New eviction filings increased significantly in Dane County this past quarter. Landlords filed for eviction 702 times against 689 unique households between July 1st and September 30th, an 18 percent increase from the previous quarter and the most filed since at least the start of 2021.

In all, Tenant Resource Center and the EDDP provided services for 1,111 joinder hearings, 32 trials and 11 motion hearings this quarter.

Despite the continued increase in court activity, the vast majority (84%) of cases with court dates this quarter were dismissed due to the efforts of the EDDP and its partners. Most cases were dismissed after the parties reached an agreement in court (38%) or the past-due rent was paid in full (30%).

However, judgments for eviction also continue to rise. From January to March of this year, 57 tenants with court dates received a judgment of eviction; 92 tenants with court dates this quarter received a judgment. Nearly 90% of judgments this quarter were default judgments, which result when a tenant does not appear at a scheduled hearing or trial date.

EDDP partner attorneys provided no-cost legal representation for 90 households who had evictions filed against them this quarter – 12 percent of all filings. These attorneys appeared at 181 hearings and trials in these months, which includes new filings as well as filings from previous quarters.

Repeat eviction filings remain a serious issue in Dane County, with 28% of tenants who received eviction filings this quarter having previously faced eviction at least once before since 2023.