Outcomes for December 2023

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: 2023-12-01 Search Period End: 2023-12-31 Earliest Case: 2023-12-01 Latest Case: 2023-12-29 Total Cases: 3271 Total Transfers: 71 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 21.2% Of those, percentage pro se: 46.5% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Florence Least stable with 10+ filings: Holyoke Least stable with 100+ filings: Springfield Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 109 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 583 17.8% eastern 535 16.4% western 501 15.3% central 496 15.2% metro_south 356 10.9% southeast 355 10.9% lawrence district 40 1.2% quincy district 32 1.0% fall river district 30 0.9% malden district 30 0.9% pittsfield district 25 0.8% chelsea district 21 0.6% brockton district 19 0.6% cambridge district 19 0.6% lowell district 18 0.6% lynn district 18 0.6% somerville district 12 0.4% bmc west roxbury 11 0.3% haverhill district 10 0.3% holyoke district 9 0.3% northern berkshire district 9 0.3% woburn district 9 0.3% attleboro district 8 0.2% springfield district 8 0.2% waltham district 8 0.2% bmc dorchester 7 0.2% bmc east boston 7 0.2% dedham district 7 0.2% framingham district 7 0.2% newton district 7 0.2% peabody district 6 0.2% salem district 6 0.2% wrentham district 5 0.2% concord district 4 0.1% new bedford district 4 0.1% plymouth district 4 0.1% stoughton district 4 0.1% bmc brighton 3 0.1% bmc central 3 0.1% chicopee district 3 0.1% eastern hampshire district 3 0.1% edgartown district 3 0.1% hingham district 3 0.1% orleans district 3 0.1% ayer district 2 0.1% barnstable district 2 0.1% bmc roxbury 2 0.1% gloucester district 2 0.1% taunton district 2 0.1% wareham district 2 0.1% fallmouth district 1 0.0% fitchburg district 1 0.0% ipswich district 1 0.0% newburyport district 1 0.0% southern berkshire district 1 0.0% uxbridge district 1 0.0% westfield district 1 0.0% worcester district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 2579 13 Natural Person 692 3258 Total 3271 3271 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 78.8% 0.4% Natural Person 21.2% 99.6% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 2556 23 2579 Optional 370 322 692 Total 2926 345 3271 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 78.1% 0.7% 78.8% Optional 11.3% 9.8% 21.2% Total 89.5% 10.5% 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 4 9 13 Optional 176 3082 3258 Total 180 3091 3271 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.1% 0.3% 0.4% Optional 5.4% 94.2% 99.6% Total 5.5% 94.5% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 88 2.7% 1 2259 69.1% 2 764 23.4% 3 125 3.8% 4 24 0.7% 5 6 0.2% 6 5 0.2% Total 3271 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 2416 73.9% Cause 470 14.4% No Fault 363 11.1% Foreclosure 22 0.7% Unknown/Other 0 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 632 6 West Barnstable 248 7 Chestnut Hill 188 4 West Warren 176 2 Holyoke 160 64 Springfield 148 228 Thorndike 144 1 Lawrence 124 95 Dorchester 123 114 Randolph 121 39 Webster 119 20 New Bedford 118 113 Canton 115 25 Chelsea 113 40 Erving 111 2 Pittsfield 111 50 Worcester 111 201 Fall River 108 96 Marlborough 106 41 Salem 106 44 Berlin 104 3 Lowell 102 109 Norwood 101 29 Abington 100 16 Turners Falls 97 4 Framingham 95 65 Adams 94 8 North Adams 94 13 Chicopee 90 50 Lynn 89 81 Nahant 87 3 Fitchburg 86 35 Revere 86 45 Roxbury 85 51 Holland 80 2 Royalston 79 1 Charlemont 78 1 Millers Falls 77 1 Milford 75 21 Brockton 73 69 Edgartown 73 3 Braintree 72 26 Mattapan 71 26 Quincy 70 65 Stoughton 70 19 Rowley 68 4 West Springfield 66 19 Foxborough 65 11 Haverhill 64 39 Middleborough 64 15 Bridgewater 63 17 Greenfield 63 11 Hyannis 63 9 Malden 63 38 Cheshire 61 2 Leominster 61 25 Plainville 60 5 Colrain 59 1 Southbridge 59 10 Newtonville 57 3 Palmer 57 7 Woburn 57 22 Blackstone 55 5 North Chelmsford 54 5 West Falmouth 54 1 Bondsville 53 1 Cohasset 53 4 Franklin 53 17 Hyde Park 53 18 Buckland 52 1 Danvers 52 14 North Andover 52 15 Peabody 52 27 Raynham 52 7 East Falmouth 51 3 Taunton 51 29 Easthampton 49 8 Hinsdale 49 1 Cambridge 47 50 Mansfield 47 11 West Wareham 46 1 Westfield 46 19 Attleborough 45 20 South Hadley 45 8 West Dennis 45 1 Burlington 44 11 Auburn 43 7 South Yarmouth 43 5 Allston 41 12 Chelmsford 41 14 East Wareham 41 9 Roslindale 41 12 Whitman 41 6 Everett 40 17 Jamaica Plain 40 15 Methuen 40 19 Rockland 40 7 Gardner 39 8 Kingston 39 5 Maynard 39 4 Sharon 39 7 South Easton 39 4 Orange 38 3 Warren 38 2 Holbrook 37 4 Saugus 37 10 Beverly 35 14 Dorchester Center 35 33 Monson 35 3 Northborough 35 5 Weymouth 35 19 Athol 34 4 Feeding Hills 34 4 Three Rivers 34 1 Andover 33 11 Lee 33 2 Auburndale 32 3 Fiskdale 32 1 Gloucester 31 9 Millville 31 1 Somerville 31 24 Tewksbury 31 9 Amesbury 30 5 Stow 30 2 Charlestown 29 5 Hull 29 3 Melrose 29 8 Great Barrington 28 2 Osterville 28 1 Rockport 28 2 Acton 27 6 Brimfield 27 1 Marshfield 27 7 Westborough 27 5 Ayer 26 2 Newton Center 25 1 Billerica 24 10 Natick 24 8 North Pembroke 24 1 Douglas 23 2 Stoneham 23 5 Bedford 22 3 East Boston 22 9 Ipswich 22 3 Lexington 22 7 Littleton 22 2 Newburyport 22 4 South Grafton 22 1 Wilmington 22 5 Winthrop 22 4 North Brookfield 21 1 Roxbury Crossing 21 13 Southwick 21 2 Boxborough 20 1 Dracut 20 6 Eastham 20 1 South Weymouth 20 11 Ware 20 2 Hadley 19 1 Indian Orchard 19 2 Manchester 19 1 Plymouth 19 11 Winchendon 19 2 Yarmouth Port 19 1 Ludlow 18 4 North Billerica 18 2 West Yarmouth 18 1 Carver 17 2 Lynnfield 17 2 Northampton 17 5 Spencer 17 2 Dedham 16 4 Granby 16 1 Mattapoisett 16 1 Medford 16 9 Orleans 16 1 Scituate 16 3 South Lee 16 1 Sudbury 16 3 Waltham 16 10 Amherst 15 6 Bourne 15 3 Brighton 15 7 East Taunton 15 1 Merrimac 15 1 Norton 15 3 Arlington 14 6 Clinton 14 2 Dalton 14 1 Dighton 14 1 Oxford 14 2 Shrewsbury 14 5 South Boston 14 5 Swampscott 14 2 West Newton 14 2 Whitinsville 14 1 Duxbury 13 2 Needham Heights 13 4 North Reading 13 2 Shirley 13 1 Upton 13 1 West Roxbury 13 4 Westford 13 3 Westwood 13 2 Ashland 12 2 Bellingham 12 2 Belmont 12 3 Boston 12 75 Boxford 12 1 E. Boston 12 5 Fairhaven 12 2 Georgetown 12 1 Millis 12 1 Rutland 12 1 Salisbury 12 1 Wakefield 12 3 Walpole 12 3 Watertown 12 4 Westport 12 2 Brookline 11 7 Pembroke 11 2 Somerset 11 2 Sutton 11 1 Brewster 10 1 Hudson 10 2 Acushnet 9 1 Hingham 9 2 Leicester 9 1 Lunenburg 9 1 Winchester 9 2 Groton 8 1 Harwich 8 1 North Dartmouth 8 2 Rehoboth 8 1 Tyngsborough 8 1 Bradford 7 1 East Bridgewater 7 1 Holliston 7 1 Mashpee 7 1 Millbury 7 1 North Easton 7 1 Seekonk 7 1 Uxbridge 7 1 Wayland 7 1 Wellesley 7 2 Wilbraham 7 1 East Longmeadow 6 1 North Attleborough 6 2 East Weymouth 5 3 Easton 4 1 Sandwich 4 1 Agawam 3 1 Falmouth 3 1 Milton 3 1 Needham 3 1 North Weymouth 3 2 E. Weymouth 1 1 (not given) 0 56 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 578 411 Berkshire 495 80 Plymouth 416 180 Norfolk 373 318 Essex 372 409 Bristol 364 300 Worcester 342 381 Suffolk 249 493 Middlesex 231 539 Franklin 227 24 Barnstable 202 39 Hampshire 200 37 Dukes 73 3 Nantucket 0 0 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 2928 89.5% Ongoing/Error 343 10.5% 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 1252 42.8% Dismissed 988 33.7% Defaulted 588 20.1% Heard 100 3.4% Other 0 0.0% Total 2928 100.0% Outcome by reason: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 88 75 195 22 0 Foreclosure 3 6 9 3 0 No Fault 69 76 195 8 0 Non-payment 828 431 853 67 0 Unknown/Other 0 0 0 0 0 Outcome by reason, as a percent of disposed cases: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 3.0% 2.6% 6.7% 0.8% 0.0% Foreclosure 0.1% 0.2% 0.3% 0.1% 0.0% No Fault 2.4% 2.6% 6.7% 0.3% 0.0% Non-payment 28.3% 14.7% 29.1% 2.3% 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 1487 50.8% 45.5% Judgment inferred 157 5.4% 4.8% No judgment 1284 43.9% 39.3% Total 2928 100.0% 50.3% Judgments by reason, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std Dev Total Cause 196 6.7% 0 62,514 3,104 6,290 608,505 Foreclosure 11 0.4% 151 6,383 836 1,754 9,197 No fault 178 6.1% 0 40,952 5,275 5,729 939,097 Non-payment 1102 37.6% 0 321,418 7,974 12,246 8,787,962 Subtotal 1487 50.8% 0 321,418 6,956 11,120 10,344,763 Judgments by outcome, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std dev Total Dismissed 130 4.4% 0 28,833 4,532 5,019 589,175 Defaulted 532 18.2% 0 321,418 8,065 15,580 4,290,835 Mediated 786 26.8% 0 103,362 6,492 7,556 5,103,092 Heard 39 1.3% 0 62,514 9,273 11,070 361,659 Subtotal 1487 50.8% 0 321,418 6,956 11,120 10,344,763 By prevailing party, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed defendant 4 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% plaintiff 1595 97.0% 54.5% 48.8% unknown 45 2.7% 1.5% 1.4% Total 1644 100.0% 56.1% 50.3% Judgments All Cases: Count: 1487 Range: 0.000 - 321418.060; Mean: 6956.801; Median: 4653.070; Stddev: 11123.978 Percentiles: 90th: 15658.420; 95th: 20122.260; 99th: 34340.980 0.000 - 326.696: 144 #################### 326.696 - 703.483: 56 ######## 703.483 - 1513.505: 92 ############# 1513.505 - 3254.899: 241 ################################# 3254.899 - 6998.565: 382 ##################################################### 6998.565 - 15046.736: 370 ################################################### 15046.736 - 32348.776: 138 ################### 32348.776 - 69544.878: 14 ## 69544.878 - 149509.436: 2 | 149509.436 - 321418.060: 1 | Judgments By Reason Cause: Count: 196 Range: 0.000 - 62514.570; Mean: 3104.620; Median: 471.750; Stddev: 6306.294 Percentiles: 90th: 8788.830; 95th: 11676.610; 99th: 30925.760 0.000 - 355.841: 73 ##################################################### 355.841 - 632.511: 8 ###### 632.511 - 1123.692: 6 #### 1123.692 - 1995.700: 18 ############# 1995.700 - 3543.803: 19 ############## 3543.803 - 6292.197: 22 ################ 6292.197 - 11171.505: 18 ############# 11171.505 - 19833.889: 8 ###### 19833.889 - 35212.483: 3 ## 35212.483 - 62514.570: 1 # Foreclosure: Count: 11 Range: 151.430 - 6383.050; Mean: 836.159; Median: 294.940; Stddev: 1840.318 Percentiles: 90th: 346.540; 95th: 6383.050; 99th: 6383.050 151.430 - 220.449: 1 ####### 220.449 - 320.718: 8 ##################################################### 320.718 - 466.389: 1 ####### 466.389 - 6383.050: 1 ####### No Fault: Count: 178 Range: 0.000 - 40952.220; Mean: 5275.826; Median: 3550.035; Stddev: 5745.300 Percentiles: 90th: 12613.630; 95th: 16725.690; 99th: 20470.000 0.000 - 289.359: 27 ########################################### 289.359 - 502.214: 17 ########################### 502.214 - 871.106: 1 ## 871.106 - 1510.424: 5 ######## 1510.424 - 2618.409: 16 ########################## 2618.409 - 4538.628: 26 ########################################## 4538.628 - 7866.508: 33 ##################################################### 7866.508 - 13633.969: 31 ################################################## 13633.969 - 23629.401: 13 ##################### 23629.401 - 40952.220: 1 ## Non-payment: Count: 1102 Range: 0.000 - 321418.060; Mean: 7974.558; Median: 5454.575; Stddev: 12252.472 Percentiles: 90th: 16943.910; 95th: 21316.390; 99th: 34767.240 0.000 - 362.129: 29 ##### 362.129 - 770.803: 40 ####### 770.803 - 1639.408: 81 ############## 1639.408 - 3485.564: 194 ################################# 3485.564 - 7409.428: 315 ##################################################### 7409.428 - 15749.305: 294 ################################################# 15749.305 - 33475.083: 116 #################### 33475.083 - 71149.884: 11 ## 71149.884 - 151224.825: 2 | 151224.825 - 321418.060: 1 | Judgments By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 130 Range: 0.000 - 28833.610; Mean: 4532.118; Median: 3077.255; Stddev: 5039.007 Percentiles: 90th: 9500.000; 95th: 15770.640; 99th: 19279.150 0.000 - 354.672: 22 ############################################### 354.672 - 578.624: 7 ############### 578.624 - 943.588: 4 ######## 943.588 - 1538.353: 9 ################### 1538.353 - 2507.616: 15 ################################ 2507.616 - 4087.181: 19 ######################################## 4087.181 - 6661.330: 25 ##################################################### 6661.330 - 10856.307: 15 ################################ 10856.307 - 17692.677: 8 ################# 17692.677 - 28833.610: 5 ########### Defaulted: Count: 532 Range: 0.000 - 321418.060; Mean: 8065.481; Median: 5318.050; Stddev: 15595.408 Percentiles: 90th: 17123.670; 95th: 21316.390; 99th: 34340.980 0.000 - 423.556: 63 ######################## 423.556 - 885.827: 14 ##### 885.827 - 1851.435: 37 ############## 1851.435 - 3868.430: 77 ############################# 3868.430 - 8081.600: 133 ################################################## 8081.600 - 16882.217: 141 ##################################################### 16882.217 - 35265.252: 51 ################### 35265.252 - 73664.376: 3 # 73664.376 - 153873.806: 1 | 153873.806 - 321418.060: 1 | Mediated: Count: 786 Range: 0.000 - 103362.250; Mean: 6492.484; Median: 4340.225; Stddev: 7561.324 Percentiles: 90th: 14638.940; 95th: 19731.640; 99th: 34767.240 0.000 - 317.525: 65 ################### 317.525 - 604.575: 20 ###### 604.575 - 1150.311: 30 ######### 1150.311 - 2187.858: 90 ########################### 2187.858 - 4160.428: 151 ############################################# 4160.428 - 7910.651: 179 ##################################################### 7910.651 - 15040.525: 150 ############################################ 15040.525 - 28595.747: 56 ################# 28595.747 - 54366.754: 16 ##### 54366.754 - 103362.250: 1 | Heard: Count: 39 Range: 0.000 - 62514.570; Mean: 9273.311; Median: 7317.490; Stddev: 11215.708 Percentiles: 90th: 18889.120; 95th: 28298.830; 99th: 62514.570 0.000 - 277.203: 1 ##### 277.203 - 506.755: 1 ##### 506.755 - 1690.366: 1 ##### 1690.366 - 3085.948: 2 ########### 3085.948 - 5633.055: 5 ########################### 5633.055 - 10281.835: 8 ########################################## 10281.835 - 18766.423: 10 ##################################################### 18766.423 - 34251.827: 3 ################ 34251.827 - 62514.570: 1 ##### 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 1330 80.9% 45.4% 40.7% Issued 1022 62.2% 34.9% 31.2% Levied 223 13.6% 7.6% 6.8% Levied by reason: Count Percentage of Levied Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed Cause 36 16.1% 2.2% 1.2% 1.1% Foreclosure 8 3.6% 0.5% 0.3% 0.2% No Fault 35 15.7% 2.1% 1.2% 1.1% Non-payment 144 64.6% 8.8% 4.9% 4.4% Unknown/Other 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% All Reasons 223 100.0% 13.6% 7.6% 6.8% 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 27 12.1% 1.6% 0.9% 0.8% Defaulted 90 40.4% 5.5% 3.1% 2.8% Mediated 105 47.1% 6.4% 3.6% 3.2% Heard 1 0.4% 0.1% 0.0% 0.0% Other 0 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% All Outcomes 223 100.0% 13.6% 7.6% 6.8% 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 8 22 36.4% No Fault 35 363 9.6% Cause 36 470 7.7% Non-payment 144 2416 6.0% 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 90 588 15.3% Mediated 105 1252 8.4% Dismissed 27 988 2.7% Heard 1 100 1.0% Other 0 0 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 0 473 89 82 Non-payment 0 569 86 86 No Fault 0 538 93 87 Foreclosure 36 465 149 148 Unknown/Other 0 0 0 0 All Reasons 0 569 88 87 (days) Shortest Longest Average Std Dev Dismissed 0 535 78 87 Defaulted 0 569 83 71 Mediated 0 555 96 90 Heard 3 542 115 109 Other 0 0 0 0 All Outcomes 0 569 88 87 All Cases: Count: 2928 Range: 0.000 - 569.000; Mean: 88.413; Median: 56.000; Stddev: 87.202 Percentiles: 90th: 183.000; 95th: 274.000; 99th: 474.000 0.000 - 2.520: 3 | 2.520 - 5.194: 12 # 5.194 - 9.901: 16 # 9.901 - 18.185: 52 ## 18.185 - 32.764: 189 ######## 32.764 - 58.421: 1248 ##################################################### 58.421 - 103.573: 759 ################################ 103.573 - 183.037: 351 ############### 183.037 - 322.885: 189 ######## 322.885 - 569.000: 103 #### By Reason Cause: Count: 380 Range: 0.000 - 473.000; Mean: 89.003; Median: 59.000; Stddev: 82.247 Percentiles: 90th: 196.000; 95th: 279.000; 99th: 454.000 0.000 - 8.288: 2 # 8.288 - 13.377: 2 # 13.377 - 21.256: 1 | 21.256 - 33.451: 30 ############# 33.451 - 52.329: 122 ##################################################### 52.329 - 81.552: 94 ######################################### 81.552 - 126.788: 62 ########################### 126.788 - 196.812: 28 ############ 196.812 - 305.207: 24 ########## 305.207 - 473.000: 13 ###### Non-payment: Count: 2179 Range: 0.000 - 569.000; Mean: 86.962; Median: 55.000; Stddev: 86.970 Percentiles: 90th: 179.000; 95th: 266.000; 99th: 487.000 0.000 - 2.520: 3 | 2.520 - 5.194: 9 # 5.194 - 9.901: 16 # 9.901 - 18.185: 44 ## 18.185 - 32.764: 135 ######## 32.764 - 58.421: 951 ##################################################### 58.421 - 103.573: 552 ############################### 103.573 - 183.037: 258 ############## 183.037 - 322.885: 136 ######## 322.885 - 569.000: 73 #### No Fault: Count: 348 Range: 0.000 - 538.000; Mean: 93.152; Median: 60.000; Stddev: 87.986 Percentiles: 90th: 193.000; 95th: 295.000; 99th: 461.000 0.000 - 8.408: 1 | 8.408 - 13.752: 4 ## 13.752 - 22.130: 5 ## 22.130 - 35.268: 28 ############# 35.268 - 55.868: 118 ##################################################### 55.868 - 88.169: 83 ##################################### 88.169 - 138.816: 43 ################### 138.816 - 218.231: 37 ################# 218.231 - 342.752: 16 ####### 342.752 - 538.000: 11 ##### Foreclosure: Count: 21 Range: 36.000 - 465.000; Mean: 149.762; Median: 65.000; Stddev: 148.648 Percentiles: 90th: 397.000; 95th: 399.000; 99th: 465.000 36.000 - 46.667: 8 ##################################################### 46.667 - 60.410: 2 ############# 60.410 - 78.115: 2 ############# 78.115 - 100.924: 1 ####### 100.924 - 168.166: 1 ####### 168.166 - 216.937: 2 ############# 216.937 - 360.716: 1 ####### 360.716 - 465.000: 4 ########################### By Outcome Dismissed: Count: 988 Range: 0.000 - 535.000; Mean: 78.702; Median: 48.500; Stddev: 87.965 Percentiles: 90th: 166.000; 95th: 260.000; 99th: 486.000 0.000 - 2.498: 3 | 2.498 - 5.119: 10 # 5.119 - 9.702: 15 ## 9.702 - 17.719: 35 #### 17.719 - 31.741: 110 ############## 31.741 - 56.268: 422 ##################################################### 56.268 - 99.167: 204 ########################## 99.167 - 174.202: 90 ########### 174.202 - 305.444: 61 ######## 305.444 - 535.000: 35 #### Defaulted: Count: 588 Range: 0.000 - 569.000; Mean: 83.833; Median: 59.500; Stddev: 71.372 Percentiles: 90th: 147.000; 95th: 225.000; 99th: 423.000 0.000 - 24.429: 4 # 24.429 - 34.925: 23 ####### 34.925 - 49.752: 178 ##################################################### 49.752 - 70.699: 143 ########################################### 70.699 - 100.292: 118 ################################### 100.292 - 142.098: 60 ################## 142.098 - 201.159: 27 ######## 201.159 - 284.597: 17 ##### 284.597 - 402.473: 11 ### 402.473 - 569.000: 6 ## Mediated: Count: 1252 Range: 0.000 - 555.000; Mean: 96.104; Median: 60.000; Stddev: 90.267 Percentiles: 90th: 207.000; 95th: 295.000; 99th: 477.000 0.000 - 9.842: 1 | 9.842 - 15.792: 5 # 15.792 - 25.007: 16 ## 25.007 - 39.280: 154 ################## 39.280 - 61.386: 459 ##################################################### 61.386 - 95.624: 252 ############################# 95.624 - 148.652: 173 #################### 148.652 - 230.782: 83 ########## 230.782 - 357.986: 71 ######## 357.986 - 555.000: 36 #### Heard: Count: 100 Range: 3.000 - 542.000; Mean: 115.000; Median: 80.500; Stddev: 109.482 Percentiles: 90th: 268.000; 95th: 397.000; 99th: 464.000 3.000 - 5.536: 2 #### 5.536 - 16.453: 3 ##### 16.453 - 27.520: 1 ## 27.520 - 45.605: 16 ############################ 45.605 - 75.156: 23 ######################################### 75.156 - 123.445: 30 ##################################################### 123.445 - 202.354: 12 ##################### 202.354 - 331.297: 7 ############ 331.297 - 542.000: 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. 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/.