We have been asking for this…like…forever and finally we were able to drag the Housing Court into the 21st Century. (See my post 3 Ways to Cut the Housing Court Case Load). If we can now get them a DVD and a monitor so they can accept video evidence (:
Two days ago the Housing Court in Massachusetts made their computer that sits in the lobby visible to the Internet. What that means is that we can do tenant screening and search evictions without having to get on our horses and physically go to Housing Court.
Here is their press release:
Press Release
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT
John Adams Courthouse
One Pemberton Square
Boston , MA 02108
| CONTACT: | Joan Kenney/Erika Gully-Santiago 617/557-1114 joan.kenney@sjc.state.ma.us |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 22, 2013 |
Housing Court Announces Public Internet Access
The Housing Court Department of the Massachusetts Trial Court this week announced the introduction of internet access to Summary Process, Small Claims, Civil and Supplementary Process case types that are currently available to the public. Case information can be accessed via the Trial Court’s eAccess internet site at www.masscourts.org.
The site allows users to conduct searches by case type, case number or case name. Users can find detailed instructions on the Housing Court page of the Trial Court’s website. Electronic access to all publicly available case types also continues to be available at public access computers at the five Housing Court divisions and at courthouses throughout the state.
“We are very pleased to increase accessibility to case information,” said Housing Court Chief Justice Steven D. Pierce. “Large numbers of Housing Court users are self-represented litigants and we believe that internet access provides them, as well as members of the bar, with more convenience and better service.”
Public internet access is made available through MassCourts, the Trial Court’s web-based, case management platform now utilized by six of the seven Trial Court departments. MassCourts allows real-time data collection and electronic data exchange with other entities and once fully implemented will replace 14 legacy systems. Internet access also is available to case information in the Land Court and to estate cases in the Probate and Family Court.