Butler County, Pennsylvania Court Filings Intelligence
Live court-record analysis of property-related filings (foreclosure, probate, divorce, partition, guardianship). Data sourced direct from Butler County court dockets. Updated 2026-09-24. See methodology.
- Filing volume accelerating (+13.9%) — last 2 complete months (968 filings) vs prior 2 complete months (850 filings). Excludes the current calendar month (in progress).
- Max gross cap rate 5.3% at HUD Fair Market Rent — $15,588/year (2BR FMR × 12) on the $291,426 median estimated market value. Section-8-eligible rent ceiling; real-market rent typically exceeds FMR; excludes operating costs (taxes, insurance, maintenance, vacancy, management).
- 9.9% of filings are Commonwealth Tax Lien — the dominant lead category in Butler County during the observed window.
About Butler County
Butler County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 193,763. Its county seat is Butler. Butler County was created on March 12, 1800, from part of Allegheny County and named in honor of General Richard Butler, a hero of the American Revolution. The county is part of the Pittsburgh region of the commonwealth.
Source: Wikipedia
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33216 property-related court filings tracked across 410 months (Jan 1900 to Sep 2026).
80 typical monthly filing volume.
#16 of 23 Pennsylvania counties Keystone covers, ranked by total filing volume.
3% of filings involve owners whose mailing address differs from the property address (1049 of 33216 filings).
$291,426 median estimated property value across the 4181 filings with property-enrichment data (13% coverage).
3.8% Pennsylvania unemployment rate (BLS, as of 2026-07). Filings should be read against the local-economy backdrop.
Filing type breakdown
| Filing type | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 24808 | 74.7% | |
| Tax Lien | 3979 | 12.0% | |
| Divorce | 1868 | 5.6% | |
| Partition | 1721 | 5.2% | |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 511 | 1.5% | |
| Pre-Probate | 81 | 0.2% | |
| Foreclosure (Post-Filing) | 63 | 0.2% | |
| Inherited Property | 56 | 0.2% | |
| Stalled Project | 44 | 0.1% | |
| Quiet Title | 43 | 0.1% | |
| Real Estate Dispute | 40 | 0.1% | |
| Forced Liquidation | 1 | 0.0% | |
| Tired Landlord | 1 | 0.0% |
Each row is a distinct case as recorded on the county docket.
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Monthly filing activity
| Month | Filings | vs prior | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1900 | 1 | ||
| May 1975 | 1 | 0 | |
| Mar 1980 | 1 | 0 | |
| Nov 1983 | 1 | 0 | |
| Mar 1984 | 1 | 0 | |
| Jan 1988 | 1 | 0 | |
| Apr 1988 | 1 | 0 | |
| Oct 1988 | 1 | 0 | |
| Sep 1991 | 1 | 0 | |
| Jan 1992 | 2 | +1 | |
| Oct 1992 | 2 | 0 | |
| Mar 1993 | 1 | -1 | |
| Apr 1993 | 2 | +1 | |
| May 1993 | 2 | 0 | |
| Jun 1993 | 4 | +2 | |
| Jul 1993 | 2 | -2 | |
| Sep 1993 | 2 | 0 | |
| Oct 1993 | 5 | +3 | |
| Nov 1993 | 6 | +1 | |
| Dec 1993 | 1 | -5 | |
| Jan 1994 | 2 | +1 | |
| Feb 1994 | 3 | +1 | |
| Mar 1994 | 3 | 0 | |
| Apr 1994 | 3 | 0 | |
| May 1994 | 3 | 0 | |
| Jun 1994 | 2 | -1 | |
| Jul 1994 | 3 | +1 | |
| Aug 1994 | 3 | 0 | |
| Sep 1994 | 3 | 0 | |
| Oct 1994 | 2 | -1 | |
| Nov 1994 | 2 | 0 | |
| Dec 1994 | 3 | +1 | |
| Jan 1995 | 4 | +1 | |
| Feb 1995 | 4 | 0 | |
| Mar 1995 | 1 | -3 | |
| Apr 1995 | 1 | 0 | |
| May 1995 | 2 | +1 | |
| Jun 1995 | 2 | 0 | |
| Jul 1995 | 5 | +3 | |
| Aug 1995 | 2 | -3 | |
| Sep 1995 | 2 | 0 | |
| Oct 1995 | 5 | +3 | |
| Nov 1995 | 2 | -3 | |
| Dec 1995 | 2 | 0 | |
| Jan 1996 | 7 | +5 | |
| Feb 1996 | 4 | -3 | |
| Mar 1996 | 1 | -3 | |
| Apr 1996 | 6 | +5 | |
| May 1996 | 1 | -5 | |
| Jun 1996 | 4 | +3 | |
| Jul 1996 | 9 | +5 | |
| Aug 1996 | 1 | -8 | |
| Sep 1996 | 6 | +5 | |
| Oct 1996 | 4 | -2 | |
| Nov 1996 | 3 | -1 | |
| Dec 1996 | 3 | 0 | |
| Jan 1997 | 5 | +2 | |
| Feb 1997 | 3 | -2 | |
| Mar 1997 | 4 | +1 | |
| May 1997 | 3 | -1 | |
| Jun 1997 | 4 | +1 | |
| Jul 1997 | 2 | -2 | |
| Aug 1997 | 2 | 0 | |
| Sep 1997 | 9 | +7 | |
| Oct 1997 | 5 | -4 | |
| Nov 1997 | 6 | +1 | |
| Jan 1998 | 1 | -5 | |
| Feb 1998 | 1 | 0 | |
| Mar 1998 | 6 | +5 | |
| Apr 1998 | 6 | 0 | |
| May 1998 | 2 | -4 | |
| Jun 1998 | 2 | 0 | |
| Jul 1998 | 3 | +1 | |
| Aug 1998 | 3 | 0 | |
| Sep 1998 | 3 | 0 | |
| Oct 1998 | 1 | -2 | |
| Nov 1998 | 3 | +2 | |
| Dec 1998 | 2 | -1 | |
| Jan 1999 | 4 | +2 | |
| Feb 1999 | 7 | +3 | |
| Mar 1999 | 4 | -3 | |
| Apr 1999 | 3 | -1 | |
| May 1999 | 3 | 0 | |
| Jun 1999 | 5 | +2 | |
| Jul 1999 | 5 | 0 | |
| Aug 1999 | 4 | -1 | |
| Sep 1999 | 4 | 0 | |
| Oct 1999 | 5 | +1 | |
| Nov 1999 | 3 | -2 | |
| Dec 1999 | 2 | -1 | |
| Jan 2000 | 2 | 0 | |
| Feb 2000 | 8 | +6 | |
| Mar 2000 | 8 | 0 | |
| Apr 2000 | 1 | -7 | |
| May 2000 | 2 | +1 | |
| Jun 2000 | 4 | +2 | |
| Jul 2000 | 3 | -1 | |
| Aug 2000 | 6 | +3 | |
| Sep 2000 | 2 | -4 | |
| Oct 2000 | 8 | +6 | |
| Nov 2000 | 13 | +5 | |
| Dec 2000 | 1 | -12 | |
| Jan 2001 | 8 | +7 | |
| Feb 2001 | 4 | -4 | |
| Mar 2001 | 11 | +7 | |
| Apr 2001 | 2 | -9 | |
| May 2001 | 7 | +5 | |
| Jun 2001 | 4 | -3 | |
| Jul 2001 | 3 | -1 | |
| Aug 2001 | 8 | +5 | |
| Sep 2001 | 5 | -3 | |
| Oct 2001 | 9 | +4 | |
| Nov 2001 | 4 | -5 | |
| Dec 2001 | 3 | -1 | |
| Jan 2002 | 7 | +4 | |
| Feb 2002 | 9 | +2 | |
| Mar 2002 | 3 | -6 | |
| Apr 2002 | 4 | +1 | |
| May 2002 | 5 | +1 | |
| Jun 2002 | 5 | 0 | |
| Jul 2002 | 4 | -1 | |
| Aug 2002 | 13 | +9 | |
| Sep 2002 | 5 | -8 | |
| Oct 2002 | 7 | +2 | |
| Nov 2002 | 4 | -3 | |
| Dec 2002 | 7 | +3 | |
| Jan 2003 | 12 | +5 | |
| Feb 2003 | 12 | 0 | |
| Mar 2003 | 1 | -11 | |
| Apr 2003 | 8 | +7 | |
| May 2003 | 5 | -3 | |
| Jun 2003 | 4 | -1 | |
| Jul 2003 | 11 | +7 | |
| Aug 2003 | 3 | -8 | |
| Sep 2003 | 12 | +9 | |
| Oct 2003 | 11 | -1 | |
| Nov 2003 | 9 | -2 | |
| Dec 2003 | 10 | +1 | |
| Jan 2004 | 3 | -7 | |
| Feb 2004 | 16 | +13 | |
| Mar 2004 | 4 | -12 | |
| Apr 2004 | 11 | +7 | |
| May 2004 | 3 | -8 | |
| Jun 2004 | 7 | +4 | |
| Jul 2004 | 8 | +1 | |
| Aug 2004 | 5 | -3 | |
| Sep 2004 | 8 | +3 | |
| Oct 2004 | 7 | -1 | |
| Nov 2004 | 1 | -6 | |
| Jan 2005 | 16 | +15 | |
| Feb 2005 | 4 | -12 | |
| Mar 2005 | 8 | +4 | |
| Apr 2005 | 9 | +1 | |
| May 2005 | 5 | -4 | |
| Jun 2005 | 3 | -2 | |
| Jul 2005 | 6 | +3 | |
| Aug 2005 | 13 | +7 | |
| Sep 2005 | 8 | -5 | |
| Oct 2005 | 7 | -1 | |
| Nov 2005 | 6 | -1 | |
| Dec 2005 | 2 | -4 | |
| Jan 2006 | 14 | +12 | |
| Feb 2006 | 5 | -9 | |
| Mar 2006 | 17 | +12 | |
| Apr 2006 | 9 | -8 | |
| May 2006 | 5 | -4 | |
| Jun 2006 | 6 | +1 | |
| Jul 2006 | 9 | +3 | |
| Aug 2006 | 13 | +4 | |
| Sep 2006 | 8 | -5 | |
| Oct 2006 | 8 | 0 | |
| Nov 2006 | 6 | -2 | |
| Dec 2006 | 5 | -1 | |
| Jan 2007 | 4 | -1 | |
| Feb 2007 | 7 | +3 | |
| Mar 2007 | 13 | +6 | |
| Apr 2007 | 16 | +3 | |
| May 2007 | 10 | -6 | |
| Jun 2007 | 11 | +1 | |
| Jul 2007 | 12 | +1 | |
| Aug 2007 | 13 | +1 | |
| Sep 2007 | 8 | -5 | |
| Oct 2007 | 18 | +10 | |
| Nov 2007 | 7 | -11 | |
| Dec 2007 | 11 | +4 | |
| Jan 2008 | 8 | -3 | |
| Feb 2008 | 10 | +2 | |
| Mar 2008 | 5 | -5 | |
| Apr 2008 | 13 | +8 | |
| May 2008 | 19 | +6 | |
| Jun 2008 | 8 | -11 | |
| Jul 2008 | 11 | +3 | |
| Aug 2008 | 5 | -6 | |
| Sep 2008 | 17 | +12 | |
| Oct 2008 | 18 | +1 | |
| Nov 2008 | 7 | -11 | |
| Dec 2008 | 24 | +17 | |
| Jan 2009 | 8 | -16 | |
| Feb 2009 | 7 | -1 | |
| Mar 2009 | 15 | +8 | |
| Apr 2009 | 11 | -4 | |
| May 2009 | 10 | -1 | |
| Jun 2009 | 8 | -2 | |
| Jul 2009 | 16 | +8 | |
| Aug 2009 | 6 | -10 | |
| Sep 2009 | 24 | +18 | |
| Oct 2009 | 86 | +62 | |
| Nov 2009 | 20 | -66 | |
| Dec 2009 | 12 | -8 | |
| Jan 2010 | 8 | -4 | |
| Feb 2010 | 7 | -1 | |
| Mar 2010 | 10 | +3 | |
| Apr 2010 | 22 | +12 | |
| May 2010 | 41 | +19 | |
| Jun 2010 | 12 | -29 | |
| Jul 2010 | 8 | -4 | |
| Aug 2010 | 9 | +1 | |
| Sep 2010 | 18 | +9 | |
| Oct 2010 | 10 | -8 | |
| Nov 2010 | 12 | +2 | |
| Dec 2010 | 11 | -1 | |
| Jan 2011 | 17 | +6 | |
| Feb 2011 | 7 | -10 | |
| Mar 2011 | 18 | +11 | |
| Apr 2011 | 13 | -5 | |
| May 2011 | 15 | +2 | |
| Jun 2011 | 8 | -7 | |
| Jul 2011 | 11 | +3 | |
| Aug 2011 | 23 | +12 | |
| Sep 2011 | 10 | -13 | |
| Oct 2011 | 16 | +6 | |
| Nov 2011 | 4 | -12 | |
| Dec 2011 | 14 | +10 | |
| Jan 2012 | 8 | -6 | |
| Feb 2012 | 18 | +10 | |
| Mar 2012 | 14 | -4 | |
| Apr 2012 | 15 | +1 | |
| May 2012 | 12 | -3 | |
| Jun 2012 | 15 | +3 | |
| Jul 2012 | 16 | +1 | |
| Aug 2012 | 17 | +1 | |
| Sep 2012 | 14 | -3 | |
| Oct 2012 | 14 | 0 | |
| Nov 2012 | 9 | -5 | |
| Dec 2012 | 7 | -2 | |
| Jan 2013 | 11 | +4 | |
| Feb 2013 | 19 | +8 | |
| Mar 2013 | 16 | -3 | |
| Apr 2013 | 12 | -4 | |
| May 2013 | 18 | +6 | |
| Jun 2013 | 17 | -1 | |
| Jul 2013 | 13 | -4 | |
| Aug 2013 | 21 | +8 | |
| Sep 2013 | 14 | -7 | |
| Oct 2013 | 21 | +7 | |
| Nov 2013 | 12 | -9 | |
| Dec 2013 | 10 | -2 | |
| Jan 2014 | 20 | +10 | |
| Feb 2014 | 16 | -4 | |
| Mar 2014 | 14 | -2 | |
| Apr 2014 | 16 | +2 | |
| May 2014 | 13 | -3 | |
| Jun 2014 | 16 | +3 | |
| Jul 2014 | 7 | -9 | |
| Aug 2014 | 16 | +9 | |
| Sep 2014 | 22 | +6 | |
| Oct 2014 | 12 | -10 | |
| Nov 2014 | 18 | +6 | |
| Dec 2014 | 17 | -1 | |
| Jan 2015 | 18 | +1 | |
| Feb 2015 | 10 | -8 | |
| Mar 2015 | 21 | +11 | |
| Apr 2015 | 11 | -10 | |
| May 2015 | 23 | +12 | |
| Jun 2015 | 7 | -16 | |
| Jul 2015 | 20 | +13 | |
| Aug 2015 | 14 | -6 | |
| Sep 2015 | 24 | +10 | |
| Oct 2015 | 13 | -11 | |
| Nov 2015 | 19 | +6 | |
| Dec 2015 | 28 | +9 | |
| Jan 2016 | 22 | -6 | |
| Feb 2016 | 22 | 0 | |
| Mar 2016 | 24 | +2 | |
| Apr 2016 | 15 | -9 | |
| May 2016 | 25 | +10 | |
| Jun 2016 | 39 | +14 | |
| Jul 2016 | 19 | -20 | |
| Aug 2016 | 18 | -1 | |
| Sep 2016 | 28 | +10 | |
| Oct 2016 | 25 | -3 | |
| Nov 2016 | 24 | -1 | |
| Dec 2016 | 21 | -3 | |
| Jan 2017 | 16 | -5 | |
| Feb 2017 | 26 | +10 | |
| Mar 2017 | 54 | +28 | |
| Apr 2017 | 33 | -21 | |
| May 2017 | 37 | +4 | |
| Jun 2017 | 24 | -13 | |
| Jul 2017 | 16 | -8 | |
| Aug 2017 | 47 | +31 | |
| Sep 2017 | 28 | -19 | |
| Oct 2017 | 38 | +10 | |
| Nov 2017 | 23 | -15 | |
| Dec 2017 | 24 | +1 | |
| Jan 2018 | 40 | +16 | |
| Feb 2018 | 34 | -6 | |
| Mar 2018 | 29 | -5 | |
| Apr 2018 | 29 | 0 | |
| May 2018 | 36 | +7 | |
| Jun 2018 | 41 | +5 | |
| Jul 2018 | 43 | +2 | |
| Aug 2018 | 45 | +2 | |
| Sep 2018 | 34 | -11 | |
| Oct 2018 | 50 | +16 | |
| Nov 2018 | 43 | -7 | |
| Dec 2018 | 40 | -3 | |
| Jan 2019 | 59 | +19 | |
| Feb 2019 | 42 | -17 | |
| Mar 2019 | 61 | +19 | |
| Apr 2019 | 60 | -1 | |
| May 2019 | 53 | -7 | |
| Jun 2019 | 72 | +19 | |
| Jul 2019 | 47 | -25 | |
| Aug 2019 | 71 | +24 | |
| Sep 2019 | 60 | -11 | |
| Oct 2019 | 55 | -5 | |
| Nov 2019 | 73 | +18 | |
| Dec 2019 | 56 | -17 | |
| Jan 2020 | 550 | +494 | |
| Feb 2020 | 404 | -146 | |
| Mar 2020 | 364 | -40 | |
| Apr 2020 | 127 | -237 | |
| May 2020 | 134 | +7 | |
| Jun 2020 | 318 | +184 | |
| Jul 2020 | 253 | -65 | |
| Aug 2020 | 312 | +59 | |
| Sep 2020 | 334 | +22 | |
| Oct 2020 | 312 | -22 | |
| Nov 2020 | 305 | -7 | |
| Dec 2020 | 341 | +36 | |
| Jan 2021 | 209 | -132 | |
| Feb 2021 | 332 | +123 | |
| Mar 2021 | 323 | -9 | |
| Apr 2021 | 354 | +31 | |
| May 2021 | 306 | -48 | |
| Jun 2021 | 357 | +51 | |
| Jul 2021 | 444 | +87 | |
| Aug 2021 | 304 | -140 | |
| Sep 2021 | 317 | +13 | |
| Oct 2021 | 317 | 0 | |
| Nov 2021 | 301 | -16 | |
| Dec 2021 | 338 | +37 | |
| Jan 2022 | 226 | -112 | |
| Feb 2022 | 337 | +111 | |
| Mar 2022 | 389 | +52 | |
| Apr 2022 | 298 | -91 | |
| May 2022 | 352 | +54 | |
| Jun 2022 | 347 | -5 | |
| Jul 2022 | 383 | +36 | |
| Aug 2022 | 349 | -34 | |
| Sep 2022 | 333 | -16 | |
| Oct 2022 | 302 | -31 | |
| Nov 2022 | 385 | +83 | |
| Dec 2022 | 283 | -102 | |
| Jan 2023 | 296 | +13 | |
| Feb 2023 | 438 | +142 | |
| Mar 2023 | 447 | +9 | |
| Apr 2023 | 356 | -91 | |
| May 2023 | 305 | -51 | |
| Jun 2023 | 401 | +96 | |
| Jul 2023 | 323 | -78 | |
| Aug 2023 | 330 | +7 | |
| Sep 2023 | 318 | -12 | |
| Oct 2023 | 333 | +15 | |
| Nov 2023 | 409 | +76 | |
| Dec 2023 | 325 | -84 | |
| Jan 2024 | 254 | -71 | |
| Feb 2024 | 392 | +138 | |
| Mar 2024 | 339 | -53 | |
| Apr 2024 | 431 | +92 | |
| May 2024 | 403 | -28 | |
| Jun 2024 | 300 | -103 | |
| Jul 2024 | 393 | +93 | |
| Aug 2024 | 357 | -36 | |
| Sep 2024 | 347 | -10 | |
| Oct 2024 | 437 | +90 | |
| Nov 2024 | 412 | -25 | |
| Dec 2024 | 323 | -89 | |
| Jan 2025 | 452 | +129 | |
| Feb 2025 | 398 | -54 | |
| Mar 2025 | 401 | +3 | |
| Apr 2025 | 442 | +41 | |
| May 2025 | 439 | -3 | |
| Jun 2025 | 365 | -74 | |
| Jul 2025 | 408 | +43 | |
| Aug 2025 | 342 | -66 | |
| Sep 2025 | 404 | +62 | |
| Oct 2025 | 424 | +20 | |
| Nov 2025 | 341 | -83 | |
| Dec 2025 | 431 | +90 | |
| Jan 2026 | 368 | -63 | |
| Feb 2026 | 379 | +11 | |
| Mar 2026 | 477 | +98 | |
| Apr 2026 | 498 | +21 | |
| May 2026 | 424 | -74 | |
| Jun 2026 | 426 | +2 | |
| Jul 2026 | 463 | +37 | |
| Aug 2026 | 505 | +42 | |
| Sep 2026 | 301 | -204 |
Each row reflects new filings entering the dataset that month, after ownership verification. Most recent month may be partial.
Geographic concentration by ZIP
Top 10 ZIPs in Butler County account for 42.7% of all tracked filings, showing where distressed real estate activity clusters.
| ZIP | City | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16001 | Butler Township | 3542 | 10.7% | |
| 16003 | BUTLER | 3478 | 10.5% | |
| 17128 | DE | 2350 | 7.1% | |
| 16066 | Cranberry Township | 1414 | 4.3% | |
| 16002 | BUTLER | 705 | 2.1% | |
| 16046 | MARS | 684 | 2.1% | |
| 16057 | SLIPPERY ROCK | 621 | 1.9% | |
| 15317 | CANONSBURG | 467 | 1.4% | |
| 06831 | 464 | 1.4% | ||
| 19053 | 448 | 1.3% |
Based on filings with a parseable property address (79% of Butler County filings).
Target these ZIP codes before your competitors
Keystone delivers new filings with owner contact info the same day they hit the court docket.
Property value distribution
| Estimated value | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $75k | 131 | 3.1% | |
| $75k - $150k | 514 | 12.3% | |
| $150k - $250k | 1044 | 25.0% | |
| $250k - $400k | 1208 | 28.9% | |
| $400k+ | 1284 | 30.7% |
Source: third-party property enrichment (13% coverage on Butler County filings). Median $291,426; mean $360,518.
These properties are in your market right now
Get owner names, phone numbers, and property details for every new filing in Butler County.
Day-of-week filing pattern
| Day | Filings | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun | 30 | 0.1% | |
| Mon | 6968 | 21.0% | |
| Tue | 6823 | 20.5% | |
| Wed | 7140 | 21.5% | |
| Thu | 5744 | 17.3% | |
| Fri | 6498 | 19.6% | |
| Sat | 13 | 0.0% |
Filings cluster Monday through Friday, with weekend filings essentially absent (court system closed). Computed for 33216 filings with a parseable date.
Building characteristics
Per-property details from third-party property enrichment, aggregated across the 2743 filings with characteristic data:
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Median year built | 1969 |
| Median living area | 2,032 sqft |
| Median bedrooms | 4 |
| Median bathrooms | 2.5 |
| Median lot size | 0.39 acres |
| Owner-occupied (at time of enrichment) | 0.0% |
Housing stock + distress signals
Underlying housing stock and distress indicators across all 86399 Butler County housing units, from US Census ACS 5-year data. National reference values shown for context.
| Indicator | Butler County | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancy rate (incl. seasonal + for-sale) | 7.1% | 10.5% |
| Share of owner-occupied units carrying a mortgage | 57.0% | 60.8% |
| Pre-1940 housing stock | 15.0% | 12.3% |
| Single-family detached share of housing stock | 69.6% | 61.2% |
| Residents age 65 or older | 20.1% | 17.3% |
Source: US Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS 2023 5-year). National reference values are ACS 2022 5-year US totals. Why these matter: vacancy rate is the strongest single proxy for distressed inventory; mortgage-carrying share defines the risk pool exposed to rate environment; pre-1940 stock signals deferred maintenance and renovation opportunity; senior population correlates with probate pipeline depth.
Rent benchmark (HUD Fair Market Rent)
HUD sets Fair Market Rents at the metro area level — the same FMRs apply to every county within the metro. Butler County sits within the Pittsburgh, PA (FY 2026). Used to set Section 8 voucher amounts; investors use it as a defensible rent-estimate floor for buy-to-rent underwriting.
| Unit size | Fair market rent / month |
|---|---|
| Efficiency / studio | $1,001 |
| 1-bedroom | $1,077 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,299 |
| 3-bedroom | $1,661 |
| 4-bedroom | $1,789 |
Source: US Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents (2026). 40th-percentile gross rent including utilities. Why this matters: Section-8-eligible tenants are a baseline demand floor for rental inventory at these price points; FMR is the official ceiling for voucher-eligible rents.
New construction (market momentum)
Annual building permits filed in Butler County from the US Census Building Permits Survey. Trend signal on whether new housing demand is accelerating or contracting in this market.
| Indicator | Value |
|---|---|
| Total housing units permitted (2025) | 1,246 |
| Year-over-year change (2024 → 2025) | +27.7% |
| Single-family share of permits (2025) | 78.2% |
| Single-family units permitted | 974 |
| Multifamily units permitted (2+ units per building) | 272 |
Source: US Census Bureau Building Permits Survey, annual cumulative data. Why this matters: permits trending up signals strong demand for new inventory; permits contracting at the same time foreclosure activity rises indicates broader market softening (deals price differently). Multifamily share shows whether the market is densifying or holding to single-family stock.
Macro context: state home prices and national delinquency
Butler County filings should be read against the broader housing-market backdrop. Pennsylvania state home-price trend and the national mortgage-delinquency rate are the two macro signals most directly relevant to foreclosure exposure.
| Indicator | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania home price index (year-over-year) | +4.7% | 2026-04-01 |
| Pennsylvania home price index (cumulative since 2020) | +61.7% | 2026-04-01 |
| National mortgage delinquency rate (30+ day, single-family) | 1.86% | 2026-04-01 |
Sources: Federal Housing Finance Agency state house price indices (FRED series PASTHPI); Federal Reserve Board, Mortgage Delinquency 30+Day Rate on Single-Family Residential Mortgages (FRED series DRSFRMACBS). Updated quarterly. Free public data.
Local-market benchmark
Demographics of the ZIPs where filings cluster, weighted by filing count and benchmarked against Census ACS 2023 5-year:
| Indicator | Filing-weighted average |
|---|---|
| Median household income (where filings cluster) | $93,946 |
| Median home value | $348,901 |
| Owner-occupancy rate | 73.3% |
| Renter share of households | 26.7% |
| Median gross rent | $1,247/mo |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates, weighted by Keystone's filing volume across 8 top ZIPs.
Most active foreclosure plaintiffs in Butler County
Top mortgage holders and servicers named in foreclosure complaints filed in this county. Lender names are normalized to collapse common legal-suffix variants (e.g. "as Trustee for X Trust", "N.A.").
| Plaintiff | Foreclosure filings |
|---|---|
| FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION | 31 |
| PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES, LLC | 31 |
| PNC BANK, N.A | 26 |
| U.S. BANK TRUST N.A | 24 |
| CITIZENS BANK, N.A | 23 |
| LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING, LLC | 20 |
| ROCKET MORTGAGE, LLC | 15 |
| U.S. BANK N.A | 14 |
| NEWREZ LLC | 14 |
| PENNSYLVANIA HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY | 13 |
Source: plaintiff names extracted from Butler County foreclosure complaint text. Court records are public information.
Post-filing sale outcomes in Butler County
What happens to distressed properties after a court filing? By cross-referencing each filing's property with county assessor and deed-transfer records, we track which properties sold, how long the process took, and at what price. This analysis covers 3894 filings (11.7% of all 33216 filings) where parcel-level tracking is available.
Sale rates by filing type
Not all distress types lead to property sales at the same rate. Foreclosures tend to result in eventual sales more often than probate or divorce filings.
| Filing type | Filings | Confirmed sold | Sale rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Partition | 62 | 1 | 1.6% |
| Equity Division Sale | 1658 | 16 | 1.0% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 511 | 1 | 0.2% |
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | 3284 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Clerk Of Courts Judgment | 3167 | 0 | 0.0% |
How sales relate to the filing
Not every post-filing sale is caused by the court case. We classify each sale's relationship to the original filing so investors can focus on the highest-signal outcomes. 100.0% of confirmed sales were directly driven by the filing.
| Attribution | Meaning | Sales | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sold during the case | Sold while the case was still open — the strongest link between the filing and the sale | 12 | 66.7% |
| Sold within 2 years of filing | Sold within 2 years of the filing — inside the window where the case is a plausible cause | 6 | 33.3% |
Source: county assessor and deed-transfer records cross-referenced with court filings by parcel ID. Sale outcomes tracked for 3894 of 33216 filings (11.7% parcel coverage). Prices based on 18 sales with recorded sale amounts.
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FEMA flood zone exposure
Are distressed properties concentrated in flood-prone areas? By checking each property's coordinates against FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer, we identify which filings fall in Special Flood Hazard Areas (mandatory flood insurance zones). This analysis covers 999 properties with geocoded locations.
| Zone | Properties | Share |
|---|---|---|
| X | 977 | 97.8% |
| A | 10 | 1.0% |
| AE | 7 | 0.7% |
| X-500yr | 5 | 0.5% |
Source: FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL), queried by property coordinates. Zones A/AE/AH/AO/V/VE are Special Flood Hazard Areas (1% annual flood chance, mandatory flood insurance). Zone X is minimal risk. 999 properties checked.
Filing velocity by case type
How each distress category is trending — are foreclosures accelerating while divorces cool, or vice versa? This breakdown is only possible with direct court-record data.
| Case type | Total | Share | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | 3284 | 9.9% | -33.3% |
| Clerk Of Courts Judgment | 3167 | 9.5% | -0.9% |
| Judgment | 3034 | 9.1% | +0.0% |
| District Justice Transcript Judgment | 1926 | 5.8% | -8.0% |
| Civil: Contract | 1878 | 5.7% | +303.7% |
| Divorce Complaint | 1860 | 5.6% | -31.6% |
| Equity Division Sale | 1657 | 5.0% | -4.4% |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Credit Card | 1479 | 4.5% | +587.5% |
| No Lien Agreement | 1199 | 3.6% | -25.0% |
| Custody Complaint | 1177 | 3.5% | +25.8% |
| Default Judgment | 1166 | 3.5% | +43.1% |
| Transcript | 1105 | 3.3% | -54.3% |
| Writ Of Execution | 701 | 2.1% | -4.2% |
| Federal Tax Lien | 695 | 2.1% | -22.0% |
| Municipal Lien Claim | 664 | 2.0% | -- |
| Civil: Tort | 607 | 1.8% | -- |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Other | 600 | 1.8% | +328.6% |
| Writ Of Execution/Garnishee | 562 | 1.7% | -37.3% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 511 | 1.5% | +8.0% |
| Petition | 483 | 1.5% | -13.0% |
| Civil: Real Property | 395 | 1.2% | +214.3% |
| Judgment Consent | 288 | 0.9% | +13.6% |
| Petition: Name Change | 278 | 0.8% | -42.9% |
| Civil: Tort Motor Vehicle | 276 | 0.8% | +20.0% |
| Appeal: License Suspension | 244 | 0.7% | +12.5% |
| Civil: Appeals | 241 | 0.7% | -- |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Credit Card | 231 | 0.7% | -1.9% |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj | 204 | 0.6% | -- |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj Judicial: Mdj (Money Judgment) | 171 | 0.5% | -71.4% |
| Civil: Contract Other | 166 | 0.5% | +0.0% |
| Civil: Miscellaneous | 148 | 0.4% | -- |
| Judgment/Possession | 122 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| Civil: Tort Other | 117 | 0.4% | -50.0% |
| Judgment Confession | 105 | 0.3% | -53.8% |
| Writ Of Revival | 101 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| Writ Of Possession | 101 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| Civil: Complaint | 100 | 0.3% | -77.8% |
| Civil: Tort Premises Liability | 97 | 0.3% | -20.0% |
| Exemplification Of Judgment Coming In | 87 | 0.3% | +16.7% |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Other | 86 | 0.3% | -24.4% |
| Pre-Probate | 81 | 0.2% | -- |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj Judicial: Mdj (Landlord / Tenant) | 79 | 0.2% | +20.0% |
| Civil: Professional Liability | 70 | 0.2% | -- |
| Civil: Appeals Other | 62 | 0.2% | -50.0% |
| Partition | 62 | 0.2% | -- |
| Assessment Appeal | 62 | 0.2% | -29.4% |
| Civil: Real Property Ejectment | 61 | 0.2% | -33.3% |
| Order | 59 | 0.2% | -33.3% |
| Judgment On Award | 57 | 0.2% | +20.0% |
| Distressed Heir | 56 | 0.2% | -- |
| Land Judgment | 55 | 0.2% | -- |
| Civil: Real Property Mortgage Foreclosure: Residential | 54 | 0.2% | -52.6% |
| Stalled Project | 44 | 0.1% | -- |
| Petition For Issuance Of Foreign Subpoena | 43 | 0.1% | -50.0% |
| Civil: Professional Liability Medical | 42 | 0.1% | -- |
| Mechanics Lien Claim | 41 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| Civil: Real Property Quiet Title | 38 | 0.1% | -20.0% |
| Civil: Appeals Mdjjudicial: Mdj (Money Judgment) | 38 | 0.1% | +18.8% |
| Civil: Miscellaneous Other | 37 | 0.1% | -- |
| Civil: Contract Buyer Plaintiff | 37 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| Judgt/Amt Determined | 36 | 0.1% | -40.0% |
| Judgment: Non Pros | 31 | 0.1% | -- |
| Note | 30 | 0.1% | +100.0% |
| Civil: Miscellaneous Replevin | 30 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| Civil: Tortmotor Vehicle | 30 | 0.1% | -61.1% |
| Exemplification | 29 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| Civil: Miscellaneous Declaratory Judgment | 29 | 0.1% | -- |
| Petition Of Viewers | 29 | 0.1% | -- |
| Petition For Judicial Sale | 29 | 0.1% | -55.0% |
| Civil: Real Property Eminent Domain / Condemnation | 25 | 0.1% | -- |
| Writ Of Attachment | 25 | 0.1% | -- |
| Civil: Contract Employment Dispute: Other | 24 | 0.1% | -- |
| Power Of Attorney (Insurance) | 23 | 0.1% | -57.1% |
| Civil: Tort Intentional | 22 | 0.1% | -- |
| Civil: Real Property Other | 19 | 0.1% | -- |
| Writ Of Scire Facias | 17 | 0.1% | -76.9% |
| Custody Modification | 15 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Contractother | 14 | 0.0% | +16.7% |
| Satisfaction Of Commonwealth Liens | 13 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Real Property Landlord / Tenant Dispute | 13 | 0.0% | -40.0% |
| Civil: Appeals Agencies: Department Of Transportation | 13 | 0.0% | -14.3% |
| Judgment Roll | 12 | 0.0% | -- |
| Foreign Writ | 12 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Appeals Agencies: Zoning Board | 12 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Complaint Complaint In Mechanics Lien | 11 | 0.0% | -- |
| Suggestion: Nonpayment | 10 | 0.0% | -- |
| Satisfaction | 10 | 0.0% | -- |
| Paternity | 10 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Appeals Agencies: Statutory Appeal | 10 | 0.0% | -40.0% |
| Civil: Tortother | 10 | 0.0% | -- |
| Support | 9 | 0.0% | -40.0% |
| Official Oath | 9 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Tortpremises Liability | 9 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Real Property Mortgage Foreclosure: Business | 8 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Real Propertyejectment | 8 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Tort Slander / Libel / Defamation | 7 | 0.0% | -- |
| Other | 7 | 0.0% | -- |
| Cost Judgment | 7 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Tort Product Liability | 7 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Complaint Confession | 6 | 0.0% | -- |
| Agreement To Revive Judgment | 6 | 0.0% | -- |
| Venire | 6 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Miscellaneousreplevin | 6 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Appeals Mdjjudicial: Mdj (Landlord / Tenant) | 6 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Complaint Other | 5 | 0.0% | -- |
| Praecipe Writ Summons | 5 | 0.0% | -- |
| In Re | 5 | 0.0% | -- |
| Resume Maiden Name | 5 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Professional Liability Other | 5 | 0.0% | -- |
| Civil: Real Propertyquiet Title | 5 | 0.0% | -- |
| School Audit | 5 | 0.0% | -- |
| Financial Statement | 5 | 0.0% | -- |
Trend = recent 2-3 month volume vs prior 2-3 months (current partial month excluded). Positive = accelerating; negative = cooling.
Lender concentration analysis
Foreclosure activity is spread across many lenders, suggesting diverse distress sources rather than a single institutional wave.
| Lender / Plaintiff | Filings | Share |
|---|---|---|
| FREEDOM MORTGAGE CORPORATION | 31 | 7.9% |
| PENNYMAC LOAN SERVICES LLC | 31 | 7.9% |
| PNC BANK NA | 30 | 7.6% |
| LAKEVIEW LOAN SERVICING LLC | 27 | 6.9% |
| US BANK TRUST NA | 24 | 6.1% |
HHI (Herfindahl-Hirschman Index): <1500 = competitive, 1500-2500 = moderate concentration, >2500 = highly concentrated. Based on 393 foreclosure filings with identified plaintiffs.
Seasonal filing patterns
Court filings peak in Feb and are lowest in Sep. Filing volume is relatively steady year-round.
| Month | Avg filings | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74.5 | 82% |
| Feb | 90.5 | 100% |
| Mar | 86.3 | 95% |
| Apr | 83.5 | 92% |
| May | 77.8 | 86% |
| Jun | 83.8 | 93% |
| Jul | 87.6 | 97% |
| Aug | 87.3 | 96% |
| Sep | 71.5 | 79% |
| Oct | 73.9 | 82% |
| Nov | 73.3 | 81% |
| Dec | 76.0 | 84% |
Average filings per calendar month across all observed years. Relative column shows each month as a percentage of the peak month (Feb), with a 1.3x peak-to-trough ratio.
ZIP code distress hotspots
Distress is geographically dispersed across 948 ZIP codes, with no single area dominating.
| ZIP | Area | Filings | Share | Median value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16001 | Butler Township | 3542 | 10.7% | $245,549 |
| 16003 | Butler | 3478 | 10.5% | $250,217 |
| 17128 | De | 2350 | 7.1% | $394,079 |
| 16066 | Cranberry Township | 1414 | 4.3% | $388,244 |
| 16002 | Butler | 705 | 2.1% | $290,374 |
| 16046 | Mars | 684 | 2.1% | $370,812 |
| 16057 | Slippery Rock | 621 | 1.9% | $293,143 |
| 15317 | Canonsburg | 467 | 1.4% | $287,974 |
| 06831 | 464 | 1.4% | $317,475 | |
| 19053 | 448 | 1.3% | $300,227 |
Top 10 of 948 ZIP codes with filings.
Non-resident owner analysis
Most filings (97%) involve owner-occupied properties. The relatively low absentee rate suggests distress is primarily hitting homeowners, not institutional investors.
| Case type | Total filings | Non-resident % |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | 3284 | 2.1% |
| Clerk Of Courts Judgment | 3167 | 0.0% |
| Judgment | 3034 | 6.5% |
| District Justice Transcript Judgment | 1926 | 0.6% |
| Civil: Contract | 1878 | 2.3% |
| Divorce Complaint | 1860 | 0.5% |
| Equity Division Sale | 1657 | 22.6% |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Credit Card | 1479 | 0.1% |
| No Lien Agreement | 1199 | 0.3% |
| Custody Complaint | 1177 | 0.0% |
| Default Judgment | 1166 | 0.7% |
| Transcript | 1105 | 7.0% |
| Writ Of Execution | 701 | 1.1% |
| Federal Tax Lien | 695 | 0.0% |
| Municipal Lien Claim | 664 | 2.3% |
| Civil: Tort | 607 | 2.8% |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Other | 600 | 0.3% |
| Writ Of Execution/Garnishee | 562 | 0.4% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 511 | 16.2% |
| Petition | 483 | 5.6% |
| Civil: Real Property | 395 | 2.5% |
| Judgment Consent | 288 | 0.7% |
| Petition: Name Change | 278 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Tort Motor Vehicle | 276 | 0.4% |
| Appeal: License Suspension | 244 | 0.8% |
| Civil: Appeals | 241 | 0.8% |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Credit Card | 231 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj | 204 | 4.9% |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj Judicial: Mdj (Money Judgment) | 171 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Contract Other | 166 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Miscellaneous | 148 | 4.7% |
| Judgment/Possession | 122 | 4.9% |
| Civil: Tort Other | 117 | 0.0% |
| Judgment Confession | 105 | 0.0% |
| Writ Of Revival | 101 | 0.0% |
| Writ Of Possession | 101 | 2.0% |
| Civil: Complaint | 100 | 5.0% |
| Civil: Tort Premises Liability | 97 | 0.0% |
| Exemplification Of Judgment Coming In | 87 | 1.1% |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Other | 86 | 1.2% |
| Pre-Probate | 81 | 2.5% |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj Judicial: Mdj (Landlord / Tenant) | 79 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Professional Liability | 70 | 2.9% |
| Civil: Appeals Other | 62 | 0.0% |
| Partition | 62 | 30.6% |
| Assessment Appeal | 62 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Real Property Ejectment | 61 | 0.0% |
| Order | 59 | 0.0% |
| Judgment On Award | 57 | 3.5% |
| Distressed Heir | 56 | 0.0% |
| Land Judgment | 55 | 1.8% |
| Civil: Real Property Mortgage Foreclosure: Residential | 54 | 0.0% |
| Stalled Project | 44 | 22.7% |
| Petition For Issuance Of Foreign Subpoena | 43 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Professional Liability Medical | 42 | 0.0% |
| Mechanics Lien Claim | 41 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Real Property Quiet Title | 38 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Appeals Mdjjudicial: Mdj (Money Judgment) | 38 | 2.6% |
| Civil: Miscellaneous Other | 37 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Contract Buyer Plaintiff | 37 | 0.0% |
| Judgt/Amt Determined | 36 | 5.6% |
| Judgment: Non Pros | 31 | 6.5% |
| Note | 30 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Miscellaneous Replevin | 30 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Tortmotor Vehicle | 30 | 0.0% |
| Exemplification | 29 | 20.7% |
| Civil: Miscellaneous Declaratory Judgment | 29 | 0.0% |
| Petition Of Viewers | 29 | 0.0% |
| Petition For Judicial Sale | 29 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Real Property Eminent Domain / Condemnation | 25 | 0.0% |
| Writ Of Attachment | 25 | 4.0% |
| Civil: Contract Employment Dispute: Other | 24 | 0.0% |
| Power Of Attorney (Insurance) | 23 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Tort Intentional | 22 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Real Property Other | 19 | 5.3% |
| Writ Of Scire Facias | 17 | 0.0% |
| Custody Modification | 15 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Contractother | 14 | 0.0% |
| Satisfaction Of Commonwealth Liens | 13 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Real Property Landlord / Tenant Dispute | 13 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Appeals Agencies: Department Of Transportation | 13 | 0.0% |
| Judgment Roll | 12 | 8.3% |
| Foreign Writ | 12 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Appeals Agencies: Zoning Board | 12 | 8.3% |
| Civil: Complaint Complaint In Mechanics Lien | 11 | 0.0% |
| Suggestion: Nonpayment | 10 | 0.0% |
| Satisfaction | 10 | 0.0% |
| Paternity | 10 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Appeals Agencies: Statutory Appeal | 10 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Tortother | 10 | 0.0% |
| Support | 9 | 0.0% |
| Official Oath | 9 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Tortpremises Liability | 9 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Real Property Mortgage Foreclosure: Business | 8 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Real Propertyejectment | 8 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Tort Slander / Libel / Defamation | 7 | 0.0% |
| Other | 7 | 0.0% |
| Cost Judgment | 7 | 14.3% |
| Civil: Tort Product Liability | 7 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Complaint Confession | 6 | 0.0% |
| Agreement To Revive Judgment | 6 | 0.0% |
| Venire | 6 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Miscellaneousreplevin | 6 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Appeals Mdjjudicial: Mdj (Landlord / Tenant) | 6 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Complaint Other | 5 | 0.0% |
| Praecipe Writ Summons | 5 | 0.0% |
| In Re | 5 | 0.0% |
| Resume Maiden Name | 5 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Professional Liability Other | 5 | 0.0% |
| Civil: Real Propertyquiet Title | 5 | 0.0% |
| School Audit | 5 | 0.0% |
| Financial Statement | 5 | 0.0% |
Non-resident = owner's mailing address differs from the property address. Could indicate out-of-state landlords, inherited estates, second homes, or in-transition properties.
Target absentee and distressed owners directly
Every lead includes the owner's contact information and property details.
Distress composition and shifts
Clerk Of Courts Judgment, Default Judgment share is rising. Judgment share is declining. High diversity in distress types suggests multiple independent factors driving court filings, not a single economic shock.
| Case type | Recent share | Earlier share | Shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clerk Of Courts Judgment | 15.6% | 9.3% | +6.3pp (rising) |
| Default Judgment | 13.0% | 3.2% | +9.8pp (rising) |
| Pre-Probate | 6.3% | 0.0% | +6.3pp (rising) |
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | 5.6% | 10.1% | -4.5pp |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Credit Card | 5.5% | 4.5% | +1.0pp |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Credit Card | 4.5% | 0.6% | +3.9pp |
| District Justice Transcript Judgment | 4.4% | 5.9% | -1.5pp |
| Divorce Complaint | 3.9% | 5.7% | -1.8pp |
| Equity Division Sale | 3.4% | 5.0% | -1.6pp |
| Civil: Contract | 3.0% | 5.5% | -2.5pp |
| No Lien Agreement | 2.9% | 3.6% | -0.7pp |
| Custody Complaint | 2.7% | 3.6% | -0.9pp |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Other | 2.7% | 1.8% | +0.9pp |
| Federal Tax Lien | 2.5% | 2.1% | +0.4pp |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Other | 2.2% | 0.2% | +2.0pp |
| Judgment Consent | 2.2% | 0.8% | +1.4pp |
| Writ Of Execution/Garnishee | 2.1% | 1.7% | +0.4pp |
| Petition | 1.3% | 1.5% | -0.2pp |
| Appeal: License Suspension | 1.2% | 0.7% | +0.5pp |
| Writ Of Execution | 1.0% | 2.1% | -1.1pp |
| Civil: Tort Motor Vehicle | 0.9% | 0.8% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Real Property Mortgage Foreclosure: Residential | 0.8% | 0.1% | +0.7pp |
| Civil: Appeals Mdjjudicial: Mdj (Money Judgment) | 0.8% | 0.1% | +0.7pp |
| Note | 0.7% | 0.1% | +0.6pp |
| Judgment | 0.7% | 9.5% | -8.8pp (falling) |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 0.6% | 1.6% | -1.0pp |
| Judgment/Possession | 0.6% | 0.4% | +0.2pp |
| Petition: Name Change | 0.5% | 0.8% | -0.3pp |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj Judicial: Mdj (Landlord / Tenant) | 0.5% | 0.2% | +0.3pp |
| Writ Of Possession | 0.5% | 0.3% | +0.2pp |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj | 0.4% | 0.6% | -0.2pp |
| Exemplification Of Judgment Coming In | 0.4% | 0.3% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj Judicial: Mdj (Money Judgment) | 0.3% | 0.5% | -0.2pp |
| Land Judgment | 0.3% | 0.2% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Real Property Ejectment | 0.3% | 0.2% | +0.1pp |
| Order | 0.3% | 0.2% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Tort Premises Liability | 0.3% | 0.3% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Contractother | 0.3% | 0.0% | +0.3pp |
| Civil: Tortpremises Liability | 0.2% | 0.0% | +0.2pp |
| Civil: Real Property Other | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1pp |
| Petition For Issuance Of Foreign Subpoena | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1pp |
| Mechanics Lien Claim | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Tort Other | 0.2% | 0.4% | -0.2pp |
| Civil: Miscellaneous Replevin | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Real Property Quiet Title | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Contract Buyer Plaintiff | 0.2% | 0.1% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Real Property | 0.2% | 1.2% | -1.0pp |
| Civil: Contract Other | 0.2% | 0.5% | -0.3pp |
| Civil: Real Property Landlord / Tenant Dispute | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Real Property Partition Of Real Property | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Judgment On Award | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1pp |
| Civil: Appeals Mdjjudicial: Mdj (Landlord / Tenant) | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Tort Product Liability | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Tortmotor Vehicle | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0pp |
| Custody Agreement With No Divorce | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Professional Liabilitymedical | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Writ Of Attachment | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0pp |
| Foreign Writ | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Miscellaneousreplevin | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Partition | 0.1% | 0.2% | -0.1pp |
| Civil: Tort Slander / Libel / Defamation | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Judgment Roll | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Municipal Lien Claim | 0.1% | 2.1% | -2.0pp |
| Judgt/Amt Determined | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0pp |
| Paternity | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Real Propertyquiet Title | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Writ Of Revival | 0.1% | 0.3% | -0.2pp |
| Civil: Professional Liabilitydental | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Miscellaneousother | 0.1% | 0.0% | +0.1pp |
| Civil: Contract Employment Dispute: Other | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0pp |
| Stalled Project | 0.1% | 0.1% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Tortnuisance | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Custody Complaint Divorce Pending | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Other | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Petition Of Viewers | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
| Civil: Mass Tortother | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Assessment Appeal | 0.0% | 0.2% | -0.2pp |
| Civil: Appeals Agencies: Department Of Transportation | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Petition To Open Judgment | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Miscellaneous | 0.0% | 0.5% | -0.5pp |
| Civil: Professional Liabilityother | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Judgment Confession | 0.0% | 0.3% | -0.3pp |
| Civil: Miscellaneous Mandamus | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Writ Of Scire Facias | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
| Civil: Tort Malicious Prosecution | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Controller'S Report | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Contractemployment Dispute: Other | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Appeals Other | 0.0% | 0.2% | -0.2pp |
| Civil: Mass Tort | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Judgment (State) | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Tort Intentional | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
| Civil: Appeals Agencies: Board Of Assessment | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Appeals | 0.0% | 0.8% | -0.8pp |
| Civil: Complaint | 0.0% | 0.3% | -0.3pp |
| Civil: Real Property Mortgage Foreclosure: Business | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Appealsagencies: Zoning Board | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Agreement | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Agreement To Revive Judgment | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Official Oath | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Statement Of Objection | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Praecipe Writ Summons | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| School Audit | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Tortintentional | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Complaint Writ Of Summons | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Power Of Attorney (Insurance) | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
| Appeal | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Miscellaneous Declaratory Judgment | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
| Satisfaction | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Conciliator | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Professional Liability Dental | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Appeals Agencies: Board Of Elections | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Custody Modification | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Appointment | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Return Board | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Venire | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Forced Liquidation | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Tired Landlord | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Writ Of Certiorari | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Appeals Agencies: Statutory Appeal | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Professional Liability Legal | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Support | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Real Propertyeminent Domain / Condemnation | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Complaint Other | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Appealsother | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Financial Statement | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Transcript | 0.0% | 3.5% | -3.5pp |
| Civil: Contractemployment Dispute: Discrimination | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Suggestion: Nonpayment | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Judgment/Default | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Complaint Confession | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Cost Judgment | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Contract Employment Dispute: Discrimination | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Exemplification | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj Other | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Distressed Heir | 0.0% | 0.2% | -0.2pp |
| General Election | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Appeals Agencies: Zoning Board | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Professional Liability Medical | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
| Civil: Professional Liability | 0.0% | 0.2% | -0.2pp |
| Divorce | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Rent Payment | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Petition For Judicial Sale | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
| Foreign Writ / Garnishee | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Satisfaction Of Commonwealth Liens | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Notice Of Appeal | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Real Property Eminent Domain / Condemnation | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
| In Re | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Tortslander / Libel / Defamation | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Resume Maiden Name | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Msd Suits | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Tort | 0.0% | 1.9% | -1.9pp |
| Judgment: Non Pros | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
| Civil: Contractbuyer Plaintiff | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Tortother | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Miscellaneousdeclaratory Judgment | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Professional Liability Other | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Complaint Complaint In Mechanics Lien | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Miscellaneous Other | 0.0% | 0.1% | -0.1pp |
| Civil: Real Propertymortgage Foreclosure: Residential | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
| Civil: Real Propertyejectment | 0.0% | 0.0% | +0.0pp |
Distress diversity score: 4.66 (Shannon entropy; higher = more diverse distress sources). "Recent" = last 2 complete months; "Earlier" = all prior months.
Property Value Profile
The median assessed value of properties in court filings is $277,276. Civil: Real Property Other filings involve the highest-value properties (median $523,421), while Note filings trend lower (median $51,579). The largest segment (37.2%) falls in the $250K - $500K range.
| Value range | Properties | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Under $100K | 547 | 12.2% |
| $100K - $250K | 1426 | 31.9% |
| $250K - $500K | 1666 | 37.2% |
| $500K - $1M | 726 | 16.2% |
| Over $1M | 111 | 2.5% |
Value breakdown by case type
| Case type | Median value | Avg value | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Division Sale | $264,303 | $310,495 | 1393 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $226,379 | $267,698 | 501 |
| Divorce Complaint | $260,385 | $285,566 | 258 |
| Judgment | $314,720 | $432,088 | 218 |
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | $362,906 | $538,483 | 184 |
| Civil: Contract | $286,224 | $423,263 | 173 |
| No Lien Agreement | $342,078 | $486,730 | 173 |
| Writ Of Execution | $205,219 | $255,817 | 159 |
| Civil: Real Property | $234,432 | $332,954 | 133 |
| Transcript | $317,418 | $463,490 | 129 |
| Writ Of Execution/Garnishee | $270,086 | $297,820 | 128 |
| Petition | $234,714 | $317,421 | 124 |
| Municipal Lien Claim | $433,800 | $563,186 | 67 |
| Federal Tax Lien | $396,547 | $741,090 | 66 |
| Default Judgment | $274,888 | $373,921 | 65 |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Credit Card | $377,576 | $409,347 | 63 |
| Partition | $282,590 | $321,366 | 57 |
| Pre-Probate | $286,557 | $323,643 | 43 |
| Stalled Project | $312,154 | $374,037 | 43 |
| Distressed Heir | $94,618 | $137,288 | 42 |
| Petition: Name Change | $290,558 | $325,411 | 40 |
| Civil: Tort | $366,296 | $478,699 | 39 |
| Clerk Of Courts Judgment | $224,545 | $282,267 | 35 |
| District Justice Transcript Judgment | $256,385 | $291,304 | 25 |
| Writ Of Possession | $346,736 | $408,633 | 25 |
| Civil: Complaint | $242,035 | $282,360 | 23 |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj | $327,040 | $370,534 | 23 |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Other | $290,058 | $297,473 | 23 |
| Writ Of Revival | $293,709 | $395,182 | 20 |
| Civil: Real Property Mortgage Foreclosure: Residential | $224,045 | $263,075 | 18 |
| Civil: Professional Liability | $353,601 | $1,000,743 | 13 |
| Note | $51,579 | $49,008 | 12 |
| Civil: Miscellaneous | $316,603 | $332,298 | 12 |
| Judgment/Possession | $289,891 | $349,273 | 11 |
| Judgt/Amt Determined | $276,055 | $474,592 | 11 |
| Writ Of Attachment | $329,949 | $395,447 | 10 |
| Mechanics Lien Claim | $433,800 | $1,432,057 | 10 |
| Civil: Appeals Mdjjudicial: Mdj (Money Judgment) | $189,205 | $290,058 | 9 |
| Petition For Judicial Sale | $116,023 | $128,442 | 8 |
| Civil: Professional Liability Medical | $421,858 | $575,477 | 7 |
| Civil: Real Property Other | $523,421 | $467,373 | 7 |
| Judgment Consent | $508,268 | $401,961 | 7 |
| Petition Of Viewers | $314,367 | $347,547 | 6 |
Based on county assessor records for 4476 properties with court filings (13.5% of total filings). Values are tax-assessed amounts, not market listing prices.
Investment Opportunity Score by ZIP Code
Across 380 ZIP codes with sufficient court filing data, ZIP 16001 (Whitestown Township) ranks highest with an investment opportunity score of 75/100, driven by high filing volume (3542 cases). 94 of 380 scored ZIPs are above the average score of 27.
| Rank | ZIP Code | Area | Score | Filings | Avg Value | Absentee % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 16001 | Whitestown Township |
75
|
3542 | — | 0% |
| #2 | 16003 | Butler |
65
|
3478 | — | 0% |
| #3 | 16066 | Cranberry Township |
51
|
1414 | — | 0% |
| #4 | 17128 | Harrisburg |
49
|
2350 | — | 0% |
| #5 | 16002 | Butler |
43
|
705 | — | 0% |
| #6 | 16046 | Mars |
42
|
684 | — | 0% |
| #7 | 16057 | Slippery Rock |
40
|
621 | — | 0% |
| #8 | 16033 | Evans City |
38
|
375 | — | 0% |
| #9 | 16059 | Valencia |
37
|
355 | — | 0% |
| #10 | 16063 | Zelienople |
37
|
380 | — | 0% |
How the score is calculated
The Investment Opportunity Score combines four dimensions from verified court filing data:
- Filing volume (35%): More filings = more potential deals in the area
- Property value (25%): Higher assessed values = larger potential deal sizes
- Absentee owner rate (25%): Absentee owners are more likely to sell at a discount
- Case type diversity (15%): Multiple case types = broader opportunity set
Each dimension is normalized to a 0–100 scale across all scored ZIPs, then weighted and combined. A score of 100 means that ZIP ranks highest across all dimensions. Scores should be compared within the same county or state, not across different markets.
Based on 33216 court filings across 380 ZIP codes. ZIPs with fewer than 3 filings are excluded. Property values from county assessor records. Absentee status from property ownership verification.
Distress Capital Analysis
$1,583,640,019 in assessed property value is currently tied up in 4476 court-filed properties. Equity Division Sale filings represent the largest capital pool ($432,519,164 across 1393 properties).
Capital at Risk by Filing Type
| Filing Type | Total Value | Properties | Avg Value | High Equity % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Division Sale | $432,519,164 | 1393 | $310,495 | -- |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $134,116,927 | 501 | $267,698 | 66.7% |
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | $99,080,810 | 184 | $538,483 | -- |
| Judgment | $94,195,100 | 218 | $432,088 | -- |
| No Lien Agreement | $84,204,245 | 173 | $486,730 | -- |
| Divorce Complaint | $73,675,945 | 258 | $285,566 | -- |
| Civil: Contract | $73,224,481 | 173 | $423,263 | -- |
| Transcript | $59,790,165 | 129 | $463,490 | -- |
| Federal Tax Lien | $48,911,934 | 66 | $741,090 | -- |
| Civil: Real Property | $44,282,908 | 133 | $332,954 | -- |
| Writ Of Execution | $40,674,923 | 159 | $255,817 | -- |
| Petition | $39,360,234 | 124 | $317,421 | -- |
| Writ Of Execution/Garnishee | $38,120,897 | 128 | $297,820 | -- |
| Municipal Lien Claim | $37,733,438 | 67 | $563,186 | -- |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Credit Card | $25,788,840 | 63 | $409,347 | -- |
| Default Judgment | $24,304,893 | 65 | $373,921 | -- |
| Civil: Tort | $18,669,280 | 39 | $478,699 | -- |
| Partition | $18,317,840 | 57 | $321,366 | -- |
| Stalled Project | $16,083,593 | 43 | $374,037 | -- |
| Mechanics Lien Claim | $14,320,569 | 10 | $1,432,057 | -- |
| Pre-Probate | $13,916,660 | 43 | $323,643 | -- |
| Petition: Name Change | $13,016,426 | 40 | $325,411 | -- |
| Civil: Professional Liability | $13,009,657 | 13 | $1,000,743 | -- |
| Writ Of Possession | $10,215,825 | 25 | $408,633 | -- |
| Clerk Of Courts Judgment | $9,879,342 | 35 | $282,267 | -- |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj | $8,522,279 | 23 | $370,534 | -- |
| Writ Of Revival | $7,903,630 | 20 | $395,182 | -- |
| District Justice Transcript Judgment | $7,282,593 | 25 | $291,304 | -- |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Other | $6,841,868 | 23 | $297,473 | -- |
| Civil: Complaint | $6,494,275 | 23 | $282,360 | -- |
| Distressed Heir | $5,766,095 | 42 | $137,288 | -- |
| Judgt/Amt Determined | $5,220,516 | 11 | $474,592 | -- |
| Civil: Real Property Mortgage Foreclosure: Residential | $4,735,354 | 18 | $263,075 | -- |
| Civil: Professional Liability Medical | $4,028,342 | 7 | $575,477 | -- |
| Civil: Miscellaneous | $3,987,573 | 12 | $332,298 | -- |
| Writ Of Attachment | $3,954,472 | 10 | $395,447 | -- |
| Judgment/Possession | $3,842,005 | 11 | $349,273 | -- |
| Civil: Real Property Other | $3,271,612 | 7 | $467,373 | -- |
| Civil: Complaint Complaint In Mechanics Lien | $2,821,826 | 4 | $705,457 | -- |
| Judgment Consent | $2,813,729 | 7 | $401,961 | -- |
| Civil: Appeals Mdjjudicial: Mdj (Money Judgment) | $2,610,522 | 9 | $290,058 | -- |
| Petition Of Viewers | $2,085,283 | 6 | $347,547 | -- |
| Civil: Contractother | $1,614,490 | 3 | $538,163 | -- |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Credit Card | $1,159,882 | 4 | $289,970 | -- |
| Civil: Real Propertyejectment | $1,098,370 | 3 | $366,123 | -- |
| Petition For Judicial Sale | $1,027,539 | 8 | $128,442 | -- |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Other | $970,027 | 3 | $323,342 | -- |
| Judgment On Award | $821,882 | 3 | $273,961 | -- |
| Note | $588,098 | 12 | $49,008 | -- |
| Custody Complaint | $569,114 | 4 | $142,278 | -- |
| Writ Of Scire Facias | $358,448 | 4 | $89,612 | -- |
Based on 4476 properties with assessor valuations (13.5% of 33216 total filings). Values are county assessor estimates. Equity calculated from estimated value vs outstanding mortgage balance where available.
Property Type Distribution
92.3% of distressed properties are classified as Residential, followed by Commercial (3.3%).
| Property type | Count | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 2,460 | 92.3% | |
| Commercial | 89 | 3.3% | |
| Vacant Land | 86 | 3.2% | |
| Agricultural | 28 | 1.1% | |
| Industrial | 1 | 0.0% |
Property type by case type
| Case type | Dominant property type | Share | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Division Sale | Residential | 85.8% | 1,067 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | Residential | 90.6% | 392 |
| Judgment | Residential | 99.5% | 214 |
| No Lien Agreement | Residential | 100.0% | 175 |
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | Residential | 100.0% | 131 |
| Transcript | Residential | 99.2% | 126 |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Credit Card | Residential | 99.2% | 122 |
| Federal Tax Lien | Residential | 95.7% | 70 |
| Municipal Lien Claim | Residential | 100.0% | 60 |
| Partition | Residential | 92.1% | 38 |
| Stalled Project | Residential | 90.6% | 32 |
| Distressed Heir | Residential | 90.0% | 30 |
| Civil: Tort Motor Vehicle | Residential | 100.0% | 20 |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Other | Residential | 100.0% | 20 |
| Civil: Contract Other | Residential | 100.0% | 18 |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj Judicial: Mdj (Money Judgment) | Residential | 100.0% | 17 |
| Civil: Real Property Mortgage Foreclosure: Residential | Residential | 100.0% | 16 |
| Civil: Complaint Complaint In Mechanics Lien | Residential | 100.0% | 11 |
| Civil: Tort Premises Liability | Residential | 100.0% | 8 |
| Civil: Professional Liability Medical | Residential | 100.0% | 7 |
| Civil: Miscellaneous Replevin | Residential | 100.0% | 6 |
| Civil: Tort Other | Residential | 100.0% | 6 |
| Civil: Real Property Ejectment | Residential | 100.0% | 6 |
| Civil: Real Property Quiet Title | Residential | 100.0% | 5 |
| Civil: Contract Buyer Plaintiff | Residential | 100.0% | 5 |
| Civil: Appeals Mdj Judicial: Mdj (Landlord / Tenant) | Residential | 100.0% | 5 |
Property classifications from county assessor records for 2,664 properties (8.1% of total filings). Categories normalized from assessor codes.
Case Aging & Stall Analysis
26,513 cases (80.4%) have been active for over a year without resolution. Equity Division Sale cases resolve fastest (median 142 days), while Distressed Heir cases take longest (median 496 days). 269 filings in the last <30 days represent fresh opportunities.
| Age | Total | Resolved | Still active | Resolution rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| <30 days | 269 | 0 | 269 | 0.0% |
| 30-90 days | 797 | 0 | 797 | 0.0% |
| 3-6 months | 1,359 | 4 | 1,355 | 0.3% |
| 6-12 months | 2,440 | 73 | 2,367 | 3.0% |
| 1-2 years | 4,842 | 355 | 4,487 | 7.3% |
| 2+ years | 23,253 | 1,227 | 22,026 | 5.3% |
Resolution speed by case type
| Case type | Total | Resolved | Rate | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | 3,278 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Clerk Of Courts Judgment | 3,134 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Judgment | 3,030 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| District Justice Transcript Judgment | 1,908 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Divorce Complaint | 1,790 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Credit Card | 1,761 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Equity Division Sale | 1,721 | 1284 | 74.6% | 142d |
| Civil: Contract | 1,423 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| No Lien Agreement | 1,192 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| Custody Complaint | 1,165 | 0 | 0.0% | — |
Case aging computed from filing date to present for unresolved cases. Resolution classified from court docket entries (judgments, settlements, dismissals, sheriff sales). Cases with a resolution event are removed from the stall count.
Property Age & Distress Profile
1,033 filings (3.1% of scope) have year-built data. Pre-1960 properties are most common (41%). Newer properties (2000+) average $213,814 — 1.4x the value of Pre-1960 stock ($154,442).
| Construction era | Filings | Share | Avg value | Median days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-1960 | 428 | 41.4% | $154,442 | — |
| 1960–1979 | 213 | 20.6% | $123,974 | — |
| 1980–1999 | 228 | 22.1% | $150,347 | — |
| 2000+ | 164 | 15.9% | $213,814 | — |
Value trend: 2000+ properties average $213,814 — 1.38x the value of Pre-1960 stock ($154,442).
Top case types by construction era
Construction year sourced from county tax assessor records. Value is assessed value from the most recent available tax assessment. Resolution timing based on court docket events.
Municipality filing concentration in Butler County
Court filings in Butler County span 316 municipalities. Butler leads with 780 filings (19.1% of total), predominantly Clerk Of Courts Judgment (18.5%). Filings show moderate geographic spread — the top 3 municipalities account for 35% of filings.
| Municipality | Filings | Share | Top case type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | 780 | 19.1% | Clerk Of Courts Judgment (18.5%) |
| Cranberry Township | 476 | 11.6% | Equity Division Sale (43.3%) |
| Butler Township | 192 | 4.7% | Equity Division Sale (57.8%) |
| Butler City | 155 | 3.8% | Equity Division Sale (47.7%) |
| Mars | 127 | 3.1% | Equity Division Sale (19.7%) |
| Adams Township | 111 | 2.7% | Equity Division Sale (67.6%) |
| Slippery Rock | 92 | 2.3% | Clerk Of Courts Judgment (18.5%) |
| Evans City | 80 | 2.0% | Civil: Contract (18.8%) |
| Zelienople | 76 | 1.9% | District Justice Transcript Judgment (15.8%) |
| Buffalo Township | 72 | 1.8% | Equity Division Sale (63.9%) |
| Valencia | 72 | 1.8% | Civil: Contract (22.2%) |
| Sarver | 70 | 1.7% | Civil: Contract (17.1%) |
| Center Township | 58 | 1.4% | Equity Division Sale (63.8%) |
| Jackson Township | 48 | 1.2% | Equity Division Sale (81.2%) |
| Pittsburgh | 47 | 1.1% | Clerk Of Courts Judgment (34.0%) |
Top 15 of 316 municipalities with court filings. Data from 4,087 filings (12% of total). Municipality names from county assessor records.
Quarterly Filing Volume Trends
Filing trends across 18 comparable quarters show 20,071 tracked filings in Butler County. Most recent quarter (2026 Q2: 1,347) was stable vs prior (2026 Q1: 1,224, +10.0%). Default Judgment shows the largest composition shift, growing share from 2.4% to 7.3%.
| Quarter | Total | Clerk Of Courts Judgment | District Justice Transcript Judgment | Equity Division Sale | Commonwealth Tax Lien |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Q1 | 952 | 105 (11.0%) | 109 (11.4%) | 98 (10.3%) | 66 (6.9%) |
| 2022 Q2 | 997 | 139 (13.9%) | 101 (10.1%) | 113 (11.3%) | 111 (11.1%) |
| 2022 Q3 | 1065 | 186 (17.5%) | 128 (12.0%) | 97 (9.1%) | 47 (4.4%) |
| 2022 Q4 | 970 | 163 (16.8%) | 141 (14.5%) | 105 (10.8%) | 12 (1.2%) |
| 2023 Q1 | 1181 | 161 (13.6%) | 143 (12.1%) | 104 (8.8%) | 104 (8.8%) |
| 2023 Q2 | 1062 | 161 (15.2%) | 105 (9.9%) | 97 (9.1%) | 90 (8.5%) |
| 2023 Q3 | 971 | 125 (12.9%) | 113 (11.6%) | 95 (9.8%) | 34 (3.5%) |
| 2023 Q4 | 1067 | 195 (18.3%) | 96 (9.0%) | 72 (6.7%) | 77 (7.2%) |
| 2024 Q1 | 985 | 153 (15.5%) | 92 (9.3%) | 104 (10.6%) | 62 (6.3%) |
| 2024 Q2 | 1134 | 166 (14.6%) | 79 (7.0%) | 95 (8.4%) | 118 (10.4%) |
| 2024 Q3 | 1097 | 173 (15.8%) | 69 (6.3%) | 81 (7.4%) | 110 (10.0%) |
| 2024 Q4 | 1172 | 128 (10.9%) | 92 (7.8%) | 79 (6.7%) | 89 (7.6%) |
| 2025 Q1 | 1251 | 162 (12.9%) | 81 (6.5%) | 98 (7.8%) | 97 (7.8%) |
| 2025 Q2 | 1246 | 166 (13.3%) | 93 (7.5%) | 85 (6.8%) | 85 (6.8%) |
| 2025 Q3 | 1154 | 170 (14.7%) | 109 (9.4%) | 110 (9.5%) | 41 (3.6%) |
| 2025 Q4 | 1196 | 201 (16.8%) | 140 (11.7%) | 82 (6.9%) | 51 (4.3%) |
| 2026 Q1 | 1224 | 190 (15.5%) | 65 (5.3%) | 21 (1.7%) | 116 (9.5%) |
| 2026 Q2 | 1347 | 227 (16.9%) | 75 (5.6%) | 104 (7.7%) | 100 (7.4%) |
Composition shift: Default Judgment filings are growing share, moving from 2.4% to 7.3% of total filings (+4.9 percentage points).
Only comparable quarters shown (collection ramp-up periods excluded). Filing dates from verified court records. Current partial quarter excluded from trend calculations.
Property Value Distribution
The median property value in distressed filings is $24,185, with the largest concentration (74.4%) in the Under $50K range. Federal Tax Lien filings have the highest median value ($187,195) while Note filings are lowest ($9,150).
| Price range | Count | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50K | 3,346 | 74.4% | |
| $50K–$100K | 318 | 7.1% | |
| $100K–$150K | 339 | 7.5% | |
| $150K–$200K | 184 | 4.1% | |
| $200K–$300K | 140 | 3.1% | |
| $300K–$500K | 88 | 2.0% | |
| $500K+ | 81 | 1.8% |
Value by case type
| Case type | Median value | Average value | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Division Sale | $19,500 | $24,210 | 1,445 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | $14,730 | $17,231 | 505 |
| Judgment | $129,700 | $718,407 | 281 |
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | $35,610 | $90,930 | 186 |
| No Lien Agreement | $116,025 | $174,733 | 176 |
| Divorce Complaint | $20,980 | $22,589 | 168 |
| Transcript | $126,865 | $2,187,207 | 156 |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Credit Card | $128,950 | $398,268 | 140 |
Assessed property values from county assessor records for 4,496 properties (13.6% of total filings). Values reflect tax-assessed amounts, not market price.
Ownership Duration Before Filing
The median ownership duration before a court filing is 10.8 years, with 52.5% of owners holding the property 10+ years (a strong equity signal for investors). Pre-Probate cases show the longest tenure (26.5 yr median) vs. Stalled Project (7.5 yr).
| Ownership period | Count | Share | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | 223 | 6.6% | |
| 2–5 years | 660 | 19.5% | |
| 5–10 years | 719 | 21.3% | |
| 10–20 years | 802 | 23.8% | |
| 20+ years | 972 | 28.8% |
Tenure by case type
| Case type | Median tenure | Average tenure | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Division Sale | 8.9 yr | 11.4 yr | 1,248 |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 11.9 yr | 13.2 yr | 463 |
| Writ Of Execution | 12.9 yr | 13.4 yr | 153 |
| Judgment | 14.7 yr | 15.3 yr | 152 |
| Divorce Complaint | 8.3 yr | 10.3 yr | 127 |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Credit Card | 11.5 yr | 15.1 yr | 97 |
| Writ Of Execution/Garnishee | 11.1 yr | 13.3 yr | 96 |
| No Lien Agreement | 13.1 yr | 14.8 yr | 76 |
Duration calculated from last recorded property sale to court filing date for 3,376 properties (10.2% of total filings). Longer ownership often correlates with higher equity.
Repeat litigation patterns in Butler County
Of 24,230 unique property owners in court filings, 4,606 (19.0%) appear in multiple cases, including 1,488 with 3 or more filings. The most active repeat filer has 634 cases spanning 395 months. Judgment Consent cases have the highest repeat rate at 95.8%.
Repeat rate by case type
| Case type | Repeat owners | Total owners | Repeat rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judgment | 1003 | 2827 | 35.5% |
| Clerk Of Courts Judgment | 441 | 2692 | 16.4% |
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | 705 | 2272 | 31.0% |
| Divorce Complaint | 51 | 1784 | 2.9% |
| District Justice Transcript Judgment | 474 | 1777 | 26.7% |
| Equity Division Sale | 13 | 1720 | 0.8% |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Credit Card | 882 | 1623 | 54.3% |
| Civil: Contract | 522 | 1343 | 38.9% |
Analysis based on 24,230 unique owner names across court filings. Repeat filers are property owners appearing in 2 or more distinct cases.
Serial distressed properties in Butler County
Of 10,580 unique properties in court filings, 1,879 (17.8%) have multiple filings (averaging 9.9 filings per property). Average time between repeat filings: 5 months. Writ Of Possession properties have the highest repeat rate at 87.5%.
Serial distress rate by case type
| Case type | Serial properties | Total properties | Serial rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Division Sale | 51 | 1515 | 3.4% |
| Judgment | 502 | 1040 | 48.3% |
| Civil: Contract | 247 | 824 | 30.0% |
| District Justice Transcript Judgment | 290 | 803 | 36.1% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 115 | 481 | 23.9% |
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | 85 | 479 | 17.7% |
| Default Judgment | 390 | 460 | 84.8% |
| Writ Of Execution | 338 | 451 | 74.9% |
Analysis based on 10,580 unique property addresses across court filings. Serial distressed properties have 2 or more distinct case filings at the same address.
Land vs improvement value composition
Across 3,129 properties with assessed value breakdowns, the median land share is 15.5% (median land value $2,980, median improvement value $11,226). 1,024 properties (32.7%) are land-dominant (50%+ land value) — potential teardown or vacant-lot targets. Writ Of Possession cases skew most land-heavy (median 94.1%) while Equity Division Sale skews most improvement-heavy (9.4%).
Land share distribution
| Land share bracket | Properties | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| Under 10% | 1,066 | 34.1% |
| 10–20% | 734 | 23.5% |
| 20–30% | 222 | 7.1% |
| 30–50% | 83 | 2.7% |
| 50–70% | 44 | 1.4% |
| Over 70% | 980 | 31.3% |
Land share by case type
| Case type | Filings | Median land % |
|---|---|---|
| Equity Division Sale | 1,351 | 9.4% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 491 | 9.9% |
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | 155 | 25.7% |
| Divorce Complaint | 139 | 92.0% |
| Writ Of Execution | 79 | 90.3% |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Credit Card | 67 | 92.4% |
| Writ Of Execution/Garnishee | 67 | 91.5% |
| Default Judgment | 64 | 91.8% |
| Municipal Lien Claim | 61 | 18.9% |
| No Lien Agreement | 60 | 21.7% |
Analysis of 3,129 properties (9.5% of filings) with assessed land and improvement value breakdowns.
Prior sale value trajectory
Across 2,802 properties with purchase and assessed value data, the median value change since purchase is -84.2%. 2,106 properties (75.2%) are underwater (current assessed value below purchase price). Short-hold owners (<5 yr) show a median -90.0% value change vs -52.8% for long-hold (10+ yr). Default Judgment cases have the highest underwater rate (90.5%) while Civil: Appeals Mdj Judicial: Mdj (Money Judgment) has the lowest (31.2%).
Value change distribution
| Value change bracket | Properties | % of total |
|---|---|---|
| 50%+ loss | 1,777 | 63.4% |
| 20–50% loss | 230 | 8.2% |
| 0–20% loss | 99 | 3.5% |
| 0–20% gain | 36 | 1.3% |
| 20–50% gain | 11 | 0.4% |
| 50–100% gain | 16 | 0.6% |
| 100%+ gain | 633 | 22.6% |
Holding period vs value change
(808 properties)
(1,022 properties)
Value trajectory by case type
| Case type | Filings | Median change | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equity Division Sale | 1,084 | -89.5% | 77.3% |
| Pre-Foreclosure | 386 | -89.7% | 87.0% |
| Judgment | 185 | -27.3% | 74.1% |
| Civil: Contract Debt Collection: Credit Card | 115 | -21.8% | 62.6% |
| No Lien Agreement | 110 | -31.7% | 62.7% |
| Transcript | 95 | -37.9% | 69.5% |
| Divorce Complaint | 79 | -87.0% | 62.0% |
| Commonwealth Tax Lien | 64 | -53.5% | 73.4% |
| Federal Tax Lien | 64 | -37.4% | 70.3% |
| Civil: Contractdebt Collection: Credit Card | 54 | -89.9% | 88.9% |
Analysis of 2,802 properties (8.5% of filings) with both prior sale price and current assessed value data.
Why these filings are invisible on most public foreclosure sites
The largest public foreclosure-aggregator interfaces surface only post-auction bank-owned properties in Pennsylvania. Pre-foreclosure court filings are not visible to their non-paying users. Keystone tracks the court filing the day it hits the docket, weeks or months before any property reaches the auction stage those aggregators surface.
Methodology and full audit: Court-vs-aggregator coverage gap report.
Methodology and data sources
- Court filings are collected directly from Butler County court records, which are public information.
- This dataset is the court-filing archive as collected from the county docket. The owner-of-record match and the entity-owner screen are applied to delivered leads, not to these filing counts.
- Property value figures come from third-party enrichment (13% coverage on this dataset).
- Individual case data, defendant names, and property addresses are not published. Reports show aggregated statistics only.
- The methodology page at /reports/methodology documents data sources, sample sizes, and known limitations in detail.
- This report was generated 2026-09-24 from the live database. Numbers reflect the dataset at that moment.
Top cities for filings within Butler County
Where filings concentrate inside Butler County, by parsed property city or township.
| City / Township | Filings | Share (of city-parsed filings) |
|---|---|---|
| Butler | 2476 | 32.3% |
| Cranberry Township | 660 | 8.6% |
| Mars | 399 | 5.2% |
| Slippery Rock | 348 | 4.5% |
| Valencia | 267 | 3.5% |
Share is computed against filings with a parsed property city (not against total Butler County filings — addresses missing the city portion are excluded from the denominator). Top 5 shown; smaller cities aggregate into the long tail.
Related Pennsylvania guides
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Cite: Keystone Court Data, "Butler County Pennsylvania Court Filings Intelligence," 2026-09-24, https://keystonecourtdata.com/reports/butler-pa-court-filings-intelligence · Download data (CSV)