Filings Quarter Ending 2024 December 31

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2024-10-01 Search Period End: 2024-12-31 Earliest Case: 2024-10-01 Latest Case: 2024-12-31 Total Cases: 9982 Total Transfers: 230 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 23.0% Of those, percentage pro se: 49.3% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Florence Least stable with 10+ filings: Florence Least stable with 100+ filings: Springfield Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 109 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 1916 19.2% northeast 1660 16.6% western 1505 15.1% central 1471 14.7% southeast 1138 11.4% metro_south 932 9.3% quincy district 123 1.2% malden district 115 1.2% lynn district 83 0.8% lawrence district 75 0.8% chelsea district 69 0.7% fall river district 66 0.7% brockton district 62 0.6% bmc west roxbury 55 0.6% somerville district 51 0.5% lowell district 49 0.5% springfield district 45 0.5% pittsfield district 44 0.4% cambridge district 43 0.4% woburn district 42 0.4% waltham district 35 0.4% haverhill district 34 0.3% attleboro district 29 0.3% dedham district 21 0.2% northern berkshire district 21 0.2% bmc dorchester 20 0.2% framingham district 19 0.2% holyoke district 17 0.2% peabody district 15 0.2% salem district 15 0.2% worcester district 15 0.2% barnstable district 14 0.1% bmc east boston 12 0.1% fallmouth district 11 0.1% bmc central 10 0.1% plymouth district 10 0.1% hingham district 9 0.1% palmer district 9 0.1% westfield district 9 0.1% wareham district 8 0.1% concord district 7 0.1% newton district 7 0.1% ayer district 6 0.1% bmc brighton 6 0.1% bmc roxbury 6 0.1% milford district 6 0.1% stoughton district 6 0.1% taunton district 6 0.1% wrentham district 6 0.1% southern berkshire district 5 0.1% edgartown district 4 0.0% fitchburg district 4 0.0% nantucket district 4 0.0% newburyport district 4 0.0% orange district 4 0.0% chicopee district 3 0.0% gloucester district 3 0.0% bmc south boston 2 0.0% clinton district 2 0.0% eastern hampshire district 2 0.0% greenfield district 2 0.0% new bedford district 2 0.0% orleans district 2 0.0% brookline district 1 0.0% ipswich district 1 0.0% natick district 1 0.0% northampton district 1 0.0% uxbridge district 1 0.0% winchedon district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 7691 16 Natural Person 2291 9966 Total 9982 9982 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 77.0% 0.2% Natural Person 23.0% 99.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 7582 109 7691 Optional 1161 1130 2291 Total 8743 1239 9982 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 76.0% 1.1% 77.0% Optional 11.6% 11.3% 23.0% Total 87.6% 12.4% 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 15 16 Optional 58 9908 9966 Total 59 9923 9982 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.2% 0.2% Optional 0.6% 99.3% 99.8% Total 0.6% 99.4% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 292 2.9% 1 7046 70.6% 2 2139 21.4% 3 367 3.7% 4 94 0.9% 5 32 0.3% 6 8 0.1% 7 3 0.0% 10 1 0.0% Total 9982 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 7141 71.5% Cause 1552 15.5% No Fault 1211 12.1% Foreclosure 65 0.7% Unknown/Other 13 0.1% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 3270 31 Chestnut Hill 1130 24 Humarock 555 1 Springfield 403 617 Framingham 383 262 Gilbertville 347 4 Mattapan 331 121 Holyoke 325 130 Fall River 324 288 Lowell 322 343 Dorchester 320 295 Randolph 320 103 Southbridge 317 53 Roxbury 316 189 Charlemont 315 4 Berlin 314 9 Norwood 300 86 Roslindale 290 84 New Bedford 280 267 Chelsea 278 98 Brockton 277 260 Lawrence 274 210 Revere 270 140 Malden 265 158 Vineyard Haven 264 5 Buzzards Bay 262 9 Fitchburg 255 103 Worcester 253 459 Indian Orchard 248 25 Lynn 246 223 Pittsfield 236 106 Hyannis 234 33 Ashfield 230 4 Chicopee 224 124 West Springfield 211 60 Salem 208 86 Everett 199 83 Athol 198 23 Charlestown 197 33 North Adams 196 27 Granville 191 3 Adams 188 16 South Easton 185 19 Stoughton 178 48 Gardner 177 36 Canton 176 38 North Oxford 176 4 Woburn 175 67 Haverhill 174 106 Leominster 174 71 Ware 172 17 Braintree 170 61 Hyde Park 167 56 Taunton 164 92 Webster 161 27 Quincy 156 144 Orange 153 12 Bridgewater 150 40 Chester 149 2 Ayer 148 11 Rockland 148 26 Brighton 145 64 Hull 145 15 Abington 143 23 Greenfield 143 25 Marion 142 7 Oxford 138 19 Pocasset 138 4 Westborough 136 25 Milford 135 38 Dorchester Center 134 124 Plainville 133 11 Housatonic 132 1 Lakeville 132 14 West Yarmouth 132 7 Peabody 130 67 Mansfield 129 30 Newton Center 128 5 North Brookfield 128 6 South Hadley 125 22 Foxborough 124 21 Palmer 123 15 Woods Hole 122 1 East Falmouth 121 7 North Billerica 121 13 Turners Falls 121 5 Holbrook 120 13 Spencer 119 14 Wendell 117 1 Whitinsville 115 8 Shelburne Falls 113 2 Jamaica Plain 112 42 Middleborough 112 26 Andover 111 37 North Attleborough 111 32 Lunenburg 109 11 Seekonk 109 15 Wellfleet 109 3 Mashpee 107 15 Beverly 106 42 Winchendon 106 11 Gloucester 104 30 Cambridge 103 109 Allston 102 30 Feeding Hills 102 12 Kingston 102 13 Stockbridge 102 2 Westfield 102 42 East Boston 101 41 Methuen 101 48 Attleborough 100 44 Hanover 100 14 South Boston 100 34 Leeds 98 1 Somerville 97 74 East Wareham 96 21 Granby 96 6 Whitman 96 14 Clinton 95 13 Hadley 95 5 Fairhaven 94 15 Saugus 93 25 West Dennis 91 2 West Roxbury 91 28 Winthrop 91 16 Danvers 90 24 Raynham 89 12 Haydenville 88 1 West Warren 88 1 Waltham 87 53 East Sandwich 86 3 Burlington 85 21 Dracut 84 25 Salisbury 84 7 Watertown 84 27 Medford 83 47 Plymouth 83 47 Bedford 82 11 Billerica 82 33 Brewster 81 8 Eastham 80 4 Hopkinton 80 12 Cohasset 79 6 Maynard 79 8 Tyngsborough 79 9 East Taunton 78 5 Hanson 78 8 Weymouth 78 42 Franklin 75 24 Roxbury Crossing 75 45 East Weymouth 74 40 North Andover 74 21 Norton 73 14 Sharon 73 13 Dedham 72 18 Ludlow 71 15 Monson 70 6 Northbridge 70 11 Natick 69 23 Tewksbury 69 20 Avon 68 3 South Yarmouth 68 8 Three Rivers 68 2 Wakefield 68 17 Wareham 68 15 Lee 67 4 Littleton 67 6 Millbury 67 9 Agawam 66 19 Blackstone 66 6 Medfield 66 8 Newton Upper Falls 65 4 Swampscott 65 9 Belmont 64 16 Fiskdale 64 2 Acton 63 14 Dennis Port 63 2 Millville 62 2 Needham 62 18 Otis 62 1 Westhampton 62 1 Bellingham 61 10 Cheshire 61 2 South Lancaster 61 1 Melrose 59 16 Northampton 59 17 Hingham 58 13 Harwich Port 57 1 Russell 56 1 Barre 55 3 Erving 55 1 North Chelmsford 54 5 South Dennis 54 2 Sunderland 54 2 Westford 54 12 Chelmsford 53 18 North Reading 53 8 Amherst 52 20 Baldwinville 52 1 Boston 52 322 Carver 52 6 South Weymouth 52 28 Arlington 51 22 Rehoboth 51 6 Sterling 51 4 Attleboro Falls 50 1 Millis 50 4 North Dartmouth 50 12 Shrewsbury 50 18 Devens 49 1 Hinsdale 49 1 North Truro 49 1 Walpole 49 12 Wilmington 49 11 South Deerfield 48 1 Belchertown 47 7 Douglas 47 4 Charlton 46 6 Groveland 46 3 Wayland 46 6 West Wareham 46 1 Huntington 45 1 Ipswich 45 6 Sudbury 45 8 Holliston 44 6 Uxbridge 44 6 Auburn 43 7 Dudley 43 5 Rockport 43 3 Ashland 42 7 Great Barrington 42 3 Northborough 42 6 Southwick 42 4 Hudson 41 8 Marstons Mills 41 2 Shirley 41 3 Holland 40 1 Marshfield 39 10 Medway 39 5 Lexington 38 12 Newtonville 38 2 Williamstown 38 3 Stoneham 37 8 Amesbury 36 6 West Tisbury 36 1 Pepperell 34 4 Hardwick 33 1 Hopedale 33 2 Provincetown 33 1 Somerset 33 6 Wellesley Hills 33 10 Auburndale 32 3 Lanesborough 32 1 Sturbridge 32 3 Swansea 31 5 Sheffield 30 1 Southborough 30 3 Stow 30 2 Centerville 29 4 Hatfield 29 1 Milton 29 8 Nahant 29 1 Princeton 29 1 East Bridgewater 28 4 Essex 28 1 Holden 28 5 Jefferson 28 1 Newburyport 28 5 Osterville 28 1 West Bridgewater 28 2 Brimfield 27 1 Leicester 27 3 Sagamore Beach 27 1 Westminster 27 2 Wrentham 27 3 West Boylston 26 2 East Longmeadow 25 4 North Grafton 25 2 Rutland 25 2 Westport 25 4 Edgartown 24 1 Reading 24 6 Sandwich 24 5 North Easton 23 3 Winchester 23 5 Boylston 22 1 Bradford 22 3 Forestdale 22 1 Middleton 22 2 Oak Bluffs 22 1 South Grafton 22 1 Townsend 22 2 West Newton 22 3 Bourne 20 4 Boxborough 20 1 Brookline 20 12 Carlisle 20 1 Wenham 20 1 Acushnet 19 2 Deerfield 19 1 Duxbury 19 3 East Harwich 19 1 Lenox 19 1 Longmeadow 19 3 Manchester 19 1 Nantucket 19 2 Warren 19 1 Yarmouth Port 19 1 Cherry Valley 18 2 Easthampton 18 3 Onset 18 4 South Barre 18 1 Groton 17 2 Needham Heights 17 5 Ashburnham 16 1 Chatham 16 1 Harwich 16 2 Mattapoisett 16 1 Pembroke 16 3 Scituate 16 3 Berkley 15 1 Harvard 15 1 Marblehead 15 3 Merrimac 15 1 Dalton 14 1 E. Boston 14 6 Halifax 13 1 Upton 13 1 Boxford 12 1 East Templeton 12 1 Georgetown 12 1 South Attleboro 12 1 South Hamilton 12 1 Waban 12 1 Assonet 11 1 Freetown 11 1 Montague 11 1 Sutton 11 1 Rochdale 9 1 Norfolk 8 1 West Harwich 8 1 East Walpole 7 2 Wilbraham 7 1 Falmouth 6 2 Westwood 6 1 Concord 5 1 Dartmouth 5 2 Grafton 5 1 Newton 5 5 North Weymouth 5 3 South Dartmouth 5 2 Barnstable 4 2 Easton 4 1 Wellesley 3 1 Marlborough 2 1 Manomet 1 1 Newton Highlands 1 1 Newton Lower Falls 1 1 North Quincy 1 1 (not given) 0 506 span 0 4 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 1529 1087 Plymouth 1380 596 Bristol 1071 881 Berkshire 1053 170 Norfolk 970 827 Worcester 957 1066 Suffolk 895 1768 Essex 886 974 Middlesex 755 1762 Hampshire 722 133 Barnstable 720 139 Franklin 559 59 Dukes 195 8 Nantucket 56 2 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/.