Trial Court Rules  Trial Court Administrative Order 21-2: Trial Court order suspending certain provisions of Trial Court Rule I: Uniform Summary Process Rules

In 2020, the Governor declared a state of emergency in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic.  On April 20, 2020, the Governor signed into law Chapter 65 of the Acts of 2020, entitled An Act Providing for a Moratorium on Evictions and Foreclosures During the COVID-19 Emergency, which temporarily paused certain non-essential evictions and foreclosures in Massachusetts.  In anticipation of, and following, the Massachusetts eviction moratorium, the Trial Court put a number of measures into place, including the departmental standing orders referenced in the following section, to facilitate summary process cases upon the expiration of the Massachusetts eviction moratorium, and to enable landlords and tenants to avail themselves of opportunities for funding and other resources to aid in the resolution of eviction cases.  The eviction moratorium expired on October 17, 2020.

The Chief Justices of the Housing Court, District Court, and Boston Municipal Court departments each issued a standing order outlining procedures applicable in their respective court departments for summary process (eviction) cases following the expiration of the Massachusetts eviction moratorium.  In an effort to provide opportunities for landlords and tenants to access available eviction resources, including but not limited to funding, the departmental standing orders will contain some provisions that are inconsistent with Trial Court Rule I: Uniform Summary Process Rules.

Accordingly, it is hereby ORDERED, pursuant to my authority as set forth in G.L. c. 211B, § 9, that to the extent any provisions of Trial Court Rule I: Uniform Summary Process Rules are inconsistent with the individual standing orders issued by the Chief Justices of the Housing Court, District Court, and Boston Municipal Court departments, those provisions of Trial Court Rule I: Uniform Summary process Rules are suspended until further order.

This Administrative Order is effective as of June 15, 2021 and will remain in effect until further order. This Administrative Order is temporary and may be modified or rescinded at any time, as necessary.
 

This order supersedes Trial Court Emergency Administrative Order 20-13:  Trial Court Order Suspending Certain Provisions of Trial Court Rule I:  Uniform Summary Process Rules, and that Emergency Administrative Order is hereby RESCINDED, effective as of the date of this order.