Outcomes for September 2022

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: 2022-09-01 Search Period End: 2022-09-30 Earliest Case: 2022-09-01 Latest Case: 2022-09-30 Total Cases: 3129 Total Transfers: 62 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 30.6% Of those, percentage pro se: 46.3% 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: Hampden 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 568 18.2% western 483 15.4% central 447 14.3% eastern 424 13.6% southeast 423 13.5% metro_south 313 10.0% quincy district 41 1.3% lynn district 40 1.3% cambridge district 26 0.8% fall river district 22 0.7% lowell district 21 0.7% bmc east boston 20 0.6% pittsfield district 19 0.6% brockton district 18 0.6% haverhill district 18 0.6% wrentham district 18 0.6% chelsea district 17 0.5% malden district 17 0.5% somerville district 16 0.5% waltham district 16 0.5% attleboro district 14 0.4% barnstable district 12 0.4% lawrence district 10 0.3% dedham district 9 0.3% salem district 9 0.3% springfield district 9 0.3% milford district 8 0.3% chicopee district 7 0.2% peabody district 7 0.2% fallmouth district 6 0.2% new bedford district 6 0.2% northern berkshire district 6 0.2% edgartown district 5 0.2% ayer district 4 0.1% framingham district 4 0.1% gloucester district 4 0.1% plymouth district 4 0.1% woburn district 4 0.1% orleans district 3 0.1% taunton district 3 0.1% bmc brighton 2 0.1% bmc dorchester 2 0.1% concord district 2 0.1% hingham district 2 0.1% holyoke district 2 0.1% newburyport district 2 0.1% newton district 2 0.1% stoughton district 2 0.1% bmc central 1 0.0% bmc roxbury 1 0.0% brookline district 1 0.0% clinton district 1 0.0% fitchburg district 1 0.0% nantucket district 1 0.0% natick district 1 0.0% palmer district 1 0.0% uxbridge district 1 0.0% wareham district 1 0.0% westfield district 1 0.0% worcester district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 2173 10 Natural Person 956 3119 Total 3129 3129 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 69.4% 0.3% Natural Person 30.6% 99.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 2155 18 2173 Optional 513 443 956 Total 2668 461 3129 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 68.9% 0.6% 69.4% Optional 16.4% 14.2% 30.6% Total 85.3% 14.7% 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 3 7 10 Optional 195 2924 3119 Total 198 2931 3129 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.1% 0.2% 0.3% Optional 6.2% 93.4% 99.7% Total 6.3% 93.7% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 124 4.0% 1 2185 69.8% 2 665 21.3% 3 107 3.4% 4 36 1.2% 5 9 0.3% 6 2 0.1% 8 1 0.0% Total 3129 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 1941 62.0% Cause 623 19.9% No Fault 532 17.0% Foreclosure 33 1.1% Unknown/Other 0 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 1687 16 Bondsville 213 4 South Yarmouth 197 23 Gilbertville 173 2 Ashfield 172 3 Fall River 148 132 Springfield 143 220 Florida 132 1 Randolph 127 41 Turners Falls 121 5 Hyannis 120 17 Indian Orchard 119 12 Gardner 113 23 Haverhill 113 69 Oak Bluffs 110 5 Mattapan 109 40 Plainville 108 9 Three Rivers 102 3 Chicopee 101 56 Norwood 101 29 Pittsfield 100 45 South Easton 97 10 Worcester 97 177 Holyoke 95 38 Middleborough 95 22 Chestnut Hill 94 2 Fitchburg 94 38 Dorchester 92 85 New Bedford 92 88 Rockland 91 16 West Springfield 91 26 Lynn 90 82 Orange 89 7 Lawrence 87 67 Quincy 83 77 Sunderland 81 3 Royalston 79 1 Winchendon 77 8 Lowell 76 81 Brockton 75 71 West Yarmouth 75 4 Clinton 73 10 Woburn 73 28 Wrentham 73 8 Whitinsville 72 5 Southbridge 71 12 Webster 71 12 Ayer 67 5 Bradford 67 9 Bridgewater 67 18 Cohasset 66 5 Hardwick 66 2 Whately 66 1 Malden 65 39 Salem 65 27 Saugus 63 17 Chelsea 62 22 Peabody 62 32 Roxbury 62 37 Cheshire 61 2 Waltham 61 37 Andover 60 20 Athol 60 7 Framingham 60 41 Taunton 59 33 Swampscott 58 8 Everett 57 24 Harwich Port 57 1 Winthrop 57 10 North Attleborough 55 16 Revere 54 28 South Dennis 54 2 West Brookfield 54 2 Jamaica Plain 53 20 Attleborough 52 23 East Weymouth 52 28 Vineyard Haven 52 1 East Falmouth 51 3 Spencer 51 6 Stoughton 51 14 Hopedale 50 3 Ware 50 5 Edgartown 49 2 Hingham 49 11 Westborough 49 9 Cambridge 48 51 Salisbury 48 4 Bernardston 46 1 East Taunton 46 3 Leominster 44 18 Tyngsborough 44 5 North Adams 43 6 Sturbridge 43 4 Methuen 42 20 Gloucester 41 12 Hyde Park 41 14 Westfield 41 17 Belchertown 40 6 Beverly 40 16 Greenfield 40 7 Milford 39 11 Millis 38 3 Abington 37 6 Rutland 37 3 Dedham 36 9 East Wareham 36 8 Charlestown 35 6 Dorchester Center 35 33 Foxborough 35 6 Wilmington 35 8 Pepperell 34 4 South Hadley 34 6 Watertown 34 11 Braintree 33 12 Provincetown 33 1 Chelmsford 32 11 Northfield 32 1 Marlborough 31 12 Somerville 31 24 Bellingham 30 5 Charlton 30 4 Cotuit 30 1 Dracut 30 9 Marblehead 30 6 E. Boston 29 12 Hull 29 3 Maynard 29 3 Nahant 29 1 Raynham 29 4 Uxbridge 29 4 East Sandwich 28 1 Mashpee 28 4 North Andover 28 8 Allston 27 8 Canton 27 6 Whitman 27 4 Hudson 26 5 Norton 26 5 Upton 26 2 Weymouth 26 14 Fairhaven 25 4 Franklin 25 8 Mansfield 25 6 Milton 25 7 Newton Center 25 1 Shrewsbury 25 9 Easthampton 24 4 Natick 24 8 Tewksbury 24 7 Adams 23 2 Douglas 23 2 Kingston 23 3 Avon 22 1 Brighton 22 10 Danvers 22 6 Millbury 22 3 Sharon 22 4 Medford 21 12 North Brookfield 21 1 North Chelmsford 21 2 Bolton 20 1 Hadley 19 1 Hanson 19 2 Lenox 19 1 Nantucket 19 2 Newtonville 19 1 Warren 19 1 West Roxbury 19 6 Yarmouth Port 19 1 Amherst 18 7 Cherry Valley 18 2 Holbrook 18 2 Lakeville 18 2 North Billerica 18 2 Billerica 17 7 Carver 17 2 East Boston 17 7 Mendon 17 1 Rehoboth 17 2 Rowley 17 1 Mattapoisett 16 1 Newton Upper Falls 16 1 Palmer 16 2 Reading 16 4 Sudbury 16 3 Groveland 15 1 Centerville 14 2 Dalton 14 1 Rockport 14 1 South Boston 14 5 South Weymouth 14 8 Acton 13 3 Halifax 13 1 Roslindale 13 4 Stoneham 13 3 West Boylston 13 1 Westminster 13 1 Westwood 13 2 Auburn 12 2 Belmont 12 3 Georgetown 12 1 Hamilton 12 1 Lancaster 12 1 Longmeadow 12 2 Plymouth 12 7 South Attleboro 12 1 South Hamilton 12 1 Swansea 12 2 Westport 12 2 Williamstown 12 1 Blackstone 11 1 Littleton 11 1 Montague 11 1 Newburyport 11 2 Sutton 11 1 Townsend 11 1 Auburndale 10 1 Brewster 10 1 Acushnet 9 1 Lexington 9 3 Ludlow 9 2 Norwell 9 1 Onset 9 2 Wareham 9 2 Winchester 9 2 Boston 8 54 Burlington 8 2 Dudley 8 1 Feeding Hills 8 1 Groton 8 1 Harwich 8 1 Wakefield 8 2 Walpole 8 2 Hanover 7 1 North Easton 7 1 Northampton 7 2 Oxford 7 1 Wilbraham 7 1 Amesbury 6 1 Duxbury 6 1 East Longmeadow 6 1 Falmouth 6 2 North Reading 6 1 Northbridge 6 1 Bourne 5 1 Pembroke 5 1 Roxbury Crossing 5 3 Somerset 5 1 Arlington 4 2 Newton Highlands 4 4 North Dartmouth 4 1 Agawam 3 1 Brookline 3 2 Melrose 3 1 Needham Heights 3 1 North Weymouth 3 2 (not given) 0 18 span 0 1 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 542 386 Plymouth 428 185 Bristol 407 335 Essex 375 413 Berkshire 365 59 Norfolk 361 308 Worcester 353 393 Barnstable 336 65 Franklin 274 29 Hampshire 255 47 Middlesex 204 476 Suffolk 204 404 Dukes 195 8 Nantucket 56 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 2698 86.2% Ongoing/Error 431 13.8% 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 990 36.7% Dismissed 911 33.8% Defaulted 649 24.1% Heard 147 5.4% Other 1 0.0% Total 2698 100.0% Outcome by reason: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 124 127 194 39 0 Foreclosure 6 7 12 3 0 No Fault 129 94 268 21 0 Non-payment 652 421 516 84 1 Unknown/Other 0 0 0 0 0 Outcome by reason, as a percent of disposed cases: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 4.6% 4.7% 7.2% 1.4% 0.0% Foreclosure 0.2% 0.3% 0.4% 0.1% 0.0% No Fault 4.8% 3.5% 9.9% 0.8% 0.0% Non-payment 24.2% 15.6% 19.1% 3.1% 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 869 32.2% 27.8% Judgment inferred 181 6.7% 5.8% No judgment 1648 61.1% 52.7% Total 2698 100.0% 33.6% Judgments by reason, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std Dev Total Cause 157 5.8% 0 52,415 3,312 6,570 520,136 Foreclosure 7 0.3% 163 2,381 540 752 3,783 No fault 145 5.4% 0 22,000 4,302 4,699 623,926 Non-payment 560 20.8% 0 61,876 8,501 8,485 4,761,063 Subtotal 869 32.2% 0 61,876 6,799 7,956 5,908,909 Judgments by outcome, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std dev Total Dismissed 91 3.4% 0 24,212 4,461 5,236 406,000 Defaulted 332 12.3% 0 61,876 7,041 7,444 2,337,708 Mediated 409 15.2% 0 53,794 7,300 8,861 2,985,765 Heard 37 1.4% 0 19,782 4,849 5,782 179,435 Subtotal 869 32.2% 0 61,876 6,799 7,956 5,908,909 By prevailing party, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed defendant 2 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% plaintiff 935 89.0% 34.7% 29.9% unknown 113 10.8% 4.2% 3.6% Total 1050 100.0% 38.9% 33.6% Judgments All Cases: Count: 869 Range: 0.000 - 61876.550; Mean: 6799.666; Median: 4305.320; Stddev: 7960.858 Percentiles: 90th: 17046.100; 95th: 22062.760; 99th: 37728.060 0.000 - 258.933: 105 ################################# 258.933 - 476.459: 17 ##### 476.459 - 876.023: 20 ###### 876.023 - 1609.963: 56 ################## 1609.963 - 2958.103: 117 ##################################### 2958.103 - 5434.440: 148 ############################################### 5434.440 - 9983.109: 167 ##################################################### 9983.109 - 18338.349: 129 ######################################### 18338.349 - 33685.703: 62 #################### 33685.703 - 61876.550: 10 ### Judgments By Reason Cause: Count: 157 Range: 0.000 - 52415.380; Mean: 3312.970; Median: 320.830; Stddev: 6591.136 Percentiles: 90th: 10215.910; 95th: 15465.120; 99th: 29358.000 0.000 - 296.614: 56 ##################################################### 296.614 - 527.674: 4 #### 527.674 - 938.124: 8 ######## 938.124 - 1667.238: 7 ####### 1667.238 - 2962.417: 16 ############### 2962.417 - 5263.142: 14 ############# 5263.142 - 9350.095: 13 ############ 9350.095 - 16610.059: 11 ########## 16610.059 - 29506.483: 5 ##### 29506.483 - 52415.380: 1 # Foreclosure: Count: 7 Range: 163.320 - 2381.040; Mean: 540.493; Median: 242.500; Stddev: 812.276 Percentiles: 90th: 2381.040; 95th: 2381.040; 99th: 2381.040 163.320 - 213.692: 1 ########### 213.692 - 279.506: 5 ##################################################### 279.506 - 2381.040: 1 ########### No Fault: Count: 145 Range: 0.000 - 22000.000; Mean: 4302.942; Median: 2855.980; Stddev: 4715.433 Percentiles: 90th: 10470.200; 95th: 13737.040; 99th: 21745.190 0.000 - 233.457: 28 ##################################################### 233.457 - 387.344: 8 ############### 387.344 - 642.235: 1 ## 642.235 - 1064.425: 2 #### 1064.425 - 1763.721: 8 ############### 1763.721 - 2922.004: 18 ################################## 2922.004 - 4840.530: 22 ########################################## 4840.530 - 8018.290: 25 ############################################### 8018.290 - 13281.786: 16 ############################## 13281.786 - 22000.000: 9 ################# Non-payment: Count: 560 Range: 0.000 - 61876.550; Mean: 8501.899; Median: 5838.110; Stddev: 8492.588 Percentiles: 90th: 19142.160; 95th: 24395.680; 99th: 41416.170 0.000 - 258.933: 14 ###### 258.933 - 476.459: 7 ### 476.459 - 876.023: 9 #### 876.023 - 1609.963: 44 ################### 1609.963 - 2958.103: 78 ################################# 2958.103 - 5434.440: 106 ############################################# 5434.440 - 9983.109: 125 ##################################################### 9983.109 - 18338.349: 105 ############################################# 18338.349 - 33685.703: 55 ####################### 33685.703 - 61876.550: 9 #### Judgments By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 91 Range: 0.000 - 24212.910; Mean: 4461.540; Median: 2902.050; Stddev: 5265.326 Percentiles: 90th: 10479.520; 95th: 15869.200; 99th: 24212.910 0.000 - 269.725: 15 ################################################## 269.725 - 445.031: 1 ### 445.031 - 733.857: 4 ############# 733.857 - 1209.710: 5 ################# 1209.710 - 1993.700: 7 ####################### 1993.700 - 3285.360: 16 ##################################################### 3285.360 - 5413.428: 15 ################################################## 5413.428 - 8919.517: 11 #################################### 8919.517 - 14695.959: 8 ########################### 14695.959 - 24212.910: 6 #################### Defaulted: Count: 332 Range: 0.000 - 61876.550; Mean: 7041.290; Median: 4781.585; Stddev: 7455.783 Percentiles: 90th: 16691.230; 95th: 21075.300; 99th: 29358.000 0.000 - 258.933: 45 ################################## 258.933 - 476.459: 7 ##### 476.459 - 876.023: 3 ## 876.023 - 1609.963: 17 ############# 1609.963 - 2958.103: 37 ############################ 2958.103 - 5434.440: 53 ######################################## 5434.440 - 9983.109: 71 ##################################################### 9983.109 - 18338.349: 60 ############################################# 18338.349 - 33685.703: 25 ################### 33685.703 - 61876.550: 2 # Mediated: Count: 409 Range: 0.000 - 53794.450; Mean: 7300.161; Median: 4395.140; Stddev: 8872.381 Percentiles: 90th: 17762.660; 95th: 24794.010; 99th: 46893.770 0.000 - 316.810: 47 ################################# 316.810 - 561.066: 7 ##### 561.066 - 993.048: 14 ########## 993.048 - 1757.033: 31 ###################### 1757.033 - 3108.187: 53 ##################################### 3108.187 - 5497.783: 70 ################################################# 5497.783 - 9723.926: 75 ##################################################### 9723.926 - 17198.113: 51 #################################### 17198.113 - 30416.660: 35 ######################### 30416.660 - 53794.450: 12 ######## Heard: Count: 37 Range: 0.000 - 19782.960; Mean: 4849.613; Median: 2287.820; Stddev: 5862.572 Percentiles: 90th: 15722.140; 95th: 18161.920; 99th: 19782.960 0.000 - 359.481: 4 ########################################## 359.481 - 1368.911: 2 ##################### 1368.911 - 2136.778: 3 ################################ 2136.778 - 3335.051: 3 ################################ 3335.051 - 5204.984: 3 ################################ 5204.984 - 8123.057: 4 ########################################## 8123.057 - 12676.777: 4 ########################################## 12676.777 - 19782.960: 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 931 88.7% 34.5% 29.8% Issued 720 68.6% 26.7% 23.0% Levied 184 17.5% 6.8% 5.9% Levied by reason: Count Percentage of Levied Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Cause 23 12.5% 2.2% 0.9% 0.7% Foreclosure 6 3.3% 0.6% 0.2% 0.2% No Fault 39 21.2% 3.7% 1.4% 1.2% Non-payment 116 63.0% 11.0% 4.3% 3.7% Unknown/Other 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% All Reasons 184 100.0% 17.5% 6.8% 5.9% 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 20 10.9% 1.9% 0.7% 0.6% Defaulted 73 39.7% 7.0% 2.7% 2.3% Mediated 86 46.7% 8.2% 3.2% 2.7% Heard 5 2.7% 0.5% 0.2% 0.2% Other 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% All Outcomes 184 100.0% 17.5% 6.8% 5.9% 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 6 33 18.2% No Fault 39 532 7.3% Non-payment 116 1941 6.0% Cause 23 623 3.7% Unknown/Other 0 0 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 73 649 11.2% Mediated 86 990 8.7% Heard 5 147 3.4% Dismissed 20 911 2.2% Other 0 1 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 1 586 97 105 Non-payment 0 586 93 96 No Fault 0 573 96 100 Foreclosure 26 553 104 113 Unknown/Other 0 0 0 0 All Reasons 0 586 95 99 (days) Shortest Longest Average Std Dev Dismissed 0 564 84 94 Defaulted 0 586 87 82 Mediated 0 586 107 104 Heard 1 564 116 138 Other 0 0 0 0 All Outcomes 0 586 95 99 All Cases: Count: 2698 Range: 0.000 - 586.000; Mean: 95.234; Median: 58.000; Stddev: 99.097 Percentiles: 90th: 215.000; 95th: 302.000; 99th: 550.000 0.000 - 2.530: 4 | 2.530 - 5.231: 13 # 5.231 - 9.998: 13 # 9.998 - 18.412: 78 ##### 18.412 - 33.264: 361 ##################### 33.264 - 59.478: 912 ##################################################### 59.478 - 105.747: 629 ##################################### 105.747 - 187.415: 360 ##################### 187.415 - 331.566: 208 ############ 331.566 - 586.000: 116 ####### By Reason Cause: Count: 484 Range: 1.000 - 586.000; Mean: 97.566; Median: 59.000; Stddev: 105.254 Percentiles: 90th: 226.000; 95th: 341.000; 99th: 553.000 1.000 - 2.530: 2 # 2.530 - 5.231: 2 # 5.231 - 9.998: 3 # 9.998 - 18.412: 11 ### 18.412 - 33.264: 54 ################ 33.264 - 59.478: 175 ##################################################### 59.478 - 105.747: 121 ##################################### 105.747 - 187.415: 56 ################# 187.415 - 331.566: 34 ########## 331.566 - 586.000: 26 ######## Non-payment: Count: 1674 Range: 0.000 - 586.000; Mean: 93.867; Median: 58.000; Stddev: 96.576 Percentiles: 90th: 216.000; 95th: 287.000; 99th: 546.000 0.000 - 2.530: 2 | 2.530 - 5.231: 11 # 5.231 - 9.998: 8 # 9.998 - 18.412: 62 ###### 18.412 - 33.264: 237 ####################### 33.264 - 59.478: 542 ##################################################### 59.478 - 105.747: 377 ##################################### 105.747 - 187.415: 228 ###################### 187.415 - 331.566: 141 ############## 331.566 - 586.000: 63 ###### No Fault: Count: 512 Range: 0.000 - 573.000; Mean: 96.979; Median: 59.500; Stddev: 100.595 Percentiles: 90th: 195.000; 95th: 332.000; 99th: 555.000 0.000 - 13.993: 5 ## 13.993 - 21.479: 7 ## 21.479 - 32.703: 53 ################## 32.703 - 49.532: 95 ################################ 49.532 - 74.763: 156 ##################################################### 74.763 - 112.592: 77 ########################## 112.592 - 169.309: 53 ################## 169.309 - 254.346: 30 ########## 254.346 - 381.843: 18 ###### 381.843 - 573.000: 17 ###### Foreclosure: Count: 28 Range: 26.000 - 553.000; Mean: 104.679; Median: 52.000; Stddev: 113.762 Percentiles: 90th: 265.000; 95th: 299.000; 99th: 553.000 26.000 - 35.524: 7 ##################################################### 35.524 - 48.408: 5 ###################################### 48.408 - 65.836: 5 ###################################### 65.836 - 121.303: 2 ############### 121.303 - 164.444: 4 ############################## 164.444 - 222.803: 2 ############### 222.803 - 301.747: 2 ############### 301.747 - 553.000: 1 ######## By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 911 Range: 0.000 - 564.000; Mean: 84.262; Median: 53.000; Stddev: 94.546 Percentiles: 90th: 178.000; 95th: 309.000; 99th: 498.000 0.000 - 2.517: 1 | 2.517 - 5.183: 13 ## 5.183 - 9.873: 11 ## 9.873 - 18.118: 57 ########## 18.118 - 32.615: 142 ######################### 32.615 - 58.107: 301 ##################################################### 58.107 - 102.930: 189 ################################# 102.930 - 181.745: 105 ################## 181.745 - 320.327: 49 ######### 320.327 - 564.000: 41 ####### Defaulted: Count: 649 Range: 0.000 - 586.000; Mean: 87.023; Median: 57.000; Stddev: 82.903 Percentiles: 90th: 181.000; 95th: 242.000; 99th: 486.000 0.000 - 20.644: 10 ### 20.644 - 30.232: 58 ############### 30.232 - 44.067: 105 ########################## 44.067 - 64.029: 212 ##################################################### 64.029 - 92.835: 87 ###################### 92.835 - 134.400: 75 ################### 134.400 - 194.377: 48 ############ 194.377 - 280.922: 30 ######## 280.922 - 405.802: 12 ### 405.802 - 586.000: 11 ### Mediated: Count: 990 Range: 0.000 - 586.000; Mean: 107.535; Median: 64.000; Stddev: 104.110 Percentiles: 90th: 239.000; 95th: 325.000; 99th: 553.000 0.000 - 2.530: 1 | 2.530 - 9.998: 1 | 9.998 - 18.412: 3 | 18.412 - 33.264: 106 ################# 33.264 - 59.478: 324 ##################################################### 59.478 - 105.747: 257 ########################################## 105.747 - 187.415: 145 ######################## 187.415 - 331.566: 104 ################# 331.566 - 586.000: 48 ######## Heard: Count: 147 Range: 1.000 - 564.000; Mean: 116.503; Median: 59.000; Stddev: 138.661 Percentiles: 90th: 280.000; 95th: 557.000; 99th: 561.000 1.000 - 2.517: 2 ## 2.517 - 9.873: 1 # 9.873 - 18.118: 11 ############ 18.118 - 32.615: 11 ############ 32.615 - 58.107: 47 ##################################################### 58.107 - 102.930: 30 ################################## 102.930 - 181.745: 21 ######################## 181.745 - 320.327: 13 ############### 320.327 - 564.000: 11 ############ -- 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/.