Filings Month Ending 2024 October 31

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2024-10-01 Search Period End: 2024-10-31 Earliest Case: 2024-10-01 Latest Case: 2024-10-31 Total Cases: 3401 Total Transfers: 72 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 23.8% Of those, percentage pro se: 49.9% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Florence Least stable with 10+ filings: Fall River Least stable with 100+ filings: Fall River Least stable county: Plymouth Cases per day: 113 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 597 17.6% northeast 554 16.3% western 532 15.6% central 497 14.6% southeast 395 11.6% metro_south 325 9.6% quincy district 50 1.5% malden district 41 1.2% chelsea district 33 1.0% lynn district 32 0.9% fall river district 29 0.9% brockton district 27 0.8% lawrence district 25 0.7% pittsfield district 21 0.6% bmc west roxbury 18 0.5% somerville district 18 0.5% woburn district 18 0.5% lowell district 17 0.5% haverhill district 16 0.5% springfield district 16 0.5% cambridge district 11 0.3% attleboro district 10 0.3% waltham district 10 0.3% dedham district 8 0.2% plymouth district 8 0.2% bmc dorchester 7 0.2% barnstable district 6 0.2% bmc central 6 0.2% worcester district 6 0.2% bmc east boston 5 0.1% framingham district 5 0.1% northern berkshire district 5 0.1% holyoke district 4 0.1% edgartown district 3 0.1% fallmouth district 3 0.1% palmer district 3 0.1% salem district 3 0.1% ayer district 2 0.1% bmc roxbury 2 0.1% chicopee district 2 0.1% concord district 2 0.1% fitchburg district 2 0.1% nantucket district 2 0.1% new bedford district 2 0.1% newburyport district 2 0.1% newton district 2 0.1% peabody district 2 0.1% wareham district 2 0.1% bmc brighton 1 0.0% bmc south boston 1 0.0% brookline district 1 0.0% clinton district 1 0.0% ipswich district 1 0.0% milford district 1 0.0% natick district 1 0.0% orange district 1 0.0% orleans district 1 0.0% southern berkshire district 1 0.0% stoughton district 1 0.0% taunton district 1 0.0% uxbridge district 1 0.0% westfield district 1 0.0% winchedon district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 2590 4 Natural Person 811 3397 Total 3401 3401 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 76.2% 0.1% Natural Person 23.8% 99.9% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 2551 39 2590 Optional 406 405 811 Total 2957 444 3401 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 75.0% 1.1% 76.2% Optional 11.9% 11.9% 23.8% Total 86.9% 13.1% 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 4 4 Optional 18 3379 3397 Total 18 3383 3401 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% Optional 0.5% 99.4% 99.9% Total 0.5% 99.5% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 109 3.2% 1 2415 71.0% 2 700 20.6% 3 129 3.8% 4 38 1.1% 5 5 0.1% 6 3 0.1% 7 1 0.0% 10 1 0.0% Total 3401 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 2395 70.4% Cause 535 15.7% No Fault 447 13.1% Foreclosure 20 0.6% Unknown/Other 4 0.1% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 843 8 Chestnut Hill 423 9 Buzzards Bay 174 6 Ashfield 172 3 Vineyard Haven 158 3 Fall River 137 122 Southbridge 137 23 Brockton 136 128 Housatonic 132 1 North Brookfield 128 6 Springfield 126 193 Chelsea 125 44 Randolph 124 40 Lowell 117 125 Fitchburg 116 47 Revere 115 60 Worcester 114 207 Holyoke 110 44 Leeds 98 1 New Bedford 96 92 Pittsfield 96 43 Roxbury 95 57 Marlborough 93 36 Roslindale 93 27 Malden 90 54 Dorchester 89 82 West Warren 88 1 Mattapan 87 32 Gilbertville 86 1 Lawrence 86 66 Lynn 85 77 Gardner 84 17 Chicopee 83 46 Eastham 80 4 Everett 79 33 Charlestown 77 13 West Springfield 77 22 Norwood 76 22 Braintree 75 27 Brighton 75 33 Chester 74 1 Wellfleet 72 2 Middleborough 69 16 Haverhill 68 42 Salem 67 28 Holbrook 64 7 Granville 63 1 Kingston 63 8 Otis 62 1 Cheshire 61 2 South Lancaster 61 1 Taunton 59 33 Winchendon 58 6 Harwich Port 57 1 Palmer 57 7 Whitinsville 57 4 Woburn 57 22 Hyannis 56 8 Erving 55 1 Framingham 55 38 Hyde Park 53 18 Baldwinville 52 1 Athol 51 6 Orange 51 4 Rockland 51 9 Northbridge 50 8 Quincy 50 47 Indian Orchard 49 5 Lunenburg 49 5 Bridgewater 48 13 Gloucester 48 14 Plainville 48 4 Stoughton 48 13 Turners Falls 48 2 Webster 47 8 Sharon 45 8 West Dennis 45 1 Blackstone 44 4 Tyngsborough 44 5 North Adams 43 6 Rehoboth 43 5 Westborough 43 8 Canton 41 9 East Wareham 41 9 Wareham 41 9 Hopkinton 40 6 Marion 40 2 Ware 40 4 Andover 39 13 Cohasset 39 3 Maynard 39 4 Hadley 38 2 Bedford 37 5 Fairhaven 37 6 Lakeville 37 4 Medford 37 21 Peabody 37 19 Raynham 37 5 Saugus 37 10 Dedham 36 9 Dorchester Center 36 34 Oxford 36 5 Salisbury 36 3 Seekonk 36 5 West Tisbury 36 1 Methuen 35 17 Berlin 34 1 East Falmouth 34 2 Leominster 34 14 South Yarmouth 34 4 Three Rivers 34 1 Whitman 34 5 Winthrop 34 6 Littleton 33 3 Provincetown 33 1 Attleborough 32 14 Burlington 32 8 Fiskdale 32 1 Marshfield 31 8 Millville 31 1 North Andover 31 9 Norton 31 6 Ipswich 30 4 Stow 30 2 Foxborough 29 5 Jamaica Plain 29 11 Melrose 29 8 Princeton 29 1 South Easton 29 3 Cambridge 28 30 East Sandwich 28 1 Great Barrington 28 2 Greenfield 28 5 Jefferson 28 1 Plymouth 28 16 Brimfield 27 1 Dracut 27 8 North Attleborough 27 8 Shirley 27 2 South Dennis 27 1 Ayer 26 2 Wellesley Hills 26 8 West Roxbury 26 8 Abington 25 4 Newton Center 25 1 Rutland 25 2 Sterling 25 2 Watertown 25 8 East Weymouth 24 13 Edgartown 24 1 Wakefield 24 6 Allston 23 7 Roxbury Crossing 23 14 South Boston 23 8 Waltham 23 14 Avon 22 1 Boylston 22 1 Bradford 22 3 Clinton 22 3 Millbury 22 3 Somerville 22 17 Weymouth 22 12 Mansfield 21 5 Mashpee 21 3 Milford 21 6 Natick 21 7 Southwick 21 2 Swampscott 21 3 Belmont 20 5 Brewster 20 2 Hudson 20 4 Marstons Mills 20 1 Tewksbury 20 6 Wenham 20 1 Deerfield 19 1 East Boston 19 8 Hanson 19 2 Lexington 19 6 Newtonville 19 1 Acton 18 4 Ashland 18 3 Boston 18 112 Danvers 18 5 Ludlow 18 4 North Billerica 18 2 Stoneham 18 4 West Yarmouth 18 1 Westford 18 4 Beverly 17 7 Carver 17 2 Chelmsford 17 6 Needham 17 5 South Hadley 17 3 Spencer 17 2 Westfield 17 7 Granby 16 1 Mattapoisett 16 1 Medfield 16 2 Shrewsbury 16 6 Walpole 16 4 Berkley 15 1 East Taunton 15 1 Medway 15 2 Merrimac 15 1 Arlington 14 6 Northborough 14 2 Sandwich 14 3 Winchester 14 3 Halifax 13 1 North Reading 13 2 West Boylston 13 1 Wilmington 13 3 Amesbury 12 2 Billerica 12 5 East Longmeadow 12 2 East Templeton 12 1 Longmeadow 12 2 Millis 12 1 South Hamilton 12 1 Westport 12 2 Williamstown 12 1 Adams 11 1 Douglas 11 1 Freetown 11 1 Holden 11 2 Middleton 11 1 Milton 11 3 Monson 11 1 Marblehead 10 2 North Chelmsford 10 1 Northampton 10 3 Acushnet 9 1 E. Boston 9 4 Franklin 9 3 Hingham 9 2 Hull 9 1 Rochdale 9 1 South Weymouth 9 5 Groton 8 1 Harwich 8 1 Norfolk 8 1 North Dartmouth 8 2 Pepperell 8 1 Reading 8 2 Agawam 7 2 Centerville 7 1 Charlton 7 1 Hanover 7 1 North Easton 7 1 Uxbridge 7 1 West Newton 7 1 Wilbraham 7 1 Auburn 6 1 Belchertown 6 1 Brookline 6 4 Needham Heights 6 2 Amherst 5 2 Bourne 5 1 Concord 5 1 Grafton 5 1 Pembroke 5 1 Scituate 5 1 Somerset 5 1 Onset 4 1 East Walpole 3 1 Newton 3 3 North Weymouth 1 1 (not given) 0 224 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 565 244 Hampden 481 342 Bristol 381 314 Worcester 372 414 Berkshire 353 57 Norfolk 317 271 Essex 298 328 Suffolk 292 578 Middlesex 231 539 Barnstable 227 44 Franklin 151 16 Hampshire 135 25 Dukes 121 5 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/.