Outcomes for 2024

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: 2024-01-01 Search Period End: 2024-12-31 Earliest Case: 2024-01-01 Latest Case: 2024-12-31 Total Cases: 38266 Total Transfers: 829 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 23.3% Of those, percentage pro se: 46.1% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Florence Least stable with 10+ filings: Florence Least stable with 100+ filings: Holyoke Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 104 Housing crisis baseline max cases per day (UCL): 130 Housing crisis baseline min cases per day (LCL): 44 The number of filings this period is not statistically different from the pre-pandemic housing crisis baseline. -- Courts (n) Count Percent eastern 7389 19.3% northeast 6456 16.9% central 5494 14.4% western 5350 14.0% southeast 4354 11.4% metro_south 3628 9.5% malden district 498 1.3% lynn district 397 1.0% quincy district 392 1.0% lawrence district 367 1.0% fall river district 284 0.7% brockton district 231 0.6% lowell district 227 0.6% chelsea district 225 0.6% pittsfield district 201 0.5% cambridge district 181 0.5% springfield district 177 0.5% somerville district 174 0.5% waltham district 168 0.4% haverhill district 157 0.4% bmc west roxbury 154 0.4% northern berkshire district 118 0.3% woburn district 112 0.3% attleboro district 102 0.3% framingham district 91 0.2% bmc dorchester 85 0.2% salem district 81 0.2% bmc east boston 74 0.2% worcester district 67 0.2% dedham district 64 0.2% barnstable district 56 0.1% peabody district 54 0.1% fallmouth district 52 0.1% wrentham district 50 0.1% chicopee district 48 0.1% holyoke district 48 0.1% bmc central 39 0.1% westfield district 37 0.1% bmc roxbury 34 0.1% orleans district 34 0.1% plymouth district 34 0.1% newton district 33 0.1% ayer district 32 0.1% bmc brighton 32 0.1% newburyport district 32 0.1% palmer district 31 0.1% concord district 27 0.1% stoughton district 27 0.1% milford district 26 0.1% new bedford district 25 0.1% wareham district 21 0.1% hingham district 20 0.1% taunton district 20 0.1% brookline district 18 0.0% gloucester district 18 0.0% edgartown district 16 0.0% eastern hampshire district 13 0.0% nantucket district 13 0.0% southern berkshire district 12 0.0% greenfield district 11 0.0% fitchburg district 10 0.0% clinton district 9 0.0% natick district 8 0.0% orange district 7 0.0% northampton district 5 0.0% bmc south boston 4 0.0% ipswich district 3 0.0% bmc charlestown 2 0.0% gardner district court 2 0.0% uxbridge district 2 0.0% leominster district 1 0.0% marlborough district 1 0.0% winchedon district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 29361 111 Natural Person 8905 38155 Total 38266 38266 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 76.7% 0.3% Natural Person 23.3% 99.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 29149 212 29361 Optional 4804 4101 8905 Total 33953 4313 38266 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 76.2% 0.6% 76.7% Optional 12.6% 10.7% 23.3% Total 88.7% 11.3% 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 36 75 111 Optional 2200 35955 38155 Total 2236 36030 38266 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.1% 0.2% 0.3% Optional 5.7% 94.0% 99.7% Total 5.8% 94.2% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 1029 2.7% 1 26796 70.0% 2 8492 22.2% 3 1447 3.8% 4 348 0.9% 5 105 0.3% 6 28 0.1% 7 10 0.0% 8 5 0.0% 9 2 0.0% 10 3 0.0% 11 1 0.0% Total 38266 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 27565 72.0% Cause 5749 15.0% No Fault 4637 12.1% Foreclosure 290 0.8% Unknown/Other 25 0.1% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 7700 73 Chestnut Hill 2355 50 Woronoco 1801 2 Holyoke 1519 606 Springfield 1429 2188 Fall River 1349 1199 Mattapan 1313 479 North Adams 1298 178 Randolph 1267 407 Framingham 1252 856 Southbridge 1244 208 Dorchester 1236 1137 Pittsfield 1233 552 Chelsea 1213 427 Mount Washington 1197 2 Lawrence 1156 883 Lowell 1143 1218 New Bedford 1143 1087 Lynn 1139 1029 Roxbury 1130 674 Norwood 1125 322 Brockton 1076 1010 Fitchburg 1066 430 Buzzards Bay 1049 36 Indian Orchard 1042 105 Chicopee 1027 568 Ware 1012 100 Salem 1006 416 Worcester 1003 1817 Revere 1000 518 Malden 953 567 Berlin 942 27 Roslindale 892 258 Gardner 865 175 Hyannis 865 122 Everett 818 341 Three Rivers 816 24 East Falmouth 812 47 Hyde Park 807 270 Greenfield 790 138 Gilbertville 781 9 Haverhill 780 475 West Springfield 753 214 Adams 742 63 Stoughton 712 192 Webster 709 119 Taunton 708 396 Turners Falls 707 29 Canton 691 149 Vineyard Haven 688 13 Sunderland 678 25 Rockland 668 117 Braintree 660 236 Athol 656 76 Woburn 653 249 Quincy 652 602 Charlemont 631 8 Westborough 618 113 Bridgewater 606 161 Charlestown 605 101 South Easton 577 59 East Boston 570 231 North Andover 557 158 Humarock 555 1 Jamaica Plain 541 203 Milford 539 151 Waltham 536 325 Dorchester Center 532 490 Peabody 524 269 Leominster 517 211 Stockbridge 513 10 Cambridge 512 539 Allston 510 149 Feeding Hills 488 57 Spencer 487 57 Tewksbury 479 139 Baldwinville 475 9 Kingston 475 60 Dennis Port 474 15 West Yarmouth 474 25 Plainville 471 39 Brighton 467 205 Maynard 465 47 Danvers 456 121 Orange 446 35 Middleborough 445 103 Northampton 444 127 Gloucester 437 126 South Dennis 434 16 Whitman 434 63 Attleborough 433 189 Foxborough 432 73 Abington 431 69 West Boylston 430 33 Palmer 428 52 Hull 417 43 Whitinsville 417 29 Methuen 414 196 Pocasset 414 12 Somerville 414 314 West Wareham 414 9 Westfield 413 170 Winthrop 411 72 Ayer 403 30 North Billerica 402 43 Wellfleet 400 11 Florida 398 3 Holbrook 398 43 Tyngsborough 398 45 Great Barrington 394 28 Beverly 387 153 Clinton 382 52 Winchendon 378 39 Andover 373 124 Cheshire 370 12 Bedford 367 49 Mansfield 366 85 Medford 366 206 South Boston 365 123 South Hadley 365 64 Ashland 361 60 West Roxbury 361 110 Newton Center 359 14 North Attleborough 355 102 Marion 346 17 Seekonk 342 47 Shelburne Falls 341 6 Amesbury 337 55 Wrentham 337 37 Burlington 334 82 Rockport 330 23 Watertown 325 104 Weymouth 325 175 Fiskdale 323 10 North Brookfield 320 15 Dracut 319 94 Saugus 319 85 North Chelmsford 318 29 Franklin 316 100 Salisbury 313 26 North Oxford 308 7 Lunenburg 307 31 Oxford 306 42 Chester 299 4 Lakeville 292 31 South Yarmouth 292 34 Warren 292 15 Roxbury Crossing 290 173 Thorndike 289 2 East Sandwich 287 10 Plymouth 286 162 Hadley 285 15 North Chatham 284 2 Wakefield 284 71 Fairhaven 283 45 Raynham 283 38 Swampscott 282 39 Cohasset 278 21 Northborough 275 39 Belchertown 273 40 Granby 272 17 Ludlow 270 57 Hopkinton 268 40 Wilmington 268 60 Haydenville 265 3 Housatonic 265 2 Shrewsbury 263 94 Dedham 262 65 Hudson 262 50 Easthampton 261 42 Melrose 259 70 Billerica 258 104 Lenox 258 13 Monson 257 22 East Wareham 256 56 Warwick 256 2 Brewster 254 25 Shirley 249 18 Hinsdale 246 5 Marshfield 246 62 South Lancaster 245 4 Eastham 242 12 Ipswich 242 32 Mashpee 242 34 Norton 241 46 Ashley Falls 240 2 Agawam 239 68 Acton 237 52 Provincetown 237 7 Dalton 236 16 West Townsend 235 5 Belmont 234 58 East Weymouth 234 126 Southwick 231 22 Hanover 230 32 Natick 227 75 Marstons Mills 226 11 Russell 225 4 Littleton 224 20 Lee 218 13 Groveland 216 14 Chelmsford 215 73 Bellingham 214 35 Lenox Dale 214 1 West Barnstable 212 6 Newtonville 210 11 Wareham 210 46 Sharon 204 36 Essex 199 7 Medfield 199 24 Truro 199 4 Auburn 197 32 Leeds 196 2 Boston 195 1208 South Deerfield 195 4 North Reading 194 29 Dudley 193 22 Granville 191 3 Westford 191 42 Sagamore 190 7 Arlington 189 81 Otis 186 3 West Dennis 183 4 Carver 182 21 West Tisbury 182 5 Sudbury 181 32 Millbury 180 24 Bradford 178 24 Nantucket 176 18 West Warren 176 2 Nahant 175 6 Ashfield 172 3 East Taunton 172 11 Centerville 170 23 Hopedale 169 10 Hardwick 167 5 Hingham 166 37 Acushnet 165 17 South Weymouth 165 89 Chesterfield 163 2 Pembroke 162 29 Marblehead 161 32 Northbridge 159 25 Hanson 156 16 Lynnfield 155 18 Millers Falls 155 2 Oak Bluffs 154 7 Plainfield 154 1 Williamstown 154 12 Amherst 153 58 Walpole 153 37 Millis 152 12 Sturbridge 151 14 Medway 148 19 North Falmouth 148 4 Georgetown 146 12 Lexington 140 44 Avon 137 6 Cherry Valley 136 15 Forestdale 136 6 Stoneham 135 29 West Brookfield 135 5 Gill 133 2 Blackstone 132 12 Newburyport 132 23 Auburndale 131 12 Pepperell 130 15 West Bridgewater 130 9 Brookline 129 76 Lanesborough 129 4 Sterling 128 10 Westport 128 20 North Dartmouth 127 30 Westminster 123 9 Edgartown 122 5 Woods Hole 122 1 Williamsburg 120 3 Douglas 118 10 Teaticket 117 2 Wendell 117 1 Hampden 116 6 North Grafton 116 9 Somerset 115 21 Wayland 115 15 Osterville 113 4 Southborough 112 11 Barre 111 6 Erving 111 2 Rehoboth 111 13 Lincoln 110 7 Reading 109 27 Charlton 107 14 Wellesley Hills 107 32 Plympton 106 3 Needham 103 30 Southampton 103 6 Rowley 102 6 Wenham 102 5 Concord 101 18 East Bridgewater 101 14 New Salem 101 1 Orleans 101 6 Townsend 100 9 Devens 99 2 North Truro 99 2 Yarmouth Port 99 5 Hanscom Afb 97 2 Milton 96 26 West Newton 96 13 East Longmeadow 95 15 Westwood 95 14 Millville 94 3 Halifax 93 7 Sheffield 92 3 Huntington 91 2 Stow 91 6 Cataumet 88 1 Longmeadow 88 14 Swansea 88 14 Templeton 87 7 Holden 86 15 North Easton 84 11 Wilbraham 84 12 Sagamore Beach 82 3 Chatham 81 5 Petersham 81 1 Holland 80 2 Royalston 79 1 Deerfield 78 4 East Dennis 77 2 Manchester 77 4 Falmouth 76 24 West Stockbridge 76 1 Rutland 75 6 Lancaster 74 6 Uxbridge 74 10 Harwich 73 9 Holliston 73 10 South Egremont 72 1 Scituate 71 13 Richmond 67 1 South Grafton 67 3 Duxbury 66 10 Mattapoisett 66 4 Whately 66 1 Newton Upper Falls 65 4 E. Boston 64 26 Wellesley 64 18 Leicester 63 7 Merrimac 63 4 Berkley 62 4 Sandwich 62 13 Westhampton 62 1 Groton 61 7 Bourne 60 12 Boxborough 60 3 Winchester 60 13 Colrain 59 1 Phillipston 59 1 West Hatfield 59 2 Princeton 58 2 Harwich Port 57 1 Jefferson 57 2 Becket 56 1 Grafton 56 10 Shutesbury 56 1 Brimfield 55 2 Needham Heights 55 16 West Falmouth 54 1 Buckland 52 1 South Dartmouth 52 18 Waban 51 4 Boxford 50 4 Onset 50 11 Ashburnham 49 3 Montague 47 4 Hubbardston 45 2 Newbury 45 3 Middleton 44 4 Norwell 38 4 South Barre 37 2 South Hamilton 37 3 Newton 36 31 Rochdale 36 4 South Attleboro 36 3 Mendon 34 2 Sutton 33 3 Ashby 32 1 Northfield 32 1 Cotuit 30 1 Harvard 30 2 Hatfield 29 1 Dennis 28 4 Dennisport 28 1 Dighton 28 2 Newton Highlands 28 24 Norfolk 26 3 Upton 26 2 North Dighton 23 1 West Newbury 23 1 Assonet 22 2 Boylston 22 1 North Weymouth 21 12 Carlisle 20 1 Dartmouth 20 7 East Freetown 20 1 Paxton 20 1 East Harwich 19 1 East Walpole 19 5 South Lee 16 1 Topsfield 16 1 West Harwich 16 2 East Templeton 12 1 Easton 12 3 Manchaug 11 1 Newton Lower Falls 10 9 Barnstable 8 4 West Groton 8 1 Weston 8 1 Tiverton 6 1 Yarmouth 4 1 STOUGHTON 3 1 South Walpole 3 1 Marlborough 2 1 E. Weymouth 1 1 North Quincy 1 1 (not given) 0 492 Beaufort 0 1 span 0 23 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 5934 4219 Berkshire 5744 927 Plymouth 5141 2220 Bristol 4219 3471 Essex 3985 4381 Worcester 3724 4145 Norfolk 3675 3133 Suffolk 3471 6854 Hampshire 3034 559 Barnstable 2994 578 Middlesex 2975 6943 Franklin 2569 271 Dukes 731 30 Nantucket 512 18 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 33951 88.7% Ongoing/Error 4315 11.3% 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 14750 43.4% Dismissed 10930 32.2% Defaulted 7112 20.9% Heard 1135 3.3% Other 24 0.1% Total 33951 100.0% Outcome by reason: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 1143 1022 2279 288 3 Foreclosure 54 88 114 13 0 No Fault 1015 888 2382 150 1 Non-payment 8715 5110 9972 681 20 Unknown/Other 3 4 3 3 0 Outcome by reason, as a percent of disposed cases: Dismissed Defaulted Mediated Heard Other Cause 3.4% 3.0% 6.7% 0.8% 0.0% Foreclosure 0.2% 0.3% 0.3% 0.0% 0.0% No Fault 3.0% 2.6% 7.0% 0.4% 0.0% Non-payment 25.7% 15.1% 29.4% 2.0% 0.1% 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 17201 50.7% 45.0% Judgment inferred 2283 6.7% 6.0% No judgment 14467 42.6% 37.8% Total 33951 100.0% 50.9% Judgments by reason, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std Dev Total Cause 2352 6.9% 0 100,000 2,762 5,799 6,496,504 Foreclosure 134 0.4% 0 75,716 2,072 8,712 277,725 No fault 1990 5.9% 0 56,980 4,683 5,831 9,320,062 Non-payment 12719 37.5% 0 176,627 7,712 7,929 98,091,919 Unknown/Other 6 0.0% 0 29,090 4,848 10,841 29,090 Subtotal 17201 50.7% 0 176,627 6,640 7,692 114,215,302 Judgments by outcome, where dollar figures are known, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage Min Max Average Std dev Total Dismissed 1304 3.8% 0 74,292 4,625 5,855 6,031,003 Defaulted 6492 19.1% 0 176,627 6,784 7,803 44,042,078 Mediated 8996 26.5% 0 142,822 6,796 7,723 61,141,025 Heard 393 1.2% 0 69,547 7,284 9,111 2,862,977 Other 16 0.0% 0 53,272 8,638 12,555 138,217 Subtotal 17201 50.7% 0 176,627 6,640 7,692 114,215,302 By prevailing party, as a percent of disposed cases: Count Percentage of Judgments Percentage of Disposed Percentage of Filed defendant 60 0.3% 0.2% 0.2% plaintiff 18897 97.0% 55.7% 49.4% unknown 527 2.7% 1.6% 1.4% Total 19484 100.0% 57.4% 50.9%