Filings Quarter Ending 2022 March 31

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2022-01-01 Search Period End: 2022-03-31 Earliest Case: 2022-01-03 Latest Case: 2022-03-31 Total Cases: 6274 Total Transfers: 162 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 32.5% Of those, percentage pro se: 53.2% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: South Chatham Least stable with 10+ filings: West Yarmouth Least stable with 100+ filings: Fall River Least stable county: Plymouth Cases per day: 70 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 1217 19.4% central 1039 16.6% western 916 14.6% southeast 849 13.5% eastern 756 12.0% metro_south 569 9.1% quincy district 79 1.3% pittsfield district 71 1.1% malden district 63 1.0% lynn district 53 0.8% brockton district 46 0.7% attleboro district 42 0.7% fall river district 34 0.5% barnstable district 31 0.5% waltham district 29 0.5% northern berkshire district 27 0.4% bmc west roxbury 25 0.4% framingham district 25 0.4% haverhill district 25 0.4% somerville district 24 0.4% chelsea district 23 0.4% fallmouth district 22 0.4% woburn district 22 0.4% bmc east boston 21 0.3% lowell district 21 0.3% springfield district 19 0.3% new bedford district 17 0.3% cambridge district 16 0.3% milford district 13 0.2% newburyport district 13 0.2% chicopee district 10 0.2% orleans district 10 0.2% newton district 9 0.1% wrentham district 9 0.1% bmc central 8 0.1% concord district 8 0.1% edgartown district 8 0.1% plymouth district 8 0.1% westfield district 8 0.1% bmc brighton 7 0.1% dedham district 7 0.1% wareham district 7 0.1% salem district 5 0.1% eastern hampshire district 4 0.1% hingham district 4 0.1% palmer district 4 0.1% peabody district 4 0.1% taunton district 4 0.1% worcester district 4 0.1% ayer district 3 0.0% bmc roxbury 3 0.0% bmc south boston 3 0.0% brookline district 3 0.0% gloucester district 3 0.0% holyoke district 3 0.0% orange district 3 0.0% southern berkshire district 3 0.0% stoughton district 3 0.0% clinton district 2 0.0% lawrence district 2 0.0% nantucket district 2 0.0% northampton district 2 0.0% greenfield district 1 0.0% ipswich district 1 0.0% natick district 1 0.0% uxbridge district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 4235 33 Natural Person 2039 6241 Total 6274 6274 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 67.5% 0.5% Natural Person 32.5% 99.5% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 4086 149 4235 Optional 955 1084 2039 Total 5041 1233 6274 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 65.1% 2.4% 67.5% Optional 15.2% 17.3% 32.5% Total 80.3% 19.7% 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 4 29 33 Optional 77 6164 6241 Total 81 6193 6274 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.1% 0.5% 0.5% Optional 1.2% 98.2% 99.5% Total 1.3% 98.7% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 474 7.6% 1 4368 69.6% 2 1164 18.6% 3 179 2.9% 4 61 1.0% 5 21 0.3% 6 5 0.1% 7 2 0.0% Total 6274 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 3699 59.0% Cause 1288 20.5% No Fault 1152 18.4% Foreclosure 131 2.1% Unknown/Other 4 0.1% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count South Chatham 293 3 West Yarmouth 284 15 Vineyard Haven 264 5 East Falmouth 259 15 Fall River 241 215 Randolph 239 77 New Bedford 235 224 Hyannis 227 32 Worcester 224 407 Lenox Dale 214 1 Tolland 206 1 Southbridge 191 32 Fitchburg 183 74 Cummaquid 182 1 Framingham 180 123 Brockton 179 168 Rockland 177 31 West Warren 176 2 Gilbertville 173 2 Webster 172 29 Gardner 158 32 Pittsfield 158 71 North Adams 153 21 Athol 146 17 Norwood 146 42 Revere 146 76 Buzzards Bay 145 5 Marlborough 142 55 Quincy 138 128 Stoughton 137 37 Leominster 134 55 Fiskdale 129 4 Warwick 128 1 Chelsea 127 45 Dennis Port 126 4 Lynn 122 111 Everett 117 49 Whitman 117 17 Chilmark 115 1 Attleborough 112 49 North Falmouth 111 3 Mattapan 109 40 Sagamore 108 4 South Easton 107 11 Taunton 107 60 Baldwinville 105 2 Braintree 103 37 Middleborough 103 24 Pocasset 103 3 South Yarmouth 103 12 Three Rivers 102 3 Bridgewater 101 27 Roslindale 100 29 Clinton 95 13 Lakeville 94 10 East Taunton 93 6 Lowell 93 100 Dorchester 91 84 Marshfield 91 23 West Dennis 91 2 Winthrop 91 16 Sharon 90 16 Malden 89 53 Milford 89 25 Blackstone 88 8 Oak Bluffs 88 4 Dudley 87 10 Whitinsville 86 6 Amesbury 85 14 Mashpee 85 12 Adams 82 7 Roxbury 82 49 Haverhill 80 49 Hyde Park 80 27 Royalston 79 1 Carver 78 9 Winchendon 77 8 East Boston 76 31 Barre 74 4 Holbrook 74 8 Edgartown 73 3 South Egremont 72 1 Wellfleet 72 2 West Tisbury 72 2 Brewster 71 7 Foxborough 71 12 Westborough 71 13 Plympton 70 2 North Attleborough 69 20 Medford 67 38 Provincetown 67 2 Oxford 65 9 East Wareham 64 14 Jamaica Plain 64 24 Northborough 63 9 Auburn 61 10 Marstons Mills 61 3 South Lancaster 61 1 Ashland 60 10 Plainville 60 5 Ware 60 6 Woburn 60 23 Indian Orchard 59 6 Yarmouth Port 59 3 Warren 58 3 East Sandwich 57 2 Newtonville 57 3 Becket 56 1 North Andover 56 16 Russell 56 1 Saugus 56 15 Erving 55 1 Leicester 54 6 South Dennis 54 2 Wrentham 54 6 Bondsville 53 1 Cohasset 53 4 Oakham 52 1 Springfield 52 80 Centerville 51 7 Spencer 51 6 Beverly 50 20 Dorchester Center 50 46 Franklin 50 16 Hopedale 50 3 Rutland 50 4 Cambridge 49 52 Hinsdale 49 1 Lunenburg 49 5 North Truro 49 1 Chatham 48 3 Salem 48 20 Allston 47 14 Chestnut Hill 47 1 Kingston 47 6 Lawrence 47 36 West Wareham 46 1 Avon 45 2 Bedford 45 6 Forestdale 45 2 South Grafton 44 2 Waltham 44 27 North Chelmsford 43 4 Seekonk 43 6 Watertown 43 14 West Bridgewater 43 3 Natick 42 14 North Dartmouth 42 10 Norton 42 8 Plymouth 42 24 Tewksbury 41 12 Westminster 41 3 Weymouth 40 22 Maynard 39 4 Hadley 38 2 Hull 38 4 Abington 37 6 Lancaster 37 3 Raynham 37 5 South Barre 37 2 Burlington 36 9 Hanover 36 5 Hudson 36 7 Shrewsbury 36 13 Peabody 35 18 Berlin 34 1 Chicopee 34 19 Greenfield 34 6 Mattapoisett 33 2 Melrose 33 9 Pembroke 33 6 Somerville 33 25 Sudbury 33 6 Ashburnham 32 2 Holyoke 32 13 South Boston 32 11 West Roxbury 32 10 Berkley 31 2 Hingham 31 7 Cotuit 30 1 North Easton 30 4 Sheffield 30 1 Brookfield 29 1 Dalton 29 2 Hanson 29 3 Methuen 29 14 Nantucket 29 3 Sandwich 29 6 Swampscott 29 4 Uxbridge 29 4 East Bridgewater 28 4 Acton 27 6 Billerica 27 11 Brighton 27 12 Onset 27 6 Sunderland 27 1 Wareham 27 6 West Brookfield 27 1 North Reading 26 4 West Boylston 26 2 Feeding Hills 25 3 Mansfield 25 6 Millis 25 2 Newton Center 25 1 Northbridge 25 4 Orange 25 2 Bellingham 24 4 Dedham 24 6 East Weymouth 24 13 Turners Falls 24 1 Wakefield 24 6 West Springfield 24 7 Canton 23 5 Charlton 23 3 Dracut 23 7 Boylston 22 1 Grafton 22 4 Littleton 22 2 Scituate 22 4 Townsend 22 2 Auburndale 21 2 North Brookfield 21 1 Southwick 21 2 Sturbridge 21 2 Bolton 20 1 Chelmsford 20 7 East Freetown 20 1 Gloucester 20 6 Marion 20 1 Paxton 20 1 South Weymouth 20 11 Walpole 20 5 Acushnet 19 2 Lenox 19 1 Danvers 18 5 Ludlow 18 4 Stoneham 18 4 Charlestown 17 3 E. Boston 17 7 Holden 17 3 Lynnfield 17 2 Mendon 17 1 Rehoboth 17 2 South Dartmouth 17 6 Medfield 16 2 Orleans 16 1 Palmer 16 2 Brookline 15 9 Falmouth 15 5 Lincoln 15 1 Arlington 14 6 Dennis 14 2 Dighton 14 1 Rockport 14 1 Westfield 14 6 Wilbraham 14 2 Winchester 14 3 Ayer 13 1 Boston 13 83 Halifax 13 1 Hopkinton 13 2 Needham 13 4 Upton 13 1 Westwood 13 2 Wilmington 13 3 Andover 12 4 Belmont 12 3 East Longmeadow 12 2 Fairhaven 12 2 Reading 12 3 Salisbury 12 1 Sterling 12 1 Swansea 12 2 Westport 12 2 Williamstown 12 1 Assonet 11 1 Douglas 11 1 Middleton 11 1 Milton 11 3 Somerset 11 2 South Hadley 11 2 Bourne 10 2 Southborough 10 1 Dartmouth 8 3 Harwich 8 1 Tyngsborough 8 1 West Harwich 8 1 East Walpole 7 2 Holliston 7 1 Ipswich 7 1 Millbury 7 1 North Weymouth 7 4 Wayland 7 1 West Newton 7 1 Belchertown 6 1 Lexington 6 2 Needham Heights 6 2 Roxbury Crossing 6 4 Amherst 5 2 Marblehead 5 1 Newton Highlands 5 5 Newton 4 4 Westford 4 1 Agawam 3 1 Northampton 3 1 Wellesley Hills 3 1 (not given) 0 1707 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 958 414 Barnstable 849 164 Bristol 790 650 Worcester 773 861 Berkshire 669 108 Norfolk 572 488 Dukes 365 15 Middlesex 314 733 Suffolk 309 611 Essex 308 339 Hampden 215 153 Franklin 113 12 Nantucket 85 3 Hampshire 76 14 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. -- When Citing This Work, Please Credit: MassLandlords, Inc. Available online at https://masslandlords.net/policy/eviction-data/.