Filings Year Ending 2023 December 31

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2023-01-01 Search Period End: 2023-12-31 Earliest Case: 2023-01-02 Latest Case: 2023-12-29 Total Cases: 38863 Total Transfers: 864 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 23.8% Of those, percentage pro se: 54.3% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Florence Least stable with 10+ filings: Florence Least stable with 100+ filings: Fall River Least stable county: Plymouth Cases per day: 106 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 6828 17.6% northeast 6757 17.4% western 5853 15.1% central 5764 14.8% southeast 4425 11.4% metro_south 3538 9.1% malden district 490 1.3% quincy district 413 1.1% lynn district 367 0.9% lawrence district 324 0.8% lowell district 285 0.7% brockton district 272 0.7% fall river district 269 0.7% pittsfield district 231 0.6% chelsea district 216 0.6% somerville district 195 0.5% cambridge district 172 0.4% haverhill district 151 0.4% waltham district 132 0.3% northern berkshire district 129 0.3% bmc west roxbury 126 0.3% woburn district 123 0.3% framingham district 118 0.3% attleboro district 117 0.3% springfield district 106 0.3% salem district 95 0.2% new bedford district 85 0.2% dedham district 82 0.2% bmc east boston 79 0.2% barnstable district 76 0.2% chicopee district 65 0.2% wrentham district 64 0.2% bmc dorchester 62 0.2% peabody district 58 0.1% fallmouth district 44 0.1% milford district 40 0.1% stoughton district 40 0.1% concord district 39 0.1% hingham district 39 0.1% newburyport district 37 0.1% orleans district 36 0.1% newton district 34 0.1% bmc brighton 32 0.1% holyoke district 31 0.1% worcester district 31 0.1% bmc central 30 0.1% taunton district 30 0.1% ayer district 28 0.1% westfield district 28 0.1% gloucester district 27 0.1% plymouth district 25 0.1% wareham district 25 0.1% bmc roxbury 24 0.1% edgartown district 23 0.1% palmer district 21 0.1% nantucket district 18 0.0% southern berkshire district 17 0.0% uxbridge district 14 0.0% eastern hampshire district 13 0.0% natick district 13 0.0% brookline district 12 0.0% fitchburg district 9 0.0% clinton district 7 0.0% northampton district 7 0.0% greenfield district 6 0.0% bmc south boston 4 0.0% ipswich district 4 0.0% orange district 4 0.0% leominster district 2 0.0% bmc charlestown 1 0.0% east brookfield district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 29601 76 Natural Person 9262 38787 Total 38863 38863 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 76.2% 0.2% Natural Person 23.8% 99.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 29015 586 29601 Optional 4231 5031 9262 Total 33246 5617 38863 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 74.7% 1.5% 76.2% Optional 10.9% 12.9% 23.8% Total 85.5% 14.5% 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 6 70 76 Optional 312 38475 38787 Total 318 38545 38863 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.2% 0.2% Optional 0.8% 99.0% 99.8% Total 0.8% 99.2% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 1697 4.4% 1 28599 73.6% 2 7001 18.0% 3 1135 2.9% 4 300 0.8% 5 85 0.2% 6 27 0.1% 7 14 0.0% 8 1 0.0% 9 2 0.0% 10 2 0.0% Total 38863 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 27694 71.3% Cause 6027 15.5% No Fault 4776 12.3% Foreclosure 353 0.9% Unknown/Other 13 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 3902 37 Chestnut Hill 1460 31 Fall River 1457 1295 New Bedford 1335 1270 Turners Falls 1219 50 Worcester 1194 2163 Southbridge 1190 199 Holyoke 1100 439 Marlborough 1088 419 Fitchburg 1078 435 Randolph 1077 346 Framingham 1043 713 Dorchester 1007 927 Norwood 971 278 Stoughton 964 260 Brockton 963 904 Springfield 942 1443 Chelsea 938 330 Hyannis 936 132 Gardner 924 187 New Ashford 877 2 North Adams 875 120 Lynn 870 786 Revere 805 417 Athol 768 89 Berlin 767 22 Mattapan 767 280 Pittsfield 759 340 Lowell 757 807 East Falmouth 743 43 Chicopee 736 407 Roxbury 734 438 Canton 732 158 Lawrence 717 548 Quincy 712 657 Westborough 700 128 Webster 697 117 Indian Orchard 694 70 Bridgewater 662 176 Salem 662 274 Leominster 655 267 Adams 648 55 Malden 644 383 Braintree 621 222 Taunton 621 347 Everett 619 258 West Warren 617 7 Buzzards Bay 612 21 Gilbertville 608 7 Hyde Park 607 203 South Dennis 597 22 Haverhill 584 356 Rockland 583 102 Cheshire 556 18 Charlemont 552 7 South Easton 548 56 Whitinsville 547 38 West Barnstable 531 15 West Yarmouth 531 28 Roslindale 522 151 Dennis Port 506 16 Abington 500 80 Foxborough 498 84 Milford 492 138 Woburn 490 187 Plainville 484 40 Dorchester Center 483 445 West Springfield 471 134 Greenfield 469 82 Danvers 468 124 Attleborough 456 199 Fiskdale 453 14 Peabody 450 231 Nahant 439 15 East Boston 432 175 Middleborough 432 100 Cambridge 428 451 Raynham 425 57 Hull 417 43 Saugus 405 108 East Sandwich 402 14 North Billerica 402 43 Dedham 400 99 Weymouth 400 215 South Yarmouth 395 46 Oxford 393 54 Spencer 393 46 Charlestown 383 64 Orange 382 30 Allston 380 111 Three Rivers 374 11 Vineyard Haven 370 7 Baldwinville 369 7 Beverly 367 145 Northborough 367 52 Mansfield 366 85 North Brookfield 363 17 Jamaica Plain 362 136 North Attleborough 362 104 Kingston 356 45 Wrentham 356 39 Whitman 351 51 Chilmark 346 3 Waltham 346 210 Clinton 345 47 Ayer 336 25 Somerville 332 252 Winchendon 330 34 Franklin 328 104 Maynard 326 33 Newtonville 325 17 Sunderland 325 12 Medford 323 182 West Wareham 322 7 East Wareham 320 70 Osterville 312 11 Warren 311 16 Feeding Hills 308 36 Plainfield 308 2 Brighton 305 134 Palmer 296 36 Cohasset 291 22 Watertown 288 92 Westwood 287 42 Norton 283 54 Ware 283 28 Newton Center 282 11 Dudley 280 32 Erving 277 5 Seekonk 276 38 Lakeville 273 29 South Boston 273 92 Provincetown 271 8 Edgartown 270 11 East Taunton 266 17 Ashland 265 44 Housatonic 265 2 Tewksbury 265 77 Charlton 261 34 Holbrook 259 28 Melrose 259 70 Hudson 257 49 Great Barrington 253 18 Bellingham 251 41 Methuen 251 119 Oak Bluffs 242 11 Westfield 240 99 North Andover 239 68 Yarmouth Port 237 12 Douglas 236 20 Gloucester 236 68 Walpole 236 57 West Chatham 235 3 Winthrop 234 41 Millbury 233 31 West Roxbury 233 71 Burlington 232 57 Sharon 232 41 Ashfield 230 4 Harwich Port 230 4 Avon 229 10 West Stockbridge 229 3 Lunenburg 228 23 Amesbury 227 37 Natick 227 75 Nantucket 226 23 Bedford 225 30 Plymouth 224 127 South Grafton 223 10 Auburn 222 36 Chelmsford 221 75 Eastham 221 11 Acton 218 48 Hanson 215 22 Hopkinton 214 32 Sheffield 214 7 Blackstone 210 19 Auburndale 208 19 Mashpee 207 29 Tyngsborough 203 23 Southfield 202 1 Rockport 201 14 Shrewsbury 199 71 East Weymouth 197 106 Hinsdale 196 4 Wakefield 196 49 Shirley 194 14 Brewster 193 19 Easthampton 193 31 Williamstown 193 15 Granville 191 3 Marshfield 190 48 Fairhaven 189 30 West Brookfield 189 7 Hanover 187 26 Andover 186 62 Hingham 185 41 Roxbury Crossing 181 108 Medway 180 23 Brookfield 176 6 Swampscott 174 24 Wareham 174 38 North Dartmouth 173 41 Halifax 172 13 Pocasset 172 5 Brookline 171 101 Dracut 166 49 South Hadley 165 29 Arlington 163 70 Stoneham 163 35 Boxborough 160 8 Bondsville 159 3 Royalston 158 2 Sudbury 158 28 Millers Falls 155 2 South Weymouth 154 83 Hadley 152 8 Northbridge 152 24 Orleans 152 9 Lee 151 9 North Truro 149 3 Wayland 146 19 Wellfleet 145 4 Thorndike 144 1 Marstons Mills 143 7 Marion 142 7 North Chatham 142 1 North Chelmsford 142 13 Marblehead 141 28 Uxbridge 141 19 Sagamore Beach 138 5 East Brookfield 137 3 Ludlow 137 29 E. Boston 133 54 Hardwick 133 4 West Boylston 130 10 Belchertown 129 19 Billerica 129 52 Boston 128 794 Southwick 126 12 Littleton 123 11 Belmont 121 30 Carver 121 14 Pepperell 121 14 Holland 120 3 Lynnfield 120 14 Agawam 119 34 Northampton 119 34 Wendell 117 1 Ashburnham 115 7 Cummington 114 1 Lexington 114 36 Millis 114 9 Shelburne Falls 113 2 Rutland 112 9 Barre 111 6 North Falmouth 111 3 Westport 109 17 Leverett 108 2 Salisbury 108 9 Sturbridge 107 10 Ipswich 106 14 Plympton 106 3 Buckland 105 2 Centerville 103 14 Dalton 103 7 Holliston 103 14 Rowley 102 6 Stockbridge 102 2 Hopedale 101 6 Cherry Valley 100 11 Leicester 100 11 Pembroke 100 18 Westford 100 22 Chatham 97 6 Goshen 94 1 Millville 94 3 Bernardston 93 2 Duxbury 92 14 North Easton 92 12 Cotuit 91 3 Medfield 91 11 West Dennis 91 2 Forestdale 90 4 Needham 90 26 Cataumet 88 1 Falmouth 88 28 Milton 88 24 Reading 88 22 Swansea 88 14 Acushnet 87 9 Newburyport 86 15 Jefferson 85 3 Dighton 84 6 Somerset 82 15 Blandford 81 1 Chesterfield 81 1 East Freetown 81 4 Harwich 81 10 Sagamore 81 3 Norfolk 80 9 North Reading 80 12 Lenox 79 4 Upton 79 6 Berkley 77 5 Manchester 77 4 Wilmington 76 17 Chester 74 1 South Attleboro 72 6 West Tisbury 72 2 Amherst 71 27 Byfield 71 2 Bourne 70 14 North Dighton 70 3 Wilbraham 70 10 East Longmeadow 69 11 Onset 68 15 Richmond 67 1 Mattapoisett 66 4 Merrimac 63 4 Rochdale 63 7 Dunstable 62 2 Georgetown 61 5 Groveland 61 4 South Lancaster 61 1 Rehoboth 60 7 Colrain 59 1 Phillipston 59 1 Clarksburg 58 1 Monson 58 5 Princeton 58 2 Sandwich 58 12 West Bridgewater 57 4 Needham Heights 55 16 Sutton 55 5 Wales 54 1 West Falmouth 54 1 Westminster 54 4 Dover 53 3 South Dartmouth 52 18 Mendon 51 3 Southborough 51 5 East Bridgewater 50 7 Grafton 50 9 Devens 49 1 Newton Upper Falls 49 3 Truro 49 1 Granby 48 3 South Deerfield 48 1 Holden 46 8 Concord 45 8 Hubbardston 45 2 Stow 45 3 Bradford 44 6 North Oxford 44 1 Townsend 44 4 Wellesley Hills 40 12 North Grafton 38 3 Norwell 38 4 Rochdale (Leicester) 37 1 South Barre 37 2 West Newton 37 5 Wellesley 35 10 Assonet 33 3 Middleton 33 3 Scituate 33 6 South Lee 33 2 Lanesborough 32 1 Northfield 32 1 Lincoln 31 2 Newbury 30 2 Hatfield 29 1 North Hatfield 29 1 Essex 28 1 Brimfield 27 1 Newton Centre 26 1 Weston 26 3 South Hamilton 25 2 East Templeton 24 2 North Pembroke 24 1 Montague 23 2 West Newbury 23 1 Boylston 22 1 Bolton 20 1 Paxton 20 1 Deerfield 19 1 East Walpole 19 5 Hampden 19 1 Longmeadow 19 3 Rochester 19 1 Groton 17 2 Southampton 17 1 Topsfield 16 1 Harvard 15 1 Dennis 14 2 Newton 14 12 North Weymouth 14 8 Boxford 12 1 Hamilton 12 1 Templeton 12 1 Waban 12 1 Newton Highlands 10 9 Winchester 9 2 Wollaston 9 1 Easton 8 2 West Harwich 8 1 North Uxbridge 7 1 Yarmouth 4 1 E. Weymouth 3 2 South Walpole 3 1 Newton Lower Falls 1 1 North Quincy 1 1 West Medford 1 1 (not given) 0 7497 Boston College 0 1 span 0 35 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 4678 2020 Bristol 4515 3714 Worcester 4105 4569 Hampden 3930 2794 Berkshire 3792 612 Norfolk 3788 3229 Barnstable 2973 574 Essex 2821 3102 Suffolk 2518 4972 Middlesex 2253 5257 Franklin 1962 207 Hampshire 1216 224 Dukes 829 34 Nantucket 655 23 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/.