Rent, lease, ejectment
Federal civil · Real Property · 14,493 cases filed and closed (1988–present).
14,493
Cases filed
87.7%
Ended before a merits judgment
12,710 of 14,493 cases
70.7%
Plaintiff win
of 1,783 merits judgments
22.5%
Defendant win
of merits judgments
How they closed
- Remanded45.9%
- Dismissed25.7%
- Settled12.7%
- Plaintiff win8.7%
- Defendant win2.8%
- Transferred2.3%
- Other1.1%
- Decided — other0.4%
- Mixed0.4%
- Denied0%
- Affirmed0%
Where you file matters
The same claim resolves differently across districts. Plaintiff-win rate among merits judgments, busiest courts first.
- District Court, C.D. California3,318 cases · 127 decided85.8%
- District Court, N.D. Georgia2,725 cases · 30 decided43.3%
- District Court, N.D. California456 cases · 38 decided60.5%
- District Court, S.D. California452 cases · 122 decided85.2%
- District Court, E.D. California444 cases · 23 decided—
- District Court, N.D. Texas334 cases · 31 decided58.1%
- District Court, S.D. New York292 cases · 55 decided76.4%
- District Court, E.D. Pennsylvania287 cases · 44 decided93.2%
- District Court, S.D. Mississippi284 cases · 149 decided89.9%
- District Court, N.D. Illinois261 cases · 47 decided74.5%
- District Court, D. Massachusetts218 cases · 54 decided77.8%
- District Court, D. New Jersey207 cases · 33 decided45.5%
- District Court, D. Maryland204 cases · 48 decided66.7%
- District Court, S.D. Texas179 cases · 22 decided—
- District Court, E.D. New York176 cases · 12 decided—
- District Court, S.D. Florida172 cases · 15 decided—
- District Court, E.D. Michigan167 cases · 30 decided53.3%
- District Court, M.D. Florida155 cases · 13 decided—
- District Court, E.D. Virginia146 cases · 24 decided—
- District Court, E.D. Louisiana142 cases · 35 decided37.1%
- District Court, D. Connecticut137 cases · 28 decided—
- District Court, District of Columbia134 cases · 18 decided—
- District Court, N.D. Ohio126 cases · 7 decided—
- District Court, N.D. Alabama123 cases · 36 decided97.2%
- District Court, D. Arizona121 cases · 28 decided—
- District Court, D. South Carolina111 cases · 18 decided—
- District Court, W.D. Texas110 cases · 16 decided—
- District Court, W.D. Pennsylvania108 cases · 24 decided—
- District Court, W.D. Washington99 cases · 16 decided—
- District Court, W.D. Louisiana92 cases · 13 decided—
Source: FJC Integrated Database (public domain), via CourtListener — federal civil cases filed and terminated, 1988–present. Figures are descriptive statistics about how cases of a given type have closed in a given court. They describe the historical record — not a prediction or assessment of any specific case. Not legal advice.