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Disclaimer: The following is not intended to be legal advice for any purpose and is for discussion purposes only. No attorney client relationship is formed until a contract is signed and executed.

In Massachusetts, a Court case brought by a landlord against a tenant in order to remove the tenant from the premises is referred to as a "Summary Process." This phrase is generally synonymous with an "eviction" proceeding in Court, and it comes from the fact that the case will be "summarized" in as much as it will generally move more rapidly through the Court system as compared to other civil matters in the District Court. In years past, Summary Process cases were frequently heard in the District Court, however, currently in Massachusetts most if not all Summary Process cases are heard in Housing Court. Housing Courts deal almost exclusively with Summary Process matters, and the hearings for a regional Housing Court are held in local Courts near the property that is the subject of the case......