April 23, 2020:- Landlords and lawyers should bear in mind that the new eviction-moratorium law does not prohibit all evictions. The definition of “non-essential evictions” excludes:
(a) criminal activity that may impact the health or safety of other residents, health care workers, emergency personnel, persons lawfully on the subject property or the general public; or
(b) lease violations that may impact the health or safety of other residents, health care workers, emergency personnel, persons lawfully on the subject property or the general public.
Such evictions are not non-essential. Put another way so as to avoid a surfeit of negatives, such evictions are essential.
Note in particular the words “may,” “impact,” and “or.” The law does not say that the tenant’s criminal activity/lease violations must have a significant impact on the health and safety of another person, only that it “impact” the health or safety. Plus, it uses the disjunctive “or” as opposed to “and.”
What kind of activity can be said to “impact” someone’s health, including mental health? That is food for thought.
Takeaway: If a tenant’s activity may impact the health or safety of another person, the new law allows the landlord to file–and does not authorize the court to reject–a summary process case.
Peter Vickery, Esq., 
In Hampshire/Hampden County, filing is suspended. Clerk won’t accept paperwork.
Can the landlord attach tenant property such as autos, in lieu of eviction? That would be in small claims.
After the Housing Court enters judgment and issues execution a creditor could seek attachment via supplementary process. I do not know of any legal basis for seeking attachment before though.
How about an eventual class-action suit against the Commonwealth for all landlords/all money lost for deprivation of due process?
Re. post-emergency action against the Commonwealth for lost rents, I think that would be a very good idea.
In addition, the AG’s COVID 19 emergency debt-collection. regulations prohibit creditors from initiating or even threatening to initiate collection actions during the state of emergency.
https://www.mass.gov/doc/ma-reg/download