Outcomes for June 2018

Residential summary process: Outcomes Report This report examines cases filed at least one year before reading, for which outcomes were largely known. Search Period Start: 2018-06-01 Search Period End: 2018-06-30 Earliest Case: 2018-06-01 Latest Case: 2018-06-29 Total Cases: 3106 Total Transfers: 100 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 39.7% Of those, percentage pro se: 53.2% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Wales Least stable with 10+ filings: Springfield Least stable with 100+ filings: Springfield Least stable county: Berkshire Cases per day: 107 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 northeast 542 17.5% central 489 15.7% eastern 468 15.1% southeast 459 14.8% western 446 14.4% quincy district 127 4.1% chelsea district 38 1.2% cambridge district 35 1.1% lynn district 32 1.0% malden district 29 0.9% dedham district 25 0.8% pittsfield district 25 0.8% wrentham district 25 0.8% lowell district 24 0.8% brockton district 21 0.7% somerville district 20 0.6% stoughton district 20 0.6% waltham district 20 0.6% barnstable district 19 0.6% fall river district 18 0.6% fallmouth district 17 0.5% springfield district 17 0.5% attleboro district 15 0.5% northern berkshire district 15 0.5% salem district 12 0.4% bmc west roxbury 11 0.4% woburn district 11 0.4% haverhill district 9 0.3% holyoke district 9 0.3% bmc dorchester 8 0.3% bmc east boston 8 0.3% new bedford district 7 0.2% orleans district 7 0.2% palmer district 7 0.2% orange district 5 0.2% peabody district 5 0.2% chicopee district 4 0.1% concord district 4 0.1% framingham district 4 0.1% hingham district 4 0.1% lawrence district 4 0.1% newton district 4 0.1% plymouth district 4 0.1% taunton district 4 0.1% wareham district 4 0.1% westfield district 4 0.1% edgartown district 3 0.1% milford district 3 0.1% ayer district 2 0.1% bmc south boston 2 0.1% brookline district 2 0.1% eastern hampshire district 2 0.1% gloucester district 2 0.1% clinton district 1 0.0% greenfield district 1 0.0% nantucket district 1 0.0% northampton district 1 0.0% worcester district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 1873 14 Natural Person 1233 3092 Total 3106 3106 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 60.3% 0.5% Natural Person 39.7% 99.5% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 1766 107 1873 Optional 577 656 1233 Total 2343 763 3106 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 56.9% 3.4% 60.3% Optional 18.6% 21.1% 39.7% Total 75.4% 24.6% 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 2 12 14 Optional 203 2889 3092 Total 205 2901 3106 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.1% 0.4% 0.5% Optional 6.5% 93.0% 99.5% Total 6.6% 93.4% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 178 5.7% 1 2092 67.4% 2 669 21.5% 3 111 3.6% 4 36 1.2% 5 16 0.5% 6 2 0.1% 7 1 0.0% 8 1 0.0% Total 3106 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 1649 53.1% Cause 1029 33.1% No Fault 312 10.0% Foreclosure 115 3.7% Unknown/Other 1 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Wales 272 5 Chestnut Hill 188 4 Royalston 158 2 Charlemont 157 2 East Falmouth 155 9 Millers Falls 155 2 Springfield 150 230 Pittsfield 138 62 Fall River 135 120 Lawrence 134 103 Holyoke 132 53 North Adams 124 17 Turners Falls 121 5 Webster 119 20 Dorchester 117 108 Chilmark 115 1 Chelsea 110 39 Indian Orchard 109 11 Worcester 109 198 Baldwinville 105 2 Florence 105 1 Vineyard Haven 105 2 Pocasset 103 3 New Salem 101 1 Mattapan 98 36 Plainville 96 8 Salem 96 40 Lowell 94 101 New Bedford 92 88 Lynn 90 82 Fitchburg 89 36 Southbridge 89 15 Cataumet 88 1 West Warren 88 1 Brockton 87 82 Gilbertville 86 1 Worthington 86 1 Haverhill 83 51 Randolph 80 26 Rockland 80 14 Abington 68 11 South Yarmouth 68 8 Blackstone 66 6 Oak Bluffs 66 3 Gardner 64 13 Taunton 64 36 Dennis Port 63 2 South Boston 62 21 Athol 60 7 Salisbury 60 5 Colrain 59 1 Feeding Hills 59 7 Gloucester 59 17 Hyde Park 59 20 Phillipston 59 1 Adams 58 5 Buzzards Bay 58 2 Clarksburg 58 1 Hull 58 6 Roslindale 58 17 East Sandwich 57 2 Greenfield 57 10 Hyannis 56 8 Dorchester Center 55 51 Roxbury 55 33 Chicopee 54 30 Westborough 54 10 Braintree 53 19 Sturbridge 53 5 Danvers 52 14 Marlborough 51 20 Stockbridge 51 1 Millis 50 4 Lunenburg 49 5 Hanscom Afb 48 1 Norwood 48 14 Quincy 48 45 Stoughton 48 13 Allston 47 14 West Newbury 47 2 West Townsend 47 1 East Taunton 46 3 Leominster 46 19 Milford 46 13 Monson 46 4 Peabody 46 24 Everett 45 19 Framingham 45 31 Huntington 45 1 West Dennis 45 1 West Springfield 45 13 Uxbridge 44 6 Attleborough 43 19 Pepperell 43 5 Spencer 42 5 Whitman 41 6 Boxborough 40 2 Marion 40 2 Williamsburg 40 1 South Easton 39 4 Chelmsford 38 13 Malden 38 23 Winchendon 38 4 Auburn 37 6 Bridgewater 37 10 Cambridge 37 39 Dracut 37 11 Raynham 37 5 Swansea 37 6 Tewksbury 37 11 West Yarmouth 37 2 Amesbury 36 6 Bellingham 36 6 Cherry Valley 36 4 Hudson 36 7 Revere 36 19 Byfield 35 1 Dudley 35 4 Marshfield 35 9 Plympton 35 1 West Barnstable 35 1 Berlin 34 1 East Boston 34 14 Mansfield 34 8 Woburn 34 13 Mattapoisett 33 2 Methuen 33 16 Provincetown 33 1 Beverly 32 13 Fiskdale 32 1 Jamaica Plain 32 12 Palmer 32 4 Waltham 32 20 Fairhaven 31 5 Kingston 31 4 Millville 31 1 Southwick 31 3 Brewster 30 3 Ipswich 30 4 Sheffield 30 1 Centerville 29 4 Maynard 29 3 Nahant 29 1 Westfield 29 12 Essex 28 1 Franklin 28 9 Great Barrington 28 2 Mashpee 28 4 Northborough 28 4 South Hadley 28 5 Whitinsville 28 2 Belchertown 27 4 Brighton 27 12 Canton 27 6 Holbrook 27 3 North Attleborough 27 8 Sagamore Beach 27 1 Shirley 27 2 Stoneham 27 6 Sunderland 27 1 Westford 27 6 Carver 26 3 East Weymouth 26 14 Halifax 26 2 Saugus 26 7 North Grafton 25 2 Sterling 25 2 Georgetown 24 2 Amherst 23 9 Douglas 23 2 Foxborough 23 4 North Easton 23 3 Avon 22 1 Bedford 22 3 Boylston 22 1 Clinton 22 3 Forestdale 22 1 Holliston 22 3 Hubbardston 22 1 Newburyport 22 4 Pembroke 22 4 Somerset 22 4 Sutton 22 2 Weymouth 22 12 Andover 21 7 North Brookfield 21 1 Norton 21 4 Oxford 21 3 Eastham 20 1 Marstons Mills 20 1 East Longmeadow 19 3 Lenox 19 1 Newtonville 19 1 Warren 19 1 Westport 19 3 East Wareham 18 4 Melrose 18 5 South Barre 18 1 Charlestown 17 3 Medford 17 10 Needham Heights 17 5 North Andover 17 5 Plymouth 17 10 Somerville 17 13 Southampton 17 1 Wilmington 17 4 Winthrop 17 3 Arlington 16 7 Harwich 16 2 Lee 16 1 North Dartmouth 16 4 Charlton 15 2 Marblehead 15 3 Millbury 15 2 Stow 15 1 Boston 14 89 Bradford 14 2 Dighton 14 1 East Bridgewater 14 2 Northampton 14 4 Seekonk 14 2 Ayer 13 1 Duxbury 13 2 Upton 13 1 Westwood 13 2 Dedham 12 3 Easthampton 12 2 Middleborough 12 3 Orange 12 1 Reading 12 3 Templeton 12 1 Wakefield 12 3 Williamstown 12 1 Assonet 11 1 Grafton 11 2 Middleton 11 1 Roxbury Crossing 11 7 Sudbury 11 2 Townsend 11 1 Southborough 10 1 Ware 10 1 Billerica 9 4 E. Boston 9 4 Falmouth 9 3 Leicester 9 1 Lexington 9 3 Ludlow 9 2 Nantucket 9 1 North Billerica 9 1 Onset 9 2 South Weymouth 9 5 Wareham 9 2 Watertown 9 3 West Roxbury 9 3 Winchester 9 2 Brookline 8 5 Burlington 8 2 Medfield 8 1 Newton 8 7 Tyngsborough 8 1 West Harwich 8 1 Agawam 7 2 Milton 7 2 West Newton 7 1 Hopkinton 6 1 Longmeadow 6 1 North Reading 6 1 Northbridge 6 1 Dartmouth 5 2 Scituate 5 1 Shrewsbury 5 2 South Dartmouth 5 2 Acton 4 1 Natick 3 1 Newton Lower Falls 1 1 North Weymouth 1 1 (not given) 0 26 Duncannon 0 1 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 Berkshire 570 92 Hampden 534 380 Plymouth 421 182 Bristol 398 328 Worcester 381 425 Essex 373 411 Barnstable 316 61 Suffolk 255 505 Norfolk 248 212 Franklin 218 23 Middlesex 180 420 Hampshire 162 30 Dukes 146 6 Nantucket 28 1 Rate per 100,000 renter households based on 2019 ACS. Counties appear even if no evictions filed. OUTCOMES Concluded cases are 'disposed'. Not all cases were disposed at time of reading. Cases are read approximately 18 months after filing. Court Record Reads This Report Reads Stipulation of Dismissal Dismissed Voluntary Dismissal Dismissed Dismissal Dismissed Agreement for Judgment Mediated Agreement Mediated Judgment by Default Defaulted Findings Heard Order Heard Disposed Heard (unrecognized) Other Dismissals: Stipulations of dismissal are not legally the same as voluntary dismissals, but both are treated here as scenarios in which either money has been paid or cause cured. Mediation: Agreements are not legally the same as agreements for judgment, but both are treated here as mediations in which a tenancy may be preserved; judgment or execution may enter thereafter, looked at separately. Tenancy preservation program is generally not visible, may influence either mediation or dismissal. Some disposed cases may have a judgment entered. Judgments may be for money only, money and possession, or possession only. Some judgments for possession may result in an execution. Dispositions Count Percentage Disposed 2729 87.9% Ongoing/Error 377 12.1% Cases not yet disposed were either ongoing at time of reading or left open due to clerical error only. Note that agreements for judgment may not all be filed properly, and that mediations may be undercounted. By outcome, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Mediated 1323 48.5% Defaulted 658 24.1% Dismissed 608 22.3% Heard 117 4.3% Other 23 0.8% Total 2729 100.0% Outcome by reason: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 127 169 277 67 22 Foreclosure 22 44 41 6 0 No Fault 71 43 189 9 0 Non-payment 388 402 816 35 1 Unknown/Other 0 0 0 0 0 Outcome by reason, as a percent of disposed cases: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 4.7% 6.2% 10.2% 2.5% 0.8% Foreclosure 0.8% 1.6% 1.5% 0.2% 0.0% No Fault 2.6% 1.6% 6.9% 0.3% 0.0% Non-payment 14.2% 14.7% 29.9% 1.3% 0.0% Unknown/Other 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% Judgments The financial obligation of one party to another, net of counterclaims. Judgments recorded for the plaintiff may be lower than total eviction costs (e.g., moving and storage often not included). Judgments may not be ordered paid if the debtor receives any form of public assistance. Otherwise, judgments are enforceable any time in the 20 years after issuance. Judgments of small amounts typically reflect court filing fees rather than rent arrears. Mediated agreements for judgment are judgments; otherwise mediated agreements are not recorded. Amounts in excess of 100% of cases disposed indicate a judgment was inferred from the docket history but no dollar amount was entered and the case was not yet disposed. Count Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Judgment entered 1439 52.7% 46.3% Judgment inferred 565 20.7% 18.2% No judgment 725 26.6% 23.3% Total 2729 100.0% 64.5% Judgments by reason, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std Dev Total Cause 375 13.7% 0 91,091 2,768 6,367 1,038,299 Foreclosure 60 2.2% 0 70,613 2,564 10,163 153,851 No fault 114 4.2% 0 80,417 2,214 7,923 252,445 Non-payment 890 32.6% 0 99,167 3,561 5,874 3,169,315 Subtotal 1439 52.7% 0 99,167 3,206 6,435 4,613,911 Judgments by outcome, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std dev Total Dismissed 79 2.9% 0 25,303 2,644 3,809 208,924 Defaulted 634 23.2% 0 89,261 3,205 6,981 2,032,049 Mediated 649 23.8% 0 91,091 3,086 4,991 2,002,895 Heard 55 2.0% 0 99,167 5,472 14,006 300,979 Other 22 0.8% 175 11,233 3,139 3,509 69,063 Subtotal 1439 52.7% 0 99,167 3,206 6,435 4,613,911 By prevailing party, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed defendant 6 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% plaintiff 1527 76.2% 56.0% 49.2% unknown 471 23.5% 17.3% 15.2% Total 2004 100.0% 73.4% 64.5% Judgments All Cases: Count: 1439 Range: 0.000 - 99167.670; Mean: 3206.332; Median: 1896.240; Stddev: 6437.369 Percentiles: 90th: 6436.840; 95th: 9255.000; 99th: 20400.000 0.000 - 39.740: 2 | 39.740 - 95.890: 2 | 95.890 - 229.432: 194 ######################## 229.432 - 547.030: 90 ########### 547.030 - 1302.365: 218 ########################### 1302.365 - 3098.757: 424 ##################################################### 3098.757 - 7371.068: 351 ############################################ 7371.068 - 17531.791: 94 ############ 17531.791 - 41696.765: 9 # 41696.765 - 99167.670: 8 # Judgments By Reason Cause: Count: 375 Range: 0.000 - 91091.030; Mean: 2768.798; Median: 1370.170; Stddev: 6376.289 Percentiles: 90th: 5977.590; 95th: 9354.980; 99th: 16458.000 0.000 - 162.525: 6 #### 162.525 - 329.129: 88 ##################################################### 329.129 - 665.475: 18 ########### 665.475 - 1344.498: 37 ###################### 1344.498 - 2715.331: 71 ########################################### 2715.331 - 5482.808: 72 ########################################### 5482.808 - 11069.871: 35 ##################### 11069.871 - 22349.195: 9 ##### 22349.195 - 45120.221: 1 # 45120.221 - 91091.030: 2 # Foreclosure: Count: 60 Range: 0.000 - 70613.240; Mean: 2564.196; Median: 205.000; Stddev: 10249.043 Percentiles: 90th: 2607.180; 95th: 5022.240; 99th: 70613.240 0.000 - 325.804: 49 ##################################################### 325.804 - 592.865: 1 # 592.865 - 3562.603: 2 ## 3562.603 - 6474.747: 3 ### 6474.747 - 38858.006: 2 ## 38858.006 - 70613.240: 1 # No Fault: Count: 114 Range: 0.000 - 80417.570; Mean: 2214.431; Median: 459.880; Stddev: 7958.339 Percentiles: 90th: 3584.140; 95th: 4759.140; 99th: 25303.670 0.000 - 299.666: 48 ##################################################### 299.666 - 558.476: 4 #### 558.476 - 1040.066: 12 ############# 1040.066 - 1936.203: 16 ################## 1936.203 - 3603.724: 19 ##################### 3603.724 - 6706.626: 5 ###### 6706.626 - 12480.470: 1 # 12480.470 - 23224.368: 1 # 23224.368 - 43216.483: 1 # 43216.483 - 80417.570: 1 # Non-payment: Count: 890 Range: 0.000 - 99167.670; Mean: 3561.029; Median: 2292.300; Stddev: 5877.404 Percentiles: 90th: 6685.000; 95th: 9468.940; 99th: 18804.340 0.000 - 39.740: 2 | 39.740 - 95.890: 1 | 95.890 - 229.432: 40 ####### 229.432 - 547.030: 39 ###### 547.030 - 1302.365: 157 ########################## 1302.365 - 3098.757: 319 ##################################################### 3098.757 - 7371.068: 251 ########################################## 7371.068 - 17531.791: 69 ########### 17531.791 - 41696.765: 5 # 41696.765 - 99167.670: 4 # Judgments By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 79 Range: 0.000 - 25303.670; Mean: 2644.611; Median: 1506.000; Stddev: 3833.861 Percentiles: 90th: 6662.270; 95th: 10259.020; 99th: 25303.670 0.000 - 223.795: 12 ########################################## 223.795 - 378.946: 4 ############## 378.946 - 641.179: 7 ######################### 641.179 - 1084.404: 8 ############################ 1084.404 - 1833.536: 15 ##################################################### 1833.536 - 3099.709: 12 ########################################## 3099.709 - 5239.780: 8 ############################ 5239.780 - 8856.902: 8 ############################ 8856.902 - 14970.516: 2 ####### 14970.516 - 25303.670: 2 ####### Defaulted: Count: 634 Range: 0.000 - 89261.370; Mean: 3205.125; Median: 1810.545; Stddev: 6986.794 Percentiles: 90th: 6292.490; 95th: 10209.870; 99th: 20400.000 0.000 - 267.760: 120 ######################################## 267.760 - 511.282: 23 ######## 511.282 - 975.459: 53 ################## 975.459 - 1860.225: 120 ######################################## 1860.225 - 3546.674: 159 ##################################################### 3546.674 - 6761.211: 93 ############################### 6761.211 - 12888.427: 39 ############# 12888.427 - 24567.495: 12 #### 24567.495 - 46828.927: 1 | 46828.927 - 89261.370: 5 ## Mediated: Count: 649 Range: 0.000 - 91091.030; Mean: 3086.126; Median: 2023.020; Stddev: 4994.866 Percentiles: 90th: 6381.400; 95th: 8186.720; 99th: 14050.750 0.000 - 39.395: 2 # 39.395 - 94.258: 2 # 94.258 - 223.633: 64 ################# 223.633 - 528.720: 41 ########### 528.720 - 1248.162: 85 ###################### 1248.162 - 2944.718: 185 ################################################# 2944.718 - 6945.459: 201 ##################################################### 6945.459 - 16379.825: 36 ######### 16379.825 - 38627.521: 3 # 38627.521 - 91091.030: 2 # Heard: Count: 55 Range: 0.000 - 99167.670; Mean: 5472.354; Median: 2066.100; Stddev: 14135.091 Percentiles: 90th: 11550.900; 95th: 23234.520; 99th: 99167.670 0.000 - 336.348: 9 ########################################### 336.348 - 633.356: 1 ##### 633.356 - 1191.856: 5 ######################## 1191.856 - 2242.072: 5 ######################## 2242.072 - 4216.921: 11 ##################################################### 4216.921 - 7930.470: 7 ################################## 7930.470 - 14913.506: 4 ################### 14913.506 - 28044.558: 2 ########## 28044.558 - 52736.469: 1 ##### 52736.469 - 99167.670: 1 ##### Other Outcome: Count: 22 Range: 175.000 - 11233.350; Mean: 3139.243; Median: 1428.505; Stddev: 3591.858 Percentiles: 90th: 9966.050; 95th: 10089.860; 99th: 11233.350 175.000 - 265.696: 3 ######################################## 265.696 - 926.955: 4 ##################################################### 926.955 - 1405.146: 3 ######################################## 1405.146 - 2129.757: 3 ######################################## 2129.757 - 3227.772: 2 ########################### 3227.772 - 4891.613: 3 ######################################## 4891.613 - 11233.350: 4 ##################################################### Executions A levy of execution is a forced (court ordered) move-out, what is commonly meant by "eviction". If an execution is requested but not issued, the court has denied the landlord's request. If an execution is issued but not levied, the renters have left on their own. If an execution is levied, the renters and their belongings were removed per the move-and-store laws. Possession of the housing was returned to the owner. It is not possible to know from court records whether belongings were stored in a licensed and bonded warehouse (renter has not yet obtained new housing) or delivered per the renter's instructions (renter has obtained new housing). The landlord customarily pays for the cost of moving and storage. Executions are considered levied if a return of service appears in the record. Executions for possession only must be returned to the court even if not actually served. Executions for money may be kept (not returned) for attempts to collect. Percentages of judgments in excess of 100% indicate that the judgment for one or more cases was not officially recorded when the record was examined, or was recorded ambiguously. Count Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Requested 1460 72.9% 53.5% 47.0% Issued 1303 65.0% 47.7% 42.0% Levied 288 14.4% 10.6% 9.3% Levied by reason: Count Percentage of Levied Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Cause 39 13.5% 1.9% 1.4% 1.3% Foreclosure 26 9.0% 1.3% 1.0% 0.8% No Fault 19 6.6% 0.9% 0.7% 0.6% Non-payment 204 70.8% 10.2% 7.5% 6.6% Unknown/Other 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% All Reasons 288 100.0% 14.4% 10.6% 9.3% Read as X% of cases filed are levied for nonpayment, for example. Levied by outcome: Count Percentage of Levied Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Dismissed 19 6.6% 0.9% 0.7% 0.6% Defaulted 119 41.3% 5.9% 4.4% 3.8% Mediated 148 51.4% 7.4% 5.4% 4.8% Heard 2 0.7% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% Other 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% All Outcomes 288 100.0% 14.4% 10.6% 9.3% Read as X% of cases filed are levied following default, for example. Conditional probabilities: 'Given a case is about X, what are the odds of a forced move-out?' Levies Filings Percentage Chance Foreclosure 26 115 22.6% Non-payment 204 1649 12.4% No Fault 19 312 6.1% Cause 39 1029 3.8% Unknown/Other 0 1 0.0% Percentage chance is not intended to be summed across reasons. Conditional probabilities: 'Given a case ends with X, what are the odds of a forced move-out?' Levies Filings Percentage Chance Defaulted 119 658 18.1% Mediated 148 1323 11.2% Dismissed 19 608 3.1% Heard 2 117 1.7% Other 0 23 0.0% Percentage chance is not intended to be summed across outcomes. Causality cannot be inferred from this data (e.g., did mediation prevent a levy? or was mediation avoided because one party assumed a levy was inevitable?). Court Duration for Disposed Cases (days) Nothing leading up to the filing of the summary process case is considered. Nothing following the summary process case is considered. Excludes grace period, notice period, and entry delays. Excludes execution and appeal period, if any. Actual eviction duration will be at least 40 days longer than indicated for a 30 day notice to quit and 10 day appeal period. Zero may indicate either 0 or no data, see histogram below. (days) Shortest Longest Average Std Dev Cause 0 1814 80 190 Non-payment 0 2271 37 136 No Fault 0 653 35 64 Foreclosure 7 518 53 95 Unknown/Other 0 0 0 0 All Reasons 0 2271 48 145 (days) Shortest Longest Average Std Dev Dismissed 0 2271 62 192 Defaulted 0 563 27 46 Mediated 0 2162 44 138 Heard 3 1775 129 249 Other 0 387 72 101 All Outcomes 0 2271 48 145 All Cases: Count: 2729 Range: 0.000 - 2271.000; Mean: 48.573; Median: 17.000; Stddev: 145.856 Percentiles: 90th: 74.000; 95th: 180.000; 99th: 514.000 0.000 - 6.542: 9 | 6.542 - 13.221: 729 ################################ 13.221 - 25.814: 1204 ##################################################### 25.814 - 49.559: 402 ################## 49.559 - 94.331: 149 ####### 94.331 - 178.750: 94 #### 178.750 - 337.925: 69 ### 337.925 - 638.056: 46 ## 638.056 - 1203.962: 10 | 1203.962 - 2271.000: 12 # By Reason Cause: Count: 662 Range: 0.000 - 1814.000; Mean: 80.997; Median: 24.000; Stddev: 190.804 Percentiles: 90th: 193.000; 95th: 322.000; 99th: 1318.000 0.000 - 6.375: 6 ## 6.375 - 12.596: 123 ################################ 12.596 - 24.067: 203 ##################################################### 24.067 - 45.215: 136 #################################### 45.215 - 84.206: 64 ################# 84.206 - 156.091: 51 ############# 156.091 - 288.622: 40 ########## 288.622 - 532.966: 23 ###### 532.966 - 983.453: 8 ## 983.453 - 1814.000: 7 ## Non-payment: Count: 1642 Range: 0.000 - 2271.000; Mean: 37.588; Median: 15.000; Stddev: 136.788 Percentiles: 90th: 42.000; 95th: 86.000; 99th: 392.000 0.000 - 6.542: 3 | 6.542 - 13.221: 520 ################################### 13.221 - 25.814: 783 ##################################################### 25.814 - 49.559: 193 ############# 49.559 - 94.331: 64 #### 94.331 - 178.750: 25 ## 178.750 - 337.925: 23 ## 337.925 - 638.056: 19 # 638.056 - 1203.962: 4 | 1203.962 - 2271.000: 5 | No Fault: Count: 312 Range: 0.000 - 653.000; Mean: 35.891; Median: 18.000; Stddev: 64.544 Percentiles: 90th: 57.000; 95th: 135.000; 99th: 375.000 0.000 - 11.426: 49 ######################## 11.426 - 18.301: 108 ##################################################### 18.301 - 28.980: 74 #################################### 28.980 - 45.568: 43 ##################### 45.568 - 71.333: 12 ###### 71.333 - 111.352: 7 ### 111.352 - 173.514: 8 #### 173.514 - 270.069: 4 ## 270.069 - 420.045: 4 ## 420.045 - 653.000: 2 # Foreclosure: Count: 113 Range: 7.000 - 518.000; Mean: 53.265; Median: 17.000; Stddev: 95.622 Percentiles: 90th: 150.000; 95th: 281.000; 99th: 455.000 7.000 - 11.142: 19 ######################### 11.142 - 17.429: 40 ##################################################### 17.429 - 26.971: 22 ############################# 26.971 - 41.454: 10 ############# 41.454 - 63.436: 3 #### 63.436 - 147.438: 7 ######### 147.438 - 224.295: 5 ####### 224.295 - 340.948: 2 ### 340.948 - 518.000: 5 ####### By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 608 Range: 0.000 - 2271.000; Mean: 62.931; Median: 16.000; Stddev: 192.433 Percentiles: 90th: 105.000; 95th: 287.000; 99th: 1164.000 0.000 - 6.542: 5 # 6.542 - 13.221: 214 ##################################################### 13.221 - 25.814: 191 ############################################### 25.814 - 49.559: 97 ######################## 49.559 - 94.331: 36 ######### 94.331 - 178.750: 21 ##### 178.750 - 337.925: 14 ### 337.925 - 638.056: 16 #### 638.056 - 1203.962: 7 ## 1203.962 - 2271.000: 5 # Defaulted: Count: 658 Range: 0.000 - 563.000; Mean: 27.795; Median: 16.000; Stddev: 46.487 Percentiles: 90th: 41.000; 95th: 88.000; 99th: 267.000 0.000 - 13.967: 172 ############################## 13.967 - 21.400: 304 ##################################################### 21.400 - 32.526: 91 ################ 32.526 - 49.178: 33 ###### 49.178 - 74.100: 20 ### 74.100 - 111.400: 13 ## 111.400 - 167.227: 11 ## 167.227 - 250.781: 3 # 250.781 - 375.835: 8 # 375.835 - 563.000: 2 | Mediated: Count: 1323 Range: 0.000 - 2162.000; Mean: 44.720; Median: 17.000; Stddev: 138.807 Percentiles: 90th: 60.000; 95th: 150.000; 99th: 434.000 0.000 - 11.419: 283 ########################### 11.419 - 21.034: 550 ##################################################### 21.034 - 38.092: 265 ########################## 38.092 - 68.356: 103 ########## 68.356 - 122.049: 38 #### 122.049 - 217.310: 35 ### 217.310 - 386.319: 27 ### 386.319 - 686.171: 14 # 686.171 - 1218.160: 2 | 1218.160 - 2162.000: 5 | Heard: Count: 117 Range: 3.000 - 1775.000; Mean: 129.667; Median: 30.000; Stddev: 249.618 Percentiles: 90th: 329.000; 95th: 414.000; 99th: 1596.000 3.000 - 6.359: 2 ### 6.359 - 12.537: 16 ########################### 12.537 - 23.904: 31 ##################################################### 23.904 - 44.816: 18 ############################### 44.816 - 83.285: 11 ################### 83.285 - 154.056: 10 ################# 154.056 - 284.252: 10 ################# 284.252 - 523.767: 16 ########################### 523.767 - 964.394: 1 ## 964.394 - 1775.000: 2 ### Other Outcome: Count: 23 Range: 0.000 - 387.000; Mean: 72.652; Median: 28.000; Stddev: 101.614 Percentiles: 90th: 129.000; 95th: 360.000; 99th: 387.000 0.000 - 5.320: 1 ######### 5.320 - 14.779: 3 ########################### 14.779 - 23.933: 2 ################## 23.933 - 38.395: 6 ##################################################### 38.395 - 61.248: 1 ######### 61.248 - 97.356: 5 ############################################ 97.356 - 154.409: 2 ################## 154.409 - 387.000: 2 ################## -- 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/.