Filings Quarter Ending 2022 June 30

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2022-04-01 Search Period End: 2022-06-30 Earliest Case: 2022-04-01 Latest Case: 2022-06-30 Total Cases: 7219 Total Transfers: 196 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 33.4% Of those, percentage pro se: 54.4% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Mount Washington Least stable with 10+ filings: Fall River Least stable with 100+ filings: Fall River Least stable county: Plymouth Cases per day: 80 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 1254 17.4% central 1115 15.4% eastern 1092 15.1% western 994 13.8% southeast 963 13.3% metro_south 702 9.7% quincy district 102 1.4% lynn district 77 1.1% pittsfield district 74 1.0% malden district 64 0.9% brockton district 51 0.7% fall river district 51 0.7% chelsea district 36 0.5% waltham district 36 0.5% somerville district 35 0.5% haverhill district 32 0.4% attleboro district 30 0.4% peabody district 28 0.4% northern berkshire district 26 0.4% bmc east boston 25 0.3% wrentham district 25 0.3% lowell district 24 0.3% newburyport district 24 0.3% framingham district 22 0.3% woburn district 22 0.3% bmc west roxbury 19 0.3% fallmouth district 19 0.3% barnstable district 16 0.2% new bedford district 16 0.2% salem district 16 0.2% bmc brighton 15 0.2% cambridge district 14 0.2% orleans district 14 0.2% dedham district 13 0.2% lawrence district 12 0.2% stoughton district 12 0.2% milford district 11 0.2% newton district 11 0.2% springfield district 10 0.1% westfield district 9 0.1% brookline district 8 0.1% edgartown district 8 0.1% nantucket district 8 0.1% palmer district 8 0.1% southern berkshire district 8 0.1% wareham district 7 0.1% ayer district 6 0.1% clinton district 6 0.1% concord district 5 0.1% gloucester district 5 0.1% plymouth district 5 0.1% bmc central 4 0.1% bmc roxbury 4 0.1% chicopee district 3 0.0% eastern hampshire district 3 0.0% greenfield district 3 0.0% holyoke district 3 0.0% orange district 3 0.0% bmc charlestown 2 0.0% hingham district 2 0.0% northampton district 2 0.0% uxbridge district 2 0.0% worcester district 2 0.0% bmc south boston 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 4811 88 Natural Person 2408 7131 Total 7219 7219 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 66.6% 1.2% Natural Person 33.4% 98.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 4658 153 4811 Optional 1099 1309 2408 Total 5757 1462 7219 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 64.5% 2.1% 66.6% Optional 15.2% 18.1% 33.4% Total 79.7% 20.3% 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 88 88 Optional 99 7032 7131 Total 99 7120 7219 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 1.2% 1.2% Optional 1.4% 97.4% 98.8% Total 1.4% 98.6% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 555 7.7% 1 5182 71.8% 2 1215 16.8% 3 184 2.5% 4 55 0.8% 5 19 0.3% 6 4 0.1% 7 2 0.0% 8 2 0.0% 9 1 0.0% Total 7219 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 3871 53.6% Cause 1795 24.9% No Fault 1449 20.1% Foreclosure 103 1.4% Unknown/Other 1 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Mount Washington 598 1 Fall River 307 273 Norwood 269 77 New Bedford 266 253 East Falmouth 259 15 Southbridge 233 39 Worcester 231 419 West Wareham 230 5 West Dennis 229 5 Pittsfield 210 94 Marlborough 207 80 Brockton 205 193 Rockland 205 36 Plainville 193 16 Gardner 192 39 Hyannis 191 27 Athol 189 22 Cummaquid 182 1 North Adams 182 25 Framingham 178 122 Webster 178 30 Fitchburg 173 70 Randolph 168 54 Stoughton 166 45 Wrentham 164 18 Fiskdale 161 5 Nantucket 157 16 Quincy 151 140 Bridgewater 150 40 North Falmouth 148 4 Chelsea 147 52 Middleborough 147 34 North Chatham 142 1 Chestnut Hill 141 3 Berlin 139 4 South Dennis 135 5 Whitinsville 129 9 Braintree 125 45 Taunton 125 70 Foxborough 124 21 Mattapan 123 45 South Lancaster 122 2 Leominster 117 48 East Dennis 116 3 Warren 116 6 Chilmark 115 1 Revere 115 60 West Yarmouth 113 6 Becket 112 2 Clinton 110 15 Roslindale 107 31 Hull 106 11 Baldwinville 105 2 South Yarmouth 103 12 Bolton 102 5 Three Rivers 102 3 Millis 101 8 Attleborough 100 44 Eastham 100 5 Dorchester 98 91 Hinsdale 98 2 Whitman 96 14 Dennis Port 94 3 Holbrook 92 10 Lynn 90 82 Dedham 88 22 Buzzards Bay 87 3 Chicopee 86 48 Everett 86 36 Gilbertville 86 1 Hyde Park 86 29 Spencer 85 10 Northborough 84 12 Adams 82 7 Millbury 82 11 Marion 81 4 West Brookfield 81 3 Cohasset 79 6 Sharon 79 14 East Taunton 78 5 Milford 78 22 West Chatham 78 1 Springfield 77 119 Winchendon 77 8 Chester 74 1 Winthrop 74 13 Amesbury 73 12 Edgartown 73 3 Norton 73 14 South Egremont 72 1 Plympton 70 2 Charlton 69 9 East Boston 69 28 Pocasset 69 2 Abington 68 11 Chatham 65 4 Westborough 65 12 North Brookfield 64 3 Plymouth 63 36 Holyoke 62 25 Sheffield 61 2 Medford 60 34 East Wareham 59 13 Indian Orchard 59 6 Phillipston 59 1 Brookfield 58 2 Shrewsbury 58 21 Harwich Port 57 1 Hudson 57 11 Newtonville 57 3 Great Barrington 56 4 Canton 55 12 North Attleborough 55 16 Wales 54 1 Sturbridge 53 5 Carver 52 6 Dudley 52 6 Malden 52 31 West Boylston 52 4 Feeding Hills 51 6 Marshfield 51 13 Milton 51 14 Newton Center 51 2 Stockbridge 51 1 Westport 51 8 Williamstown 51 4 Brewster 50 5 Dorchester Center 50 46 Fairhaven 50 8 Franklin 50 16 Jamaica Plain 50 19 Lee 50 3 Rutland 50 4 Auburn 49 8 Cambridge 49 52 Harwich 49 6 Haverhill 49 30 Mashpee 49 7 Mattapoisett 49 3 Bellingham 48 8 Natick 48 16 South Deerfield 48 1 Turners Falls 48 2 Belchertown 47 7 Mansfield 47 11 Waltham 47 29 Westwood 47 7 Boylston 45 2 Forestdale 45 2 Leicester 45 5 West Springfield 45 13 North Oxford 44 1 Oak Bluffs 44 2 Townsend 44 4 Uxbridge 44 6 Seekonk 43 6 West Bridgewater 43 3 Ashland 42 7 Allston 41 12 Charlestown 41 7 Paxton 41 2 Roxbury 41 25 Wareham 41 9 Beverly 40 16 Greenfield 40 7 Ware 40 4 East Weymouth 39 21 Halifax 39 3 Lunenburg 39 4 Pembroke 39 7 Somerville 39 30 Orange 38 3 Peabody 37 19 South Barre 37 2 Cherry Valley 36 4 Hanover 36 5 Wellfleet 36 1 West Tisbury 36 1 Weymouth 35 19 E. Boston 34 14 Holden 34 6 Provincetown 33 1 Walpole 33 8 Northfield 32 1 Onset 32 7 Kingston 31 4 Woburn 31 12 Cotuit 30 1 Centerville 29 4 Princeton 29 1 Salem 29 12 South Easton 29 3 South Weymouth 29 16 Belmont 28 7 Jefferson 28 1 Lakeville 28 3 Osterville 28 1 Brighton 27 12 Brimfield 27 1 Sagamore 27 1 Sagamore Beach 27 1 Sunderland 27 1 West Roxbury 26 8 Westfield 26 11 North Dartmouth 25 6 Northbridge 25 4 Rehoboth 25 3 Watertown 25 8 Easthampton 24 4 Needham 24 7 Salisbury 24 2 Douglas 23 2 Lowell 23 25 Ludlow 23 5 Monson 23 2 North Dighton 23 1 South Boston 23 8 Blackstone 22 2 Hingham 22 5 Raynham 22 3 Saugus 22 6 South Grafton 22 1 South Hadley 22 4 West Newton 22 3 Auburndale 21 2 Swampscott 21 3 Burlington 20 5 East Freetown 20 1 Gloucester 20 6 Acushnet 19 2 Hadley 19 1 Lenox 19 1 Maynard 19 2 Norwell 19 2 Rochester 19 1 Yarmouth Port 19 1 Arlington 18 8 Danvers 18 5 Swansea 18 3 Agawam 17 5 Mendon 17 1 Rowley 17 1 Tyngsborough 17 2 Ashburnham 16 1 Grafton 16 3 Somerset 16 3 Berkley 15 1 Brookline 15 9 Merrimac 15 1 Dighton 14 1 Northampton 14 4 South Dartmouth 14 5 Ayer 13 1 Lawrence 13 10 Upton 13 1 Boston 12 80 Falmouth 12 4 Lancaster 12 1 North Grafton 12 1 Wakefield 12 3 Assonet 11 1 Chelmsford 11 4 Middleton 11 1 Sudbury 11 2 Sutton 11 1 North Chelmsford 10 1 Acton 9 2 Hanson 9 1 Lynnfield 8 1 Medfield 8 1 Palmer 8 1 Weston 8 1 Wilmington 8 2 Bedford 7 1 Bradford 7 1 East Bridgewater 7 1 East Walpole 7 2 Medway 7 1 Newton 7 6 North Andover 7 2 North Easton 7 1 North Uxbridge 7 1 Oxford 7 1 Wilbraham 7 1 Duxbury 6 1 East Longmeadow 6 1 Hopkinton 6 1 Lexington 6 2 Methuen 6 3 Needham Heights 6 2 Wellesley Hills 6 2 Amherst 5 2 Bourne 5 1 Newburyport 5 1 North Weymouth 5 3 Scituate 5 1 Newton Highlands 4 4 Stoneham 4 1 Westford 4 1 Dracut 3 1 Roxbury Crossing 3 2 Wellesley 3 1 Barnstable 2 1 Billerica 2 1 (not given) 0 2489 North Scituate 0 1 span 0 15 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 1097 474 Berkshire 910 147 Bristol 902 742 Worcester 818 911 Norfolk 740 631 Barnstable 699 135 Nantucket 455 16 Hampden 350 249 Suffolk 294 582 Middlesex 242 565 Essex 194 214 Dukes 170 7 Franklin 142 15 Hampshire 141 26 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. -- When Citing This Work, Please Credit: MassLandlords, Inc. Available online at https://masslandlords.net/policy/eviction-data/.