Filings Quarter Ending 2022 December 31

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2022-10-01 Search Period End: 2022-12-31 Earliest Case: 2022-10-03 Latest Case: 2022-12-30 Total Cases: 10403 Total Transfers: 216 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 24.8% Of those, percentage pro se: 53.7% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Buzzards Bay Least stable with 10+ filings: Buzzards Bay Least stable with 100+ filings: Fall River Least stable county: Plymouth Cases per day: 114 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 2031 19.5% eastern 1693 16.3% western 1592 15.3% central 1544 14.8% southeast 1175 11.3% metro_south 980 9.4% lynn district 107 1.0% quincy district 107 1.0% malden district 106 1.0% lowell district 80 0.8% fall river district 71 0.7% chelsea district 57 0.5% northern berkshire district 53 0.5% pittsfield district 50 0.5% cambridge district 47 0.5% somerville district 46 0.4% haverhill district 44 0.4% brockton district 41 0.4% attleboro district 40 0.4% bmc west roxbury 40 0.4% lawrence district 33 0.3% woburn district 33 0.3% waltham district 32 0.3% bmc east boston 27 0.3% peabody district 27 0.3% salem district 27 0.3% barnstable district 24 0.2% fallmouth district 23 0.2% framingham district 19 0.2% new bedford district 19 0.2% springfield district 18 0.2% wrentham district 16 0.2% chicopee district 12 0.1% dedham district 12 0.1% newburyport district 12 0.1% westfield district 11 0.1% gloucester district 10 0.1% concord district 9 0.1% milford district 9 0.1% stoughton district 9 0.1% orleans district 8 0.1% plymouth district 8 0.1% worcester district 8 0.1% ayer district 7 0.1% taunton district 7 0.1% bmc brighton 6 0.1% bmc roxbury 6 0.1% hingham district 6 0.1% nantucket district 6 0.1% brookline district 5 0.0% eastern hampshire district 5 0.0% newton district 5 0.0% palmer district 5 0.0% southern berkshire district 5 0.0% wareham district 5 0.0% bmc central 4 0.0% bmc dorchester 4 0.0% edgartown district 3 0.0% northampton district 3 0.0% clinton district 2 0.0% fitchburg district 2 0.0% bmc charlestown 1 0.0% bmc south boston 1 0.0% greenfield district 1 0.0% holyoke 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 7825 30 Natural Person 2578 10373 Total 10403 10403 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 75.2% 0.3% Natural Person 24.8% 99.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 7535 290 7825 Optional 1194 1384 2578 Total 8729 1674 10403 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 72.4% 2.8% 75.2% Optional 11.5% 13.3% 24.8% Total 83.9% 16.1% 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 1 29 30 Optional 97 10276 10373 Total 98 10305 10403 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.3% 0.3% Optional 0.9% 98.8% 99.7% Total 0.9% 99.1% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 679 6.5% 1 7731 74.3% 2 1630 15.7% 3 252 2.4% 4 88 0.8% 5 14 0.1% 6 4 0.0% 7 1 0.0% 8 2 0.0% 9 2 0.0% Total 10403 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 7187 69.1% Cause 1676 16.1% No Fault 1440 13.8% Foreclosure 98 0.9% Unknown/Other 2 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Buzzards Bay 466 16 Fall River 392 349 North Adams 364 50 Southbridge 364 61 Worcester 357 648 New Bedford 342 326 Norwood 335 96 Stoughton 304 82 Fitchburg 302 122 Webster 286 48 West Wareham 276 6 Hyannis 262 37 Bridgewater 244 65 Marlborough 244 94 East Falmouth 242 14 Brockton 227 213 Randolph 224 72 Quincy 217 201 Oxford 211 29 Nahant 205 7 Framingham 203 139 Whitinsville 201 14 North Truro 199 4 Hinsdale 196 4 Rockland 194 34 West Yarmouth 189 10 Gardner 187 38 Westborough 186 34 Cummaquid 182 1 Berlin 174 5 Bellingham 171 28 Taunton 166 93 Everett 163 68 Vineyard Haven 158 3 Revere 154 80 Truro 149 3 Marshfield 143 36 East Wareham 142 31 Middleborough 142 33 Roslindale 141 41 Canton 139 30 Athol 138 16 Pittsfield 138 62 Chelsea 136 48 West Brookfield 135 5 North Brookfield 128 6 Dennis Port 126 4 Leominster 125 51 Foxborough 124 21 Cheshire 123 4 Lynn 121 110 Plainville 121 10 South Yarmouth 120 14 Braintree 117 42 Clarksburg 117 2 Mansfield 116 27 Warren 116 6 Attleborough 112 49 Holyoke 112 45 Indian Orchard 109 11 Sandisfield 109 1 Lakeville 103 11 Pocasset 103 3 Newton Center 102 4 Spencer 102 12 Three Rivers 102 3 West Bridgewater 101 7 Dorchester 100 92 Leeds 98 1 Weymouth 98 53 Hull 97 10 South Chatham 97 1 South Easton 97 10 Winthrop 97 17 Charlestown 95 16 Abington 93 15 Peabody 93 48 Haverhill 91 56 West Dennis 91 2 Lunenburg 89 9 Franklin 88 28 Hanson 88 9 Millis 88 7 Nantucket 88 9 Winchendon 87 9 Hyde Park 86 29 Malden 84 50 West Springfield 84 24 Adams 82 7 Milford 82 23 South Dennis 81 3 Dudley 79 9 Mattapan 79 29 East Taunton 78 5 Lowell 78 84 Chicopee 77 43 Lawrence 77 59 Natick 75 25 Whitman 75 11 Holbrook 74 8 Beverly 73 29 Clinton 73 10 Hudson 73 14 Jamaica Plain 72 27 Mashpee 71 10 East Weymouth 70 38 Ware 70 7 Medford 69 39 Cambridge 68 72 Dedham 68 17 Springfield 68 105 Amesbury 67 11 South Grafton 67 3 Fiskdale 64 2 Northborough 63 9 Allston 61 18 Auburn 61 10 Shrewsbury 61 22 Dorchester Center 60 56 Millbury 60 8 Woburn 60 23 Yarmouth Port 59 3 Brookfield 58 2 Roxbury 58 35 Teaticket 58 1 Jefferson 57 2 Great Barrington 56 4 Pembroke 56 10 Russell 56 1 Erving 55 1 North Attleborough 55 16 Sagamore Beach 55 2 Sunderland 54 2 Wrentham 54 6 Cohasset 53 4 Baldwinville 52 1 Oakham 52 1 Orange 51 4 Fairhaven 50 8 Hopedale 50 3 Wareham 50 11 Hingham 49 11 Medfield 49 6 Andover 48 16 Tewksbury 48 14 Turners Falls 48 2 Chestnut Hill 47 1 Plymouth 47 27 West Townsend 47 1 Berkley 46 3 South Weymouth 46 25 Waltham 46 28 Avon 45 2 Gloucester 45 13 Greenfield 45 8 Westport 45 7 East Boston 44 18 Uxbridge 44 6 Wakefield 44 11 East Bridgewater 43 6 Seekonk 43 6 Agawam 42 12 Norton 42 8 Walpole 41 10 Westwood 41 6 Bolton 40 2 Eastham 40 2 Hopkinton 40 6 Marion 40 2 Lenox 39 2 West Boylston 39 3 Brighton 38 17 East Dennis 38 1 North Dartmouth 38 9 Northbridge 38 6 Scituate 38 7 Somerset 38 7 E. Boston 37 15 Stoneham 37 8 Watertown 37 12 Cherry Valley 36 4 Holliston 36 5 Wellfleet 36 1 Somerville 35 27 Tyngsborough 35 4 West Barnstable 35 1 Carver 34 4 Mendon 34 2 Sharon 34 6 South Hadley 34 6 Danvers 33 9 Lee 33 2 Milton 33 9 Orleans 33 2 Salem 33 14 Ashburnham 32 2 Lincoln 31 2 North Andover 31 9 Ashland 30 5 Bedford 30 4 Brewster 30 3 Charlton 30 4 Sheffield 30 1 Dalton 29 2 East Sandwich 28 1 Osterville 28 1 Rockport 28 2 Halifax 26 2 Newton Centre 26 1 Rutland 25 2 Sterling 25 2 Tisbury 25 1 Billerica 24 10 Edgartown 24 1 Salisbury 24 2 Kingston 23 3 North Dighton 23 1 South Dartmouth 23 8 Blackstone 22 2 Falmouth 22 7 Oak Bluffs 22 1 Raynham 22 3 Sudbury 22 4 Sutton 22 2 West Roxbury 22 7 Wilmington 22 5 Auburndale 21 2 Hanover 21 3 Sturbridge 21 2 Dracut 20 6 North Reading 20 3 Acushnet 19 2 Longmeadow 19 3 Maynard 19 2 Methuen 19 9 Norwell 19 2 Rochester 19 1 Westfield 19 8 Barre 18 1 Leicester 18 2 Rochdale 18 2 Saugus 18 5 South Barre 18 1 Swansea 18 3 Chelmsford 17 6 Dover 17 1 Needham 17 5 Needham Heights 17 5 Newburyport 17 3 Pepperell 17 2 Rowley 17 1 Grafton 16 3 Reading 16 4 Topsfield 16 1 Wellesley Hills 16 5 Groveland 15 1 Ipswich 15 2 Marblehead 15 3 North Easton 15 2 Ludlow 14 3 Melrose 14 4 Swampscott 14 2 Acton 13 3 Ayer 13 1 Belchertown 13 2 Boston 13 85 Duxbury 13 2 Upton 13 1 Westminster 13 1 Georgetown 12 1 North Grafton 12 1 Douglas 11 1 East Walpole 11 3 Holden 11 2 Middleton 11 1 Townsend 11 1 Amherst 10 4 Brookline 10 6 North Billerica 9 1 Onset 9 2 Sandwich 9 2 Westford 9 2 Belmont 8 2 Harwich 8 1 Palmer 8 1 South Boston 8 3 Arlington 7 3 Centerville 7 1 Dennis 7 1 North Weymouth 7 4 Wayland 7 1 West Newton 7 1 Easthampton 6 1 Bourne 5 1 Burlington 4 1 Easton 4 1 Lexington 3 1 Northampton 3 1 Roxbury Crossing 3 2 Wellesley 3 1 Barnstable 2 1 Newton 1 1 Newton Highlands 1 1 Newton Lower Falls 1 1 (not given) 0 4296 span 0 14 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 1329 574 Bristol 1146 943 Worcester 1142 1272 Norfolk 983 838 Berkshire 873 141 Barnstable 797 154 Essex 376 414 Hampden 364 259 Middlesex 346 809 Suffolk 321 635 Nantucket 256 9 Franklin 161 17 Dukes 146 6 Hampshire 119 22 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/.