Filings Quarter Ending 2024 March 31

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed between 180 days and one year before reading, for which outcomes were somewhat known. Search Period Start: 2024-01-01 Search Period End: 2024-03-31 Earliest Case: 2024-01-01 Latest Case: 2024-03-29 Total Cases: 9747 Total Transfers: 231 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 22.6% Of those, percentage pro se: 51.3% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Florence Least stable with 10+ filings: Florence Least stable with 100+ filings: Holyoke Least stable county: Berkshire Cases per day: 108 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 1886 19.3% northeast 1671 17.1% western 1390 14.3% central 1344 13.8% southeast 1068 11.0% metro_south 957 9.8% malden district 135 1.4% lynn district 106 1.1% lawrence district 93 1.0% brockton district 75 0.8% quincy district 73 0.7% fall river district 64 0.7% pittsfield district 62 0.6% chelsea district 58 0.6% lowell district 56 0.6% springfield district 52 0.5% waltham district 50 0.5% somerville district 47 0.5% bmc west roxbury 39 0.4% haverhill district 36 0.4% framingham district 34 0.3% northern berkshire district 31 0.3% cambridge district 30 0.3% attleboro district 25 0.3% bmc dorchester 24 0.2% bmc east boston 24 0.2% chicopee district 22 0.2% woburn district 22 0.2% bmc roxbury 20 0.2% wrentham district 18 0.2% salem district 16 0.2% worcester district 15 0.2% bmc brighton 13 0.1% peabody district 13 0.1% barnstable district 12 0.1% bmc central 12 0.1% new bedford district 12 0.1% westfield district 12 0.1% holyoke district 11 0.1% orleans district 11 0.1% dedham district 10 0.1% newburyport district 9 0.1% brookline district 8 0.1% fallmouth district 8 0.1% palmer district 6 0.1% ayer district 5 0.1% concord district 5 0.1% hingham district 5 0.1% milford district 5 0.1% newton district 5 0.1% plymouth district 5 0.1% stoughton district 5 0.1% taunton district 5 0.1% greenfield district 4 0.0% clinton district 3 0.0% bmc south boston 2 0.0% eastern hampshire district 2 0.0% edgartown district 2 0.0% nantucket district 2 0.0% natick district 2 0.0% northampton district 2 0.0% southern berkshire district 2 0.0% wareham district 2 0.0% fitchburg district 1 0.0% gardner district court 1 0.0% gloucester district 1 0.0% ipswich district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 7542 26 Natural Person 2205 9721 Total 9747 9747 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 77.4% 0.3% Natural Person 22.6% 99.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 7410 132 7542 Optional 1073 1132 2205 Total 8483 1264 9747 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 76.0% 1.4% 77.4% Optional 11.0% 11.6% 22.6% Total 87.0% 13.0% 100.0% Defendant Representation Note: Limited Assistance Representation should be reflected here. Tenancy preservation or other social services may not be reflected. (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0 26 26 Optional 90 9631 9721 Total 90 9657 9747 (%) 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 0 292 3.0% 1 7074 72.6% 2 1933 19.8% 3 330 3.4% 4 80 0.8% 5 25 0.3% 6 7 0.1% 7 3 0.0% 8 2 0.0% 11 1 0.0% Total 9747 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 7181 73.7% Cause 1415 14.5% No Fault 1057 10.8% Foreclosure 88 0.9% Unknown/Other 6 0.1% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 2426 23 Holyoke 401 160 Florida 398 3 Dorchester 338 311 Chestnut Hill 329 7 Indian Orchard 327 33 Southbridge 322 54 Fall River 310 276 Chelsea 304 107 Framingham 304 208 Pittsfield 303 136 Brockton 301 283 Mattapan 301 110 Springfield 300 460 North Adams 291 40 Randolph 286 92 Lowell 285 304 North Chatham 284 2 Norwood 276 79 Marlborough 270 104 Roxbury 258 154 Fitchburg 257 104 Dennis Port 253 8 Worcester 245 444 Sunderland 244 9 Revere 243 126 Lynn 239 216 Three Rivers 238 7 New Bedford 234 223 Chicopee 231 128 Westborough 224 41 Braintree 221 79 Lenox Dale 214 1 Hyannis 212 30 Stoughton 211 57 Woburn 201 77 Salem 198 82 Great Barrington 197 14 Roslindale 197 57 Hyde Park 194 65 Lawrence 188 144 Whitinsville 187 13 Everett 182 76 Malden 181 108 Taunton 180 101 Gardner 177 36 Rockland 177 31 Buzzards Bay 174 6 Kingston 174 22 Bridgewater 173 46 Ware 172 17 West Springfield 172 49 Greenfield 171 30 Canton 162 35 Charlemont 157 2 Quincy 157 145 Cheshire 154 5 Stockbridge 154 3 East Boston 153 62 Allston 150 44 Wrentham 146 16 Plainville 145 12 Attleborough 142 62 Adams 141 12 Berlin 139 4 Pocasset 138 4 West Wareham 138 3 South Easton 137 14 Webster 137 23 Tewksbury 134 39 Leominster 132 54 North Billerica 131 14 Maynard 128 13 Medford 128 72 Spencer 128 15 Warwick 128 1 Mansfield 125 29 Jamaica Plain 122 46 South Lancaster 122 2 East Falmouth 121 7 Cambridge 119 126 Clinton 117 16 Dorchester Center 116 107 Middleborough 116 27 Northampton 115 33 Winthrop 114 20 Charlestown 113 19 Waltham 113 69 Athol 112 13 Seekonk 109 15 Dracut 108 32 South Dennis 108 4 Ayer 107 8 Brighton 107 47 Hull 106 11 Somerville 105 80 Vineyard Haven 105 2 Haverhill 103 63 Milford 103 29 Ashland 102 17 North Chelmsford 98 9 Palmer 98 12 Granby 96 6 West Roxbury 95 29 Feeding Hills 94 11 Foxborough 94 16 West Townsend 94 2 Peabody 93 48 South Boston 92 31 West Boylston 91 7 Haydenville 88 1 Marshfield 87 22 North Brookfield 85 4 Holbrook 83 9 Cherry Valley 82 9 Franklin 82 26 Abington 81 13 Belchertown 81 12 Chesterfield 81 1 North Attleborough 80 23 Westfield 80 33 Cohasset 79 6 Carver 78 9 Acushnet 77 8 North Andover 77 22 Roxbury Crossing 77 46 Bedford 75 10 West Yarmouth 75 4 Chester 74 1 North Falmouth 74 2 Weymouth 74 40 Turners Falls 73 3 Billerica 72 29 South Egremont 72 1 Wellfleet 72 2 Plympton 70 2 West Barnstable 70 2 Fairhaven 69 11 Gloucester 69 20 Natick 69 23 Shirley 69 5 Acton 68 15 Avon 68 3 Chelmsford 68 23 Hudson 68 13 Littleton 67 6 Orleans 67 4 Provincetown 67 2 Richmond 67 1 Gill 66 1 Oxford 65 9 Swampscott 65 9 Fiskdale 64 2 Shrewsbury 64 23 Wakefield 64 16 Northborough 63 9 Saugus 63 17 Easthampton 62 10 Brewster 61 6 Burlington 61 15 Tyngsborough 61 7 Arlington 60 26 Beverly 60 24 Danvers 60 16 Lynnfield 60 7 Dalton 59 4 East Weymouth 59 32 Lenox 59 3 Lunenburg 59 6 Raynham 59 8 Hanson 58 6 Medfield 58 7 Monson 58 5 East Sandwich 57 2 Hanover 57 8 Newtonville 57 3 Concord 56 10 Lakeville 56 6 Pembroke 56 10 Russell 56 1 Shelburne Falls 56 1 Watertown 56 18 Sagamore 54 2 West Falmouth 54 1 Hopkinton 53 8 Plymouth 53 30 Baldwinville 52 1 Belmont 52 13 Dudley 52 6 Ludlow 52 11 East Wareham 50 11 Hopedale 50 3 Marblehead 50 10 Westford 50 11 Edgartown 49 2 Hinsdale 49 1 Truro 49 1 Wilmington 49 11 Dedham 48 12 Hanscom Afb 48 1 Melrose 48 13 Methuen 48 23 Whitman 48 7 Winchendon 48 5 Stoneham 46 10 Huntington 45 1 Wareham 45 10 West Dennis 45 1 Boston 44 272 North Oxford 44 1 Oak Bluffs 44 2 Auburn 43 7 Auburndale 43 4 South Yarmouth 43 5 West Bridgewater 43 3 Amesbury 42 7 Andover 42 14 Norton 42 8 Marstons Mills 41 2 Walpole 41 10 Westminster 41 3 Westwood 41 6 Marion 40 2 Deerfield 39 2 Halifax 39 3 Medway 39 5 Sharon 39 7 South Hadley 39 7 Sudbury 39 7 Agawam 38 11 Hadley 38 2 Hampden 38 2 Lexington 38 12 North Dartmouth 38 9 Orange 38 3 Warren 38 2 Westport 38 6 Bradford 37 5 Centerville 37 5 Millbury 37 5 Georgetown 36 3 Salisbury 36 3 West Tisbury 36 1 Douglas 35 3 Mashpee 35 5 Holden 34 6 Rowley 34 2 Southampton 34 2 Blackstone 33 3 North Reading 33 5 Townsend 33 3 Reading 32 8 Sturbridge 32 3 Berkley 31 2 Lincoln 31 2 North Easton 30 4 Stow 30 2 E. Boston 29 12 Nahant 29 1 Nantucket 29 3 Princeton 29 1 Dennisport 28 1 Essex 28 1 Jefferson 28 1 Osterville 28 1 Sagamore Beach 27 1 Somerset 27 5 South Weymouth 27 15 West Brookfield 27 1 Groton 26 3 Pepperell 26 3 Upton 26 2 Boxford 25 2 Millis 25 2 Milton 25 7 Newton Center 25 1 Northbridge 25 4 Sterling 25 2 Bellingham 24 4 Lancaster 24 2 Templeton 24 2 Charlton 23 3 Montague 23 2 Newton Highlands 23 20 Wayland 23 3 Winchester 23 5 Forestdale 22 1 Hingham 22 5 Ipswich 22 3 Newburyport 22 4 South Grafton 22 1 East Bridgewater 21 3 Southwick 21 2 Wellesley 21 6 Boxborough 20 1 Brookline 20 12 Eastham 20 1 Needham Heights 20 6 Falmouth 19 6 Longmeadow 19 3 Sandwich 19 4 Yarmouth Port 19 1 Mendon 17 1 Chatham 16 1 Harwich 16 2 Mattapoisett 16 1 Scituate 16 3 South Lee 16 1 Amherst 15 6 Bourne 15 3 East Taunton 15 1 Groveland 15 1 Merrimac 15 1 Dennis 14 2 Rockport 14 1 West Newton 14 2 Wilbraham 14 2 Duxbury 13 2 North Grafton 12 1 Rutland 12 1 Swansea 12 2 Waban 12 1 Williamstown 12 1 Middleton 11 1 South Dartmouth 11 4 Southborough 10 1 Leicester 9 1 Rochdale 9 1 Norfolk 8 1 West Harwich 8 1 Holliston 7 1 East Longmeadow 6 1 Needham 6 2 Wellesley Hills 6 2 Grafton 5 1 Newton 5 5 North Weymouth 5 3 Easton 4 1 Onset 4 1 Yarmouth 4 1 East Walpole 3 1 Barnstable 2 1 E. Weymouth 1 1 Newton Lower Falls 1 1 (not given) 0 963 span 0 13 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 Berkshire 1400 226 Plymouth 1343 580 Hampden 1311 932 Bristol 987 812 Norfolk 895 763 Worcester 890 991 Suffolk 843 1665 Middlesex 742 1733 Barnstable 694 134 Essex 682 750 Hampshire 656 121 Franklin 512 54 Dukes 170 7 Nantucket 85 3 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/.