Filings Year 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: 2024-01-01 Search Period End: 2024-12-31 Earliest Case: 2024-01-01 Latest Case: 2024-12-31 Total Cases: 38994 Total Transfers: 876 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 23.7% Of those, percentage pro se: 50.9% 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: Hampden 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 7538 19.3% northeast 6656 17.1% central 5620 14.4% western 5429 13.9% southeast 4414 11.3% metro_south 3682 9.4% malden district 502 1.3% lynn district 399 1.0% quincy district 393 1.0% lawrence district 371 1.0% fall river district 283 0.7% brockton district 234 0.6% lowell district 234 0.6% chelsea district 228 0.6% pittsfield district 202 0.5% cambridge district 192 0.5% springfield district 180 0.5% somerville district 178 0.5% waltham district 168 0.4% haverhill district 157 0.4% bmc west roxbury 155 0.4% northern berkshire district 118 0.3% woburn district 112 0.3% attleboro district 103 0.3% framingham district 93 0.2% bmc dorchester 84 0.2% salem district 81 0.2% bmc east boston 75 0.2% worcester district 67 0.2% dedham district 64 0.2% barnstable district 57 0.1% peabody district 55 0.1% fallmouth district 53 0.1% wrentham district 50 0.1% holyoke district 49 0.1% chicopee district 48 0.1% bmc central 40 0.1% westfield district 37 0.1% bmc roxbury 34 0.1% orleans district 34 0.1% plymouth district 34 0.1% newton district 33 0.1% ayer district 32 0.1% bmc brighton 32 0.1% newburyport district 32 0.1% palmer district 32 0.1% concord district 28 0.1% stoughton district 27 0.1% milford district 26 0.1% new bedford district 25 0.1% taunton district 23 0.1% wareham district 22 0.1% hingham district 21 0.1% gloucester district 19 0.0% brookline district 18 0.0% edgartown district 16 0.0% eastern hampshire district 14 0.0% nantucket district 13 0.0% southern berkshire district 12 0.0% greenfield district 11 0.0% fitchburg district 10 0.0% clinton district 9 0.0% natick district 8 0.0% orange district 7 0.0% northampton district 5 0.0% bmc south boston 4 0.0% ipswich district 3 0.0% bmc charlestown 2 0.0% gardner district court 2 0.0% uxbridge district 2 0.0% leominster district 1 0.0% marlborough district 1 0.0% winchedon district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 29771 106 Natural Person 9223 38888 Total 38994 38994 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 76.3% 0.3% Natural Person 23.7% 99.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 29298 473 29771 Optional 4525 4698 9223 Total 33823 5171 38994 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 75.1% 1.2% 76.3% Optional 11.6% 12.0% 23.7% Total 86.7% 13.3% 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 2 104 106 Optional 282 38606 38888 Total 284 38710 38994 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.3% 0.3% Optional 0.7% 99.0% 99.7% Total 0.7% 99.3% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 1216 3.1% 1 28000 71.8% 2 7909 20.3% 3 1366 3.5% 4 339 0.9% 5 110 0.3% 6 30 0.1% 7 13 0.0% 8 5 0.0% 9 3 0.0% 10 2 0.0% 11 1 0.0% Total 38994 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 28056 71.9% Cause 5910 15.2% No Fault 4710 12.1% Foreclosure 293 0.8% Unknown/Other 25 0.1% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 6540 62 Chestnut Hill 2449 52 Woronoco 1801 2 Holyoke 1426 569 Fall River 1307 1162 Mattapan 1307 477 Springfield 1307 2002 Randolph 1283 412 Framingham 1264 864 Southbridge 1250 209 Dorchester 1232 1134 Mount Washington 1197 2 Chelsea 1174 413 New Bedford 1143 1087 Norwood 1125 322 Lowell 1121 1195 Roxbury 1118 667 North Adams 1108 152 Fitchburg 1091 440 Lynn 1082 978 Pittsfield 1070 479 Brockton 1059 994 Buzzards Bay 1049 36 Worcester 1021 1850 Berlin 976 28 Lawrence 976 746 Revere 952 493 Chicopee 951 526 Indian Orchard 943 95 Salem 921 381 Roslindale 892 258 Hyannis 880 124 Gardner 875 177 Malden 859 511 East Falmouth 812 47 Hyde Park 795 266 Ware 790 78 Greenfield 784 137 Gilbertville 781 9 Everett 717 299 Three Rivers 714 21 Canton 709 153 Webster 709 119 Stoughton 708 191 West Springfield 707 201 Taunton 703 393 Rockland 674 118 Adams 671 57 Braintree 665 238 Athol 656 76 Quincy 653 603 Woburn 640 244 Vineyard Haven 635 12 Charlemont 631 8 Haverhill 624 380 Westborough 618 113 Bridgewater 617 164 Charlestown 617 103 Turners Falls 585 24 East Boston 582 236 South Easton 567 58 Humarock 555 1 Milford 535 150 Cambridge 529 557 Jamaica Plain 528 198 Leominster 522 213 Dorchester Center 518 477 Kingston 514 65 Waltham 506 307 Spencer 504 59 Peabody 487 250 Allston 482 141 Baldwinville 475 9 West Yarmouth 474 25 Plainville 471 39 Sunderland 461 17 Feeding Hills 454 53 Brighton 451 198 Maynard 445 45 Tewksbury 445 129 Foxborough 444 75 Middleborough 441 102 Whitman 441 64 South Dennis 434 16 Orange 433 34 Whitinsville 432 30 Attleborough 431 188 Hull 427 44 Somerville 423 321 North Billerica 421 45 Abington 419 67 North Andover 419 119 Danvers 418 111 Tyngsborough 416 47 Winthrop 400 70 Florida 398 3 Palmer 395 48 Holbrook 389 42 Westfield 389 160 Clinton 382 52 Pocasset 380 11 Dennis Port 379 12 Winchendon 378 39 Ayer 377 28 Gloucester 371 107 Cheshire 370 12 West Wareham 368 8 Mansfield 366 85 Great Barrington 365 26 South Boston 365 123 Ashland 361 60 West Roxbury 361 110 Stockbridge 359 7 Medford 356 200 West Boylston 352 27 North Attleborough 348 100 Beverly 344 136 Methuen 342 162 Seekonk 342 47 Shelburne Falls 341 6 Weymouth 333 179 Bedford 330 44 Northampton 329 94 Lunenburg 327 33 Wellfleet 327 9 Marion 326 16 Dracut 325 96 Fiskdale 323 10 North Brookfield 320 15 Oxford 320 44 Saugus 319 85 Wrentham 319 35 Burlington 318 78 Lakeville 311 33 Franklin 309 98 Newton Center 308 12 North Oxford 308 7 North Chelmsford 307 28 Rockport 302 21 Chester 299 4 Andover 292 97 South Yarmouth 292 34 Warren 292 15 Raynham 291 39 Roxbury Crossing 290 173 Fairhaven 289 46 Salisbury 289 24 Hopkinton 288 43 Plymouth 286 162 North Chatham 284 2 Northborough 282 40 South Hadley 279 49 Cohasset 278 21 Hudson 278 53 Amesbury 276 45 Swampscott 275 38 Wakefield 272 68 East Wareham 270 59 Haydenville 265 3 Housatonic 265 2 Billerica 263 106 Shrewsbury 263 94 Ludlow 260 55 East Sandwich 258 9 Warwick 256 2 Watertown 256 82 Shirley 249 18 Acton 246 54 Dedham 246 61 Marshfield 246 62 Monson 245 21 South Lancaster 245 4 Brewster 244 24 South Deerfield 244 5 Eastham 242 12 Mashpee 242 34 Norton 236 45 Ipswich 235 31 West Townsend 235 5 Ashfield 230 4 Hanover 230 32 East Weymouth 228 123 Hadley 228 12 Natick 227 75 Belmont 226 56 Belchertown 225 33 Russell 225 4 Littleton 224 20 Bellingham 220 36 Wilmington 219 49 Lenox 218 11 Lenox Dale 214 1 Melrose 214 58 West Barnstable 212 6 Easthampton 211 34 Agawam 210 60 Newtonville 210 11 Granby 208 13 Wareham 206 45 Marstons Mills 205 10 Auburn 203 33 Provincetown 203 6 Chelmsford 201 68 Arlington 200 86 Truro 199 4 Boston 196 1213 Hinsdale 196 4 Dudley 193 22 Sharon 193 34 Dalton 192 13 Granville 191 3 Medfield 191 23 Sagamore 190 7 Lee 185 11 West Dennis 183 4 Carver 182 21 West Tisbury 182 5 Westford 182 40 Sudbury 181 32 Millbury 180 24 Southwick 178 17 West Warren 176 2 North Reading 174 26 East Taunton 172 11 Essex 171 6 Centerville 170 23 Hopedale 169 10 Hardwick 167 5 South Weymouth 167 90 Hingham 166 37 Acushnet 165 17 Millis 164 13 Pembroke 162 29 Sturbridge 161 15 Northbridge 159 25 Forestdale 158 7 Hanson 156 16 Marblehead 156 31 Millers Falls 155 2 Oak Bluffs 154 7 Plainfield 154 1 Walpole 153 37 Medway 148 19 North Falmouth 148 4 Edgartown 147 6 Lynnfield 146 17 Nahant 146 5 Thorndike 144 1 Williamstown 141 11 North Dartmouth 140 33 Avon 137 6 Nantucket 137 14 Cherry Valley 136 15 Stoneham 135 29 West Brookfield 135 5 Westport 135 21 Georgetown 134 11 Blackstone 132 12 Somerset 132 24 Pepperell 130 15 Wayland 130 17 West Bridgewater 130 9 Amherst 129 49 Barre 129 7 Sterling 128 10 Millville 125 4 Otis 124 2 Charlton 123 16 Woods Hole 122 1 Brookline 120 71 Williamsburg 120 3 Douglas 118 10 Teaticket 117 2 Wendell 117 1 Hampden 116 6 North Grafton 116 9 Osterville 113 4 Southborough 112 11 Erving 111 2 Rehoboth 111 13 Lincoln 110 7 Sagamore Beach 110 4 Auburndale 109 10 Westminster 109 8 Groveland 108 7 Lexington 108 34 Plympton 106 3 Bradford 104 14 Wellesley Hills 104 31 Southampton 103 6 Wenham 102 5 Westwood 102 15 East Bridgewater 101 14 New Salem 101 1 Orleans 101 6 Needham 100 29 Swansea 100 16 Townsend 100 9 Devens 99 2 North Truro 99 2 Yarmouth Port 99 5 Leeds 98 1 Hanscom Afb 97 2 Milton 96 26 Reading 96 24 West Newton 96 13 East Longmeadow 95 15 Halifax 93 7 Huntington 91 2 Stow 91 6 South Grafton 89 4 Cataumet 88 1 Templeton 87 7 Holden 86 15 Concord 84 15 North Easton 84 11 Longmeadow 82 13 Newton Upper Falls 82 5 Chatham 81 5 Chesterfield 81 1 Petersham 81 1 Boxborough 80 4 Holland 80 2 Newburyport 80 14 Royalston 79 1 Deerfield 78 4 Manchester 77 4 Falmouth 76 24 Rutland 75 6 Lancaster 74 6 Uxbridge 74 10 Holliston 73 10 South Egremont 72 1 Scituate 71 13 Richmond 67 1 Sandwich 67 14 Duxbury 66 10 E. Boston 66 27 Gill 66 1 Mattapoisett 66 4 Whately 66 1 Lanesborough 64 2 Wellesley 64 18 Leicester 63 7 Berkley 62 4 Needham Heights 62 18 Westhampton 62 1 Sheffield 61 2 Bourne 60 12 Winchester 60 13 Colrain 59 1 Phillipston 59 1 Princeton 58 2 Harwich 57 7 Harwich Port 57 1 Jefferson 57 2 Shutesbury 56 1 Brimfield 55 2 West Falmouth 54 1 Groton 53 6 Upton 53 4 Buckland 52 1 South Dartmouth 52 18 Rowley 51 3 Waban 51 4 Attleboro Falls 50 1 Grafton 50 9 Onset 50 11 Ashburnham 49 3 Wilbraham 49 7 Merrimac 47 3 Montague 47 4 Hubbardston 45 2 Newbury 45 3 Carlisle 41 2 Paxton 41 2 East Dennis 38 1 Norwell 38 4 Boxford 37 3 Newton 37 32 South Barre 37 2 South Hamilton 37 3 Rochdale 36 4 South Attleboro 36 3 Mendon 34 2 Middleton 33 3 Sutton 33 3 Northfield 32 1 Harvard 30 2 Hatfield 29 1 West Hatfield 29 1 Dennis 28 4 Dennisport 28 1 Dighton 28 2 Newton Highlands 27 23 Norfolk 26 3 Dartmouth 23 8 North Dighton 23 1 Assonet 22 2 Boylston 22 1 North Weymouth 21 12 East Harwich 19 1 East Walpole 19 5 South Lee 16 1 Topsfield 16 1 West Harwich 16 2 East Templeton 12 1 Easton 12 3 Freetown 11 1 Manchaug 11 1 Newton Lower Falls 10 9 Barnstable 8 4 West Groton 8 1 Weston 8 1 Nonantum 6 1 Tiverton 6 1 Yarmouth 4 1 South Walpole 3 1 Marlborough 2 1 E. Weymouth 1 1 Manomet 1 1 North Quincy 1 1 (not given) 0 2585 span 0 43 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 5467 3887 Plymouth 5130 2215 Berkshire 4957 800 Bristol 4180 3439 Worcester 3776 4203 Norfolk 3678 3135 Essex 3496 3844 Suffolk 3432 6777 Barnstable 2947 569 Middlesex 2893 6751 Franklin 2436 257 Hampshire 2410 444 Dukes 731 30 Nantucket 398 14 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/.