Filings Quarter Ending 2024 June 30

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2024-04-01 Search Period End: 2024-06-30 Earliest Case: 2024-04-01 Latest Case: 2024-06-28 Total Cases: 9004 Total Transfers: 195 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 24.4% Of those, percentage pro se: 51.0% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Woronoco Least stable with 10+ filings: Buzzards Bay Least stable with 100+ filings: Framingham Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 100 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 1780 19.8% northeast 1555 17.3% central 1375 15.3% western 1133 12.6% southeast 1015 11.3% metro_south 790 8.8% malden district 122 1.4% lynn district 107 1.2% quincy district 96 1.1% lawrence district 85 0.9% fall river district 68 0.8% lowell district 57 0.6% chelsea district 56 0.6% pittsfield district 52 0.6% cambridge district 46 0.5% springfield district 45 0.5% brockton district 40 0.4% somerville district 40 0.4% waltham district 36 0.4% bmc west roxbury 35 0.4% haverhill district 35 0.4% northern berkshire district 33 0.4% woburn district 25 0.3% bmc dorchester 21 0.2% salem district 21 0.2% fallmouth district 20 0.2% bmc east boston 19 0.2% chicopee district 19 0.2% dedham district 19 0.2% framingham district 18 0.2% attleboro district 17 0.2% wrentham district 14 0.2% ayer district 13 0.1% barnstable district 12 0.1% newburyport district 12 0.1% peabody district 12 0.1% orleans district 11 0.1% palmer district 11 0.1% holyoke district 10 0.1% worcester district 10 0.1% milford district 8 0.1% newton district 8 0.1% concord district 7 0.1% edgartown district 7 0.1% gloucester district 7 0.1% new bedford district 7 0.1% eastern hampshire district 6 0.1% nantucket district 6 0.1% plymouth district 6 0.1% taunton district 6 0.1% wareham district 6 0.1% bmc brighton 5 0.1% bmc central 5 0.1% westfield district 5 0.1% brookline district 4 0.0% fitchburg district 4 0.0% stoughton district 4 0.0% bmc roxbury 3 0.0% greenfield district 3 0.0% bmc charlestown 2 0.0% clinton district 2 0.0% hingham district 2 0.0% natick district 2 0.0% ipswich district 1 0.0% leominster district 1 0.0% northampton district 1 0.0% southern berkshire district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 6809 41 Natural Person 2195 8963 Total 9004 9004 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 75.6% 0.5% Natural Person 24.4% 99.5% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 6687 122 6809 Optional 1075 1120 2195 Total 7762 1242 9004 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 74.3% 1.4% 75.6% Optional 11.9% 12.4% 24.4% Total 86.2% 13.8% 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 41 41 Optional 59 8904 8963 Total 59 8945 9004 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.5% 0.5% Optional 0.7% 98.9% 99.5% Total 0.7% 99.3% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 299 3.3% 1 6508 72.3% 2 1752 19.5% 3 331 3.7% 4 73 0.8% 5 29 0.3% 6 6 0.1% 7 5 0.1% 10 1 0.0% Total 9004 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 6434 71.5% Cause 1365 15.2% No Fault 1122 12.5% Foreclosure 79 0.9% Unknown/Other 4 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Woronoco 1801 2 Buzzards Bay 466 16 Berlin 383 11 Chestnut Hill 329 7 Framingham 327 224 Holyoke 320 128 Mattapan 320 117 Florence 316 3 Fall River 313 279 Chelsea 304 107 North Adams 291 40 Lynn 287 260 Fitchburg 270 109 Springfield 267 409 New Bedford 266 253 Dorchester 264 243 Baldwinville 263 5 Roxbury 263 157 Gilbertville 260 3 Chicopee 258 143 Greenfield 257 45 Randolph 255 82 Worcester 250 453 Gardner 247 50 Salem 241 100 Marlborough 238 92 Three Rivers 238 7 Norwood 230 66 Pittsfield 230 103 West Yarmouth 227 12 East Falmouth 224 13 Ware 222 22 Turners Falls 219 9 Indian Orchard 218 22 Lowell 217 232 Hyde Park 212 71 Lawrence 212 162 Roslindale 211 61 Spencer 205 24 Brockton 201 189 Taunton 198 111 Southbridge 197 33 Adams 188 16 West Wareham 184 4 Revere 183 95 East Boston 177 72 Stoughton 174 47 Athol 172 20 Webster 172 29 Malden 166 99 Quincy 162 150 Waltham 158 96 Ashland 156 26 Everett 155 65 Warren 155 8 Rockland 154 27 Canton 153 33 West Springfield 151 43 Hyannis 149 21 Truro 149 3 Haverhill 147 90 Woburn 144 55 Braintree 142 51 Dorchester Center 138 127 Cambridge 135 143 Danvers 135 36 South Dennis 135 5 Milford 132 37 Whitman 131 19 North Andover 130 37 West Boylston 130 10 Warwick 128 1 Bridgewater 127 34 South Easton 127 13 Holbrook 120 13 South Yarmouth 120 14 Westborough 120 22 Williamsburg 120 3 Foxborough 118 20 Peabody 117 60 Amesbury 116 19 East Sandwich 115 4 Rockport 115 8 Somerville 113 86 North Billerica 112 12 Feeding Hills 111 13 Tewksbury 110 32 West Tisbury 109 3 Salisbury 108 9 Winthrop 108 19 Cohasset 106 8 South Boston 106 36 Auburn 105 17 Vineyard Haven 105 2 Allston 102 30 Saugus 101 27 Gloucester 100 29 Jamaica Plain 98 37 Palmer 98 12 West Roxbury 98 30 Bellingham 97 16 South Deerfield 97 2 Tyngsborough 97 11 Brighton 95 42 Charlestown 95 16 Ludlow 94 20 Westfield 94 39 Weymouth 93 50 Ipswich 91 12 Northborough 91 13 Burlington 89 22 Hudson 89 17 Orange 89 7 Cataumet 88 1 Abington 87 14 Winchendon 87 9 Georgetown 85 7 North Brookfield 85 4 Medford 83 47 Middleborough 82 19 Raynham 82 11 Wrentham 82 9 Beverly 81 32 Petersham 81 1 North Attleborough 80 23 Kingston 79 10 Lenox 79 4 Maynard 79 8 Royalston 79 1 Charlemont 78 1 Millers Falls 77 1 Sturbridge 75 7 North Falmouth 74 2 Attleborough 73 32 Clinton 73 10 Leominster 73 30 Acton 72 16 Andover 72 24 Plainville 72 6 Plymouth 72 41 Northampton 70 20 Lunenburg 69 7 Hull 68 7 Ayer 67 5 Hopedale 67 4 Littleton 67 6 Methuen 67 32 Lakeville 66 7 East Wareham 64 14 North Grafton 64 5 Millis 63 5 Lincoln 62 4 Roxbury Crossing 62 37 Cheshire 61 2 Marion 61 3 South Lancaster 61 1 Hopkinton 60 9 Pepperell 60 7 Billerica 59 24 Colrain 59 1 Wareham 59 13 Medfield 58 7 Monson 58 5 Shrewsbury 58 21 Essex 57 2 Hadley 57 3 South Hadley 57 10 Whitinsville 57 4 Russell 56 1 Watertown 56 18 Erving 55 1 Melrose 55 15 Shirley 55 4 North Chelmsford 54 5 Sunderland 54 2 Wayland 53 7 Wilmington 53 12 Agawam 52 15 Southwick 52 5 Lynnfield 51 6 Newton Center 51 2 Oxford 51 7 Stockbridge 51 1 East Longmeadow 50 8 Fairhaven 50 8 Sudbury 50 9 Swansea 50 8 Devens 49 1 Nantucket 49 5 Belmont 48 12 Hanscom Afb 48 1 Wakefield 48 12 Franklin 47 15 Marshfield 47 12 West Townsend 47 1 Boston 46 290 East Weymouth 46 25 Bedford 45 6 Brookline 45 27 Forestdale 45 2 Hingham 45 10 Hubbardston 45 2 West Dennis 45 1 Arlington 44 19 Centerville 44 6 Dedham 44 11 Dracut 44 13 Oak Bluffs 44 2 Dudley 43 5 Easthampton 43 7 Hanover 43 6 Seekonk 43 6 Swampscott 43 6 Natick 42 14 Marstons Mills 41 2 Boxborough 40 2 Eastham 40 2 Marblehead 40 8 North Reading 40 6 Southborough 40 4 Medway 39 5 Sharon 39 7 Acushnet 38 4 Mansfield 38 9 Newtonville 38 2 Sterling 38 3 Westport 38 6 Barre 37 2 Norton 36 7 Southampton 34 2 Lee 33 2 North Dartmouth 33 8 Provincetown 33 1 Scituate 33 6 Somerset 33 6 Fiskdale 32 1 Stoneham 32 7 Longmeadow 31 5 Millville 31 1 Northbridge 31 5 Westford 31 7 Brewster 30 3 Sheffield 30 1 Chelmsford 29 10 Nahant 29 1 West Newton 29 4 Dighton 28 2 Great Barrington 28 2 Mashpee 28 4 Osterville 28 1 Reading 28 7 Belchertown 27 4 Sagamore 27 1 Sagamore Beach 27 1 Halifax 26 2 Rutland 25 2 Williamstown 25 2 Edgartown 24 1 Lancaster 24 2 South Weymouth 24 13 Templeton 24 2 Walpole 24 6 Charlton 23 3 Douglas 23 2 North Dighton 23 1 Wellesley Hills 23 7 Blackstone 22 2 Bradford 22 3 Holliston 22 3 Millbury 22 3 Pembroke 22 4 Bourne 20 4 Hampden 19 1 Manchester 19 1 Norwell 19 2 Sandwich 19 4 Yarmouth Port 19 1 Amherst 18 7 Cherry Valley 18 2 South Barre 18 1 Needham 17 5 Newburyport 17 3 Rehoboth 17 2 Chatham 16 1 Concord 16 3 Harwich 16 2 Mattapoisett 16 1 Newton Upper Falls 16 1 Orleans 16 1 Berkley 15 1 Groveland 15 1 Harvard 15 1 Newbury 15 1 North Easton 15 2 Stow 15 1 East Bridgewater 14 2 Milton 14 4 Duxbury 13 2 Needham Heights 13 4 Westminster 13 1 Lexington 12 4 South Attleboro 12 1 South Hamilton 12 1 Assonet 11 1 Grafton 11 2 Holden 11 2 South Dartmouth 11 4 Sutton 11 1 Auburndale 10 1 Newton 10 9 Winchester 9 2 Carver 8 1 Groton 8 1 Norfolk 8 1 Weston 8 1 Dennis 7 1 Uxbridge 7 1 Wellesley 7 2 Wilbraham 7 1 Falmouth 6 2 Nonantum 6 1 Tiverton 6 1 Westwood 6 1 Dartmouth 5 2 E. Boston 4 2 Newton Lower Falls 4 4 East Walpole 3 1 North Weymouth 3 2 Newton Highlands 2 2 (not given) 0 556 span 0 5 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 Hampden 1236 879 Berkshire 1072 173 Plymouth 1039 449 Bristol 972 800 Worcester 903 1005 Essex 888 977 Norfolk 830 708 Suffolk 804 1589 Barnstable 678 131 Middlesex 671 1567 Franklin 663 70 Hampshire 439 81 Dukes 195 8 Nantucket 142 5 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/.