2 Wellesley Hills 6 2 Westport 6 1 Westwood 6 1 Grafton 5 1 Holden 5 1 Newburyport 5 1 Norton 5 1 Somerset 5 1 South Weymouth 5 3 E. Boston 4 2 Newton Lower Falls 4 4 Stoneham 4 1 Walpole 4 1 Wilmington 4 1 Winchester 4 1 Needham 3 1 Needham Heights 3 1 North Weymouth 3 2 Wellesley 3 1 Chelmsford 2 1 Dartmouth 2 1 Newton 1 1 (not given) 0 302 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 Plymouth 398 172 Berkshire 353 57 Hampden 351 250 Worcester 324 361 Bristol 318 262 Suffolk 293 579 Norfolk 273 233 Essex 241 265 Barnstable 212 41 Middlesex 174 406 Hampshire 173 32 Franklin 142 15 Dukes 48 2 Nantucket 0 0 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/.