Outcomes for November 2020

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: 2020-11-01 Search Period End: 2020-11-30 Earliest Case: 2020-11-02 Latest Case: 2020-11-30 Total Cases: 2683 Total Transfers: 18 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 37.9% Of those, percentage pro se: 52.6% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Three Rivers Least stable with 10+ filings: Fall River Least stable with 100+ filings: Fall River Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 92 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 490 18.3% central 455 17.0% southeast 390 14.5% western 379 14.1% eastern 294 11.0% metro_south 290 10.8% fall river district 38 1.4% malden district 29 1.1% quincy district 27 1.0% barnstable district 26 1.0% pittsfield district 25 0.9% cambridge district 21 0.8% lowell district 18 0.7% lynn district 17 0.6% haverhill district 15 0.6% northern berkshire district 14 0.5% orleans district 12 0.4% fallmouth district 11 0.4% somerville district 11 0.4% attleboro district 10 0.4% waltham district 10 0.4% bmc east boston 9 0.3% chelsea district 9 0.3% woburn district 8 0.3% dedham district 7 0.3% bmc brighton 6 0.2% palmer district 6 0.2% ayer district 5 0.2% framingham district 5 0.2% salem district 5 0.2% new bedford district 4 0.1% chicopee district 3 0.1% northampton district 3 0.1% stoughton district 3 0.1% concord district 2 0.1% eastern hampshire district 2 0.1% nantucket district 2 0.1% newburyport district 2 0.1% newton district 2 0.1% southern berkshire district 2 0.1% wrentham district 2 0.1% bmc roxbury 1 0.0% brockton district 1 0.0% edgartown district 1 0.0% gloucester district 1 0.0% hingham district 1 0.0% holyoke district 1 0.0% lawrence district 1 0.0% milford district 1 0.0% natick district 1 0.0% orange district 1 0.0% peabody district 1 0.0% plymouth district 1 0.0% springfield district 1 0.0% westborough district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 1667 48 Natural Person 1016 2635 Total 2683 2683 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 62.1% 1.8% Natural Person 37.9% 98.2% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 1639 28 1667 Optional 482 534 1016 Total 2121 562 2683 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 61.1% 1.0% 62.1% Optional 18.0% 19.9% 37.9% Total 79.1% 20.9% 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 12 36 48 Optional 266 2369 2635 Total 278 2405 2683 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.4% 1.3% 1.8% Optional 9.9% 88.3% 98.2% Total 10.4% 89.6% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 129 4.8% 1 1728 64.4% 2 691 25.8% 3 100 3.7% 4 22 0.8% 5 10 0.4% 6 2 0.1% 7 1 0.0% Total 2683 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 2006 74.8% Cause 584 21.8% No Fault 64 2.4% Foreclosure 25 0.9% Unknown/Other 4 0.1% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Three Rivers 272 8 Rowe 254 1 Fall River 178 159 Thorndike 144 1 Springfield 132 203 Dennis Port 126 4 Lawrence 123 94 New Bedford 116 111 Fitchburg 114 46 Westborough 114 21 Lowell 110 118 Worcester 108 196 Norwood 104 30 East Falmouth 103 6 Brockton 101 95 Rockport 100 7 Hyannis 99 14 West Yarmouth 94 5 Indian Orchard 89 9 Buzzards Bay 87 3 East Sandwich 86 3 Worthington 86 1 Mashpee 85 12 Easthampton 80 13 North Adams 80 11 West Chatham 78 1 Southbridge 77 13 Webster 77 13 Malden 75 45 Whitman 75 11 Haverhill 73 45 Pittsfield 71 32 Framingham 70 48 Provincetown 67 2 Raynham 67 9 Salem 65 27 Stoughton 63 17 Attleborough 61 27 Holyoke 60 24 Lynn 60 55 Middleborough 60 14 Ware 60 6 Lunenburg 59 6 West Springfield 59 17 Ashfield 57 1 Harwich Port 57 1 Jefferson 57 2 Marlborough 57 22 North Billerica 56 6 Russell 56 1 Shelburne Falls 56 1 Shutesbury 56 1 Townsend 56 5 Canton 55 12 Shirley 55 4 Revere 54 28 South Dennis 54 2 Bondsville 53 1 Baldwinville 52 1 Chicopee 52 29 Mattapan 52 19 Andover 51 17 Chelsea 51 18 Feeding Hills 51 6 Greenfield 51 9 Newton Center 51 2 South Yarmouth 51 6 Southampton 51 3 Abington 50 8 Braintree 50 18 Hyde Park 50 17 Millis 50 4 Edgartown 49 2 Gardner 49 10 Weymouth 48 26 Adams 47 4 Westwood 47 7 West Wareham 46 1 Everett 45 19 South Hadley 45 8 Acton 41 9 Allston 41 12 Belchertown 40 6 Holland 40 1 Methuen 40 19 Newburyport 40 7 Rockland 40 7 Williamsburg 40 1 Winthrop 40 7 Leominster 39 16 Taunton 39 22 Yarmouth Port 39 2 Hull 38 4 Sandwich 38 8 Quincy 37 35 Dorchester Center 36 34 Athol 34 4 Mattapoisett 33 2 Walpole 33 8 Ashby 32 1 Milford 32 9 Dunstable 31 1 North Attleborough 31 9 Amesbury 30 5 Brookfield 29 1 Cambridge 29 31 Nahant 29 1 Princeton 29 1 Great Barrington 28 2 Hanover 28 4 Roxbury 28 17 Wakefield 28 7 Holbrook 27 3 West Brookfield 27 1 Cohasset 26 2 Dorchester 26 24 Dudley 26 3 Hopkinton 26 4 Upton 26 2 North Grafton 25 2 Orange 25 2 Harwich 24 3 Medford 24 14 North Andover 24 7 Tewksbury 24 7 Turners Falls 24 1 Foxborough 23 4 North Dighton 23 1 Avon 22 1 Blackstone 22 2 Boylston 22 1 Centerville 22 3 Danvers 22 6 Forestdale 22 1 South Grafton 22 1 Uxbridge 22 3 Agawam 21 6 Northborough 21 3 Sturbridge 21 2 Beverly 20 8 Boxborough 20 1 Eastham 20 1 Marstons Mills 20 1 Needham 20 6 East Boston 19 8 Hadley 19 1 Manchester 19 1 Nantucket 19 2 South Easton 19 2 Westfield 19 8 Brighton 18 8 Saugus 18 5 Woburn 18 7 Lynnfield 17 2 Peabody 17 9 Plymouth 17 10 Rehoboth 17 2 Ashburnham 16 1 Dedham 16 4 Dracut 16 5 Hopedale 16 1 Medfield 16 2 Charlton 15 2 Marblehead 15 3 Merrimac 15 1 Millbury 15 2 Randolph 15 5 Stow 15 1 Dalton 14 1 Somerville 14 11 South Weymouth 14 8 Waltham 14 9 Whitinsville 14 1 Ayer 13 1 East Weymouth 13 7 Gloucester 13 4 West Boylston 13 1 Westford 13 3 Ashland 12 2 Auburn 12 2 Bellingham 12 2 Boston 12 78 Boxford 12 1 Burlington 12 3 Fairhaven 12 2 Georgetown 12 1 Lancaster 12 1 Mansfield 12 3 Plainville 12 1 Reading 12 3 Rutland 12 1 Salisbury 12 1 Templeton 12 1 Westport 12 2 Williamstown 12 1 Assonet 11 1 Douglas 11 1 Melrose 11 3 Middleton 11 1 Monson 11 1 Montague 11 1 Pembroke 11 2 Amherst 10 4 Auburndale 10 1 Brewster 10 1 North Chelmsford 10 1 Acushnet 9 1 Arlington 9 4 Billerica 9 4 Falmouth 9 3 Hanson 9 1 Ludlow 9 2 Stoneham 9 2 Wareham 9 2 West Roxbury 9 3 Winchendon 9 1 Belmont 8 2 Carver 8 1 Jamaica Plain 8 3 Shrewsbury 8 3 Spencer 8 1 Tyngsborough 8 1 Bradford 7 1 Bridgewater 7 2 Ipswich 7 1 Kingston 7 1 Marshfield 7 2 North Easton 7 1 North Uxbridge 7 1 Northampton 7 2 Oxford 7 1 Seekonk 7 1 Swampscott 7 1 Wayland 7 1 West Newton 7 1 Longmeadow 6 1 Needham Heights 6 2 Swansea 6 1 Brookline 5 3 Charlestown 5 1 Chelmsford 5 2 Concord 5 1 Grafton 5 1 Norton 5 1 Sharon 5 1 Somerset 5 1 South Boston 5 2 E. Boston 4 2 Easton 4 1 Hingham 4 1 Franklin 3 1 Lexington 3 1 Milton 3 1 Natick 3 1 Roslindale 3 1 Roxbury Crossing 3 2 Watertown 3 1 Wellesley Hills 3 1 Barnstable 2 1 Newton 2 2 (not given) 0 16 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 447 318 Bristol 434 357 Barnstable 430 83 Plymouth 389 168 Worcester 342 381 Berkshire 316 51 Essex 300 330 Norfolk 248 212 Hampshire 244 45 Middlesex 178 417 Franklin 161 17 Suffolk 143 284 Nantucket 56 2 Dukes 48 2 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 2469 92.0% Ongoing/Error 214 8.0% 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 902 36.5% Dismissed 725 29.4% Defaulted 392 15.9% Heard 281 11.4% Other 169 6.8% Total 2469 100.0% Outcome by reason: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 49 29 154 74 134 Foreclosure 3 4 13 4 1 No Fault 12 8 29 9 2 Non-payment 661 351 706 194 32 Unknown/Other 0 0 0 0 0 Outcome by reason, as a percent of disposed cases: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 2.0% 1.2% 6.2% 3.0% 5.4% Foreclosure 0.1% 0.2% 0.5% 0.2% 0.0% No Fault 0.5% 0.3% 1.2% 0.4% 0.1% Non-payment 26.8% 14.2% 28.6% 7.9% 1.3% 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 1118 45.3% 41.7% Judgment inferred 274 11.1% 10.2% No judgment 1077 43.6% 40.1% Total 2469 100.0% 51.9% Judgments by reason, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std Dev Total Cause 279 11.3% 0 51,153 7,511 7,899 2,095,838 Foreclosure 11 0.4% 168 33,348 5,613 11,517 61,745 No fault 24 1.0% 191 22,368 6,317 6,976 151,623 Non-payment 804 32.6% 0 120,639 8,775 8,929 7,055,438 Subtotal 1118 45.3% 0 120,639 8,376 8,702 9,364,645 Judgments by outcome, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std dev Total Dismissed 20 0.8% 377 23,793 8,528 5,786 170,573 Defaulted 390 15.8% 157 120,639 8,707 9,250 3,395,923 Mediated 402 16.3% 0 77,685 6,860 7,258 2,757,831 Heard 139 5.6% 0 62,637 9,781 10,177 1,359,599 Other 167 6.8% 0 63,642 10,064 8,932 1,680,717 Subtotal 1118 45.3% 0 120,639 8,376 8,702 9,364,645 By prevailing party, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed defendant 3 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% plaintiff 1189 85.4% 48.2% 44.3% unknown 200 14.4% 8.1% 7.5% Total 1392 100.0% 56.4% 51.9% Judgments All Cases: Count: 1118 Range: 0.000 - 120639.030; Mean: 8376.248; Median: 6250.250; Stddev: 8706.167 Percentiles: 90th: 17846.320; 95th: 23681.740; 99th: 36397.500 0.000 - 275.979: 92 ################ 275.979 - 543.094: 13 ## 543.094 - 1067.811: 27 ##### 1067.811 - 2098.559: 70 ############# 2098.559 - 4123.348: 187 ################################# 4123.348 - 8100.818: 280 ################################################## 8100.818 - 15914.113: 296 ##################################################### 15914.113 - 31262.455: 125 ###################### 31262.455 - 61412.550: 14 ### 61412.550 - 120639.030: 4 # Judgments By Reason Cause: Count: 279 Range: 0.000 - 51153.930; Mean: 7511.964; Median: 5460.830; Stddev: 7913.778 Percentiles: 90th: 17520.030; 95th: 21553.820; 99th: 41905.000 0.000 - 253.206: 50 ############################################ 253.206 - 457.303: 8 ####### 457.303 - 825.266: 3 ### 825.266 - 1488.658: 6 ##### 1488.658 - 2684.674: 11 ########## 2684.674 - 4840.948: 40 ################################### 4840.948 - 8728.452: 59 #################################################### 8728.452 - 15737.155: 60 ##################################################### 15737.155 - 28373.006: 32 ############################ 28373.006 - 51153.930: 4 #### Foreclosure: Count: 11 Range: 168.020 - 33348.730; Mean: 5613.201; Median: 231.540; Stddev: 12079.327 Percentiles: 90th: 26326.190; 95th: 33348.730; 99th: 33348.730 168.020 - 285.717: 9 ##################################################### 285.717 - 33348.730: 2 ############ No Fault: Count: 24 Range: 191.700 - 22368.080; Mean: 6317.655; Median: 3966.010; Stddev: 7127.033 Percentiles: 90th: 17056.420; 95th: 19721.910; 99th: 22368.080 191.700 - 308.998: 11 ##################################################### 308.998 - 3338.962: 1 ##### 3338.962 - 8642.604: 4 ################### 8642.604 - 13904.016: 4 ################### 13904.016 - 22368.080: 4 ################### Non-payment: Count: 804 Range: 0.000 - 120639.030; Mean: 8775.421; Median: 6499.470; Stddev: 8934.903 Percentiles: 90th: 17949.400; 95th: 24349.300; 99th: 35505.790 0.000 - 306.297: 20 ##### 306.297 - 595.724: 10 ## 595.724 - 1157.745: 19 ##### 1157.745 - 2249.105: 66 ################ 2249.105 - 4368.357: 162 ####################################### 4368.357 - 8483.619: 219 ##################################################### 8483.619 - 16474.823: 208 ################################################## 16474.823 - 31992.510: 83 #################### 31992.510 - 62125.468: 9 ## 62125.468 - 120639.030: 4 # Judgments By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 20 Range: 377.130 - 23793.430; Mean: 8528.663; Median: 7823.755; Stddev: 5936.787 Percentiles: 90th: 15104.050; 95th: 17156.920; 99th: 23793.430 377.130 - 571.169: 1 ######## 571.169 - 864.781: 1 ######## 864.781 - 2998.565: 1 ######## 2998.565 - 4537.806: 3 ####################### 4537.806 - 6866.917: 1 ######## 6866.917 - 10391.223: 7 ##################################################### 10391.223 - 15724.045: 4 ############################## 15724.045 - 23793.430: 2 ############### Defaulted: Count: 390 Range: 157.250 - 120639.030; Mean: 8707.496; Median: 6612.460; Stddev: 9262.631 Percentiles: 90th: 18564.470; 95th: 23791.200; 99th: 33319.400 157.250 - 306.297: 33 ################# 306.297 - 595.724: 2 # 595.724 - 1157.745: 7 #### 1157.745 - 2249.105: 25 ############# 2249.105 - 4368.357: 67 ################################## 4368.357 - 8483.619: 105 ##################################################### 8483.619 - 16474.823: 104 #################################################### 16474.823 - 31992.510: 40 #################### 31992.510 - 62125.468: 6 ### 62125.468 - 120639.030: 1 # Mediated: Count: 402 Range: 0.000 - 77685.360; Mean: 6860.278; Median: 4856.255; Stddev: 7267.788 Percentiles: 90th: 15798.820; 95th: 20499.150; 99th: 29036.720 0.000 - 265.744: 31 ################# 265.744 - 500.071: 10 ##### 500.071 - 940.251: 11 ###### 940.251 - 1767.117: 24 ############# 1767.117 - 3320.365: 63 ################################## 3320.365 - 6238.104: 99 ##################################################### 6238.104 - 11719.006: 79 ########################################## 11719.006 - 22014.750: 60 ################################ 22014.750 - 41355.057: 16 ######### 41355.057 - 77685.360: 1 # Heard: Count: 139 Range: 0.000 - 62637.900; Mean: 9781.293; Median: 7441.200; Stddev: 10214.281 Percentiles: 90th: 21533.350; 95th: 28332.120; 99th: 51153.930 0.000 - 258.407: 18 ########################## 258.407 - 476.248: 4 ###### 476.248 - 877.024: 2 ### 877.024 - 1614.359: 6 ######### 1614.359 - 2970.882: 9 ############# 2970.882 - 5466.567: 15 ##################### 5466.567 - 10058.042: 30 ########################################### 10058.042 - 18505.280: 37 ##################################################### 18505.280 - 34046.217: 13 ################### 34046.217 - 62637.900: 4 ###### Other Outcome: Count: 167 Range: 0.000 - 63642.310; Mean: 10064.178; Median: 8229.090; Stddev: 8959.409 Percentiles: 90th: 19572.500; 95th: 22977.520; 99th: 48307.040 0.000 - 356.768: 7 ######### 356.768 - 635.236: 1 # 635.236 - 1130.450: 3 #### 1130.450 - 2011.111: 5 ###### 2011.111 - 3577.234: 14 ################## 3577.234 - 6362.347: 39 ################################################# 6362.347 - 11315.246: 42 ##################################################### 11315.246 - 20123.225: 41 #################################################### 20123.225 - 35786.879: 9 ########### 35786.879 - 63642.310: 5 ###### 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 1050 75.4% 42.5% 39.1% Issued 843 60.6% 34.1% 31.4% Levied 172 12.4% 7.0% 6.4% Levied by reason: Count Percentage of Levied Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Cause 18 10.5% 1.3% 0.7% 0.7% Foreclosure 3 1.7% 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% No Fault 10 5.8% 0.7% 0.4% 0.4% Non-payment 141 82.0% 10.1% 5.7% 5.3% Unknown/Other 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% All Reasons 172 100.0% 12.4% 7.0% 6.4% 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 4 2.3% 0.3% 0.2% 0.1% Defaulted 82 47.7% 5.9% 3.3% 3.1% Mediated 49 28.5% 3.5% 2.0% 1.8% Heard 30 17.4% 2.2% 1.2% 1.1% Other 7 4.1% 0.5% 0.3% 0.3% All Outcomes 172 100.0% 12.4% 7.0% 6.4% 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 No Fault 10 64 15.6% Foreclosure 3 25 12.0% Non-payment 141 2006 7.0% Cause 18 584 3.1% Unknown/Other 0 4 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 82 392 20.9% Heard 30 281 10.7% Mediated 49 902 5.4% Other 7 169 4.1% Dismissed 4 725 0.6% 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 0 523 116 96 Non-payment 0 580 99 83 No Fault 21 428 104 97 Foreclosure 11 346 111 88 Unknown/Other 0 0 0 0 All Reasons 0 580 102 86 (days) Shortest Longest Average Std Dev Dismissed 0 534 116 94 Defaulted 22 534 104 63 Mediated 0 550 71 64 Heard 7 549 129 105 Other 29 580 157 108 All Outcomes 0 580 102 86 All Cases: Count: 2469 Range: 0.000 - 580.000; Mean: 102.459; Median: 74.000; Stddev: 86.865 Percentiles: 90th: 218.000; 95th: 283.000; 99th: 455.000 0.000 - 4.080: 6 | 4.080 - 7.601: 3 | 7.601 - 13.563: 20 ## 13.563 - 23.657: 117 ######### 23.657 - 40.749: 316 ######################### 40.749 - 69.689: 640 ################################################## 69.689 - 118.690: 674 ##################################################### 118.690 - 201.659: 408 ################################ 201.659 - 342.139: 206 ################ 342.139 - 580.000: 76 ###### By Reason Cause: Count: 440 Range: 0.000 - 523.000; Mean: 116.605; Median: 86.500; Stddev: 96.689 Percentiles: 90th: 254.000; 95th: 318.000; 99th: 474.000 0.000 - 4.027: 2 # 4.027 - 7.425: 1 | 7.425 - 13.118: 8 #### 13.118 - 22.659: 18 ######## 22.659 - 38.648: 36 ################ 38.648 - 65.443: 82 #################################### 65.443 - 110.344: 120 ##################################################### 110.344 - 185.590: 98 ########################################### 185.590 - 311.687: 50 ###################### 311.687 - 523.000: 23 ########## Non-payment: Count: 1944 Range: 0.000 - 580.000; Mean: 99.089; Median: 72.000; Stddev: 83.836 Percentiles: 90th: 205.000; 95th: 262.000; 99th: 449.000 0.000 - 5.581: 4 | 5.581 - 9.826: 4 | 9.826 - 16.811: 17 # 16.811 - 28.303: 183 ############### 28.303 - 47.208: 250 ##################### 47.208 - 78.310: 630 ##################################################### 78.310 - 129.479: 435 ##################################### 129.479 - 213.661: 239 #################### 213.661 - 352.154: 132 ########### 352.154 - 580.000: 49 #### No Fault: Count: 60 Range: 21.000 - 428.000; Mean: 104.133; Median: 71.500; Stddev: 97.606 Percentiles: 90th: 203.000; 95th: 401.000; 99th: 428.000 21.000 - 28.609: 6 ######################## 28.609 - 38.850: 3 ############ 38.850 - 52.633: 8 ################################# 52.633 - 71.183: 13 ##################################################### 71.183 - 96.149: 10 ######################################### 96.149 - 129.751: 8 ################################# 129.751 - 174.973: 5 #################### 174.973 - 235.837: 2 ######## 235.837 - 317.753: 1 #### 317.753 - 428.000: 4 ################ Foreclosure: Count: 25 Range: 11.000 - 346.000; Mean: 111.560; Median: 79.000; Stddev: 88.364 Percentiles: 90th: 289.000; 95th: 293.000; 99th: 346.000 11.000 - 15.799: 1 ########### 15.799 - 22.519: 1 ########### 22.519 - 45.094: 2 ##################### 45.094 - 63.529: 5 ##################################################### 63.529 - 89.338: 4 ########################################## 89.338 - 125.469: 5 ##################################################### 125.469 - 176.052: 3 ################################ 176.052 - 246.865: 1 ########### 246.865 - 346.000: 3 ################################ By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 725 Range: 0.000 - 534.000; Mean: 116.650; Median: 90.000; Stddev: 94.823 Percentiles: 90th: 241.000; 95th: 301.000; 99th: 457.000 0.000 - 4.038: 6 ## 4.038 - 7.460: 2 # 7.460 - 13.207: 10 ### 13.207 - 22.857: 37 ########## 22.857 - 39.062: 78 ##################### 39.062 - 66.276: 110 ############################# 66.276 - 111.975: 199 ##################################################### 111.975 - 188.717: 148 ####################################### 188.717 - 317.589: 102 ########################### 317.589 - 534.000: 32 ######### Defaulted: Count: 392 Range: 22.000 - 534.000; Mean: 104.643; Median: 84.000; Stddev: 63.311 Percentiles: 90th: 185.000; 95th: 235.000; 99th: 301.000 22.000 - 30.506: 5 ## 30.506 - 42.157: 8 ### 42.157 - 58.117: 44 ################### 58.117 - 79.980: 125 ##################################################### 79.980 - 109.928: 83 ################################### 109.928 - 150.951: 71 ############################## 150.951 - 207.145: 26 ########### 207.145 - 284.121: 23 ########## 284.121 - 389.563: 4 ## 389.563 - 534.000: 3 # Mediated: Count: 902 Range: 0.000 - 550.000; Mean: 71.359; Median: 55.000; Stddev: 64.075 Percentiles: 90th: 136.000; 95th: 182.000; 99th: 358.000 0.000 - 15.269: 10 ## 15.269 - 23.063: 71 ############## 23.063 - 34.589: 128 ########################## 34.589 - 51.638: 180 #################################### 51.638 - 76.852: 265 ##################################################### 76.852 - 114.146: 120 ######################## 114.146 - 169.304: 73 ############### 169.304 - 250.884: 29 ###### 250.884 - 371.542: 15 ### 371.542 - 550.000: 9 ## Heard: Count: 281 Range: 7.000 - 549.000; Mean: 129.708; Median: 96.000; Stddev: 105.914 Percentiles: 90th: 293.000; 95th: 381.000; 99th: 487.000 7.000 - 11.213: 2 ## 11.213 - 17.644: 2 ## 17.644 - 27.462: 3 ## 27.462 - 42.451: 13 ########## 42.451 - 65.332: 68 ##################################################### 65.332 - 100.264: 64 ################################################## 100.264 - 153.590: 64 ################################################## 153.590 - 234.998: 22 ################# 234.998 - 359.276: 23 ################## 359.276 - 549.000: 20 ################ Other Outcome: Count: 169 Range: 29.000 - 580.000; Mean: 157.201; Median: 125.000; Stddev: 108.285 Percentiles: 90th: 310.000; 95th: 393.000; 99th: 541.000 29.000 - 39.348: 3 #### 39.348 - 53.267: 9 ############# 53.267 - 71.986: 14 #################### 71.986 - 97.162: 30 ########################################### 97.162 - 131.023: 37 ##################################################### 131.023 - 176.564: 28 ######################################## 176.564 - 237.814: 15 ##################### 237.814 - 320.192: 19 ########################### 320.192 - 430.987: 8 ########### 430.987 - 580.000: 6 ######### -- 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. -- When Citing This Work, Please Credit: MassLandlords, Inc. Available online at https://masslandlords.net/policy/eviction-data/.