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H.B. 286

             1     

DISPOSITION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY ON VACATED

             2     
PROPERTY

             3     
2013 GENERAL SESSION

             4     
STATE OF UTAH

             5     
Chief Sponsor: Gage Froerer

             6     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

             7     
             8      LONG TITLE
             9      General Description:
             10          This bill amends the rights of a property owner in disposing of abandoned personal
             11      property left by a former tenant or occupant.
             12      Highlighted Provisions:
             13          This bill:
             14          .    requires a property owner to give notice to a former tenant of abandoned personal
             15      property before it is sold or donated;
             16          .    allows a tenant to recover abandoned personal property under certain requirements;
             17          .    provides that a property owner is not required to store certain hazardous or
             18      dangerous abandoned personal property; and
             19          .    makes technical changes.
             20      Money Appropriated in this Bill:
             21          None
             22      Other Special Clauses:
             23          None
             24      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             25      AMENDS:
             26          78B-6-812, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 3
             27          78B-6-816, as renumbered and amended by Laws of Utah 2008, Chapter 3


             28     
             29      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             30          Section 1. Section 78B-6-812 is amended to read:
             31           78B-6-812. Order of restitution -- Service -- Enforcement -- Disposition of
             32      personal property -- Hearing.
             33          (1) Each order of restitution shall:
             34          (a) direct the defendant to vacate the premises, remove [his] the defendant's personal
             35      property, and restore possession of the premises to the plaintiff, or be forcibly removed by a
             36      sheriff or constable;
             37          (b) advise the defendant of the time limit set by the court for the defendant to vacate
             38      the premises, which shall be three calendar days following service of the order, unless the court
             39      determines that a longer or shorter period is appropriate under the circumstances; and
             40          (c) advise the defendant of the defendant's right to a hearing to contest the manner of
             41      its enforcement.
             42          (2) (a) A copy of the order of restitution and a form for the defendant to request a
             43      hearing as listed on the form shall be served in accordance with Section 78B-6-805 by a person
             44      authorized to serve process pursuant to Subsection 78B-8-302 (1). If personal service is
             45      impossible or impracticable, service may be made by:
             46          (i) mailing a copy of the order and the form to the defendant's last-known address and
             47      posting a copy of the order and the form at a conspicuous place on the premises; or
             48          (ii) mailing a copy of the order and the form to the commercial tenant defendant's
             49      last-known place of business and posting a copy of the order and the form at a conspicuous
             50      place on the business premises.
             51          (b) A request for hearing by the defendant may not stay enforcement of the restitution
             52      order unless:
             53          (i) the defendant furnishes a corporate bond, cash bond, certified funds, or a property
             54      bond to the clerk of the court in an amount approved by the court according to the formula set
             55      forth in Subsection 78B-6-808 (4)(b); and
             56          (ii) the court orders that the restitution order be stayed.
             57          (c) The date of service, the name, title, signature, and telephone number of the person
             58      serving the order and the form shall be legibly endorsed on the copy of the order and the form


             59      served on the defendant.
             60          (d) The person serving the order and the form shall file proof of service in accordance
             61      with Rule 4(e), Utah Rules of Civil Procedure.
             62          (3) (a) If the defendant fails to comply with the order within the time prescribed by the
             63      court, a sheriff or constable at the plaintiff's direction may enter the premises by force using the
             64      least destructive means possible to remove the defendant.
             65          (b) Any personal property of the defendant may be removed from the premises by the
             66      sheriff or constable and transported to a suitable location for safe storage. The sheriff or
             67      constable may delegate responsibility for inventory, moving, and storage to the plaintiff, who
             68      shall store the personal property in a suitable place and in a reasonable manner.
             69          (c) The personal property removed and stored shall be [inventoried by the sheriff or
             70      constable or the plaintiff who shall keep the original inventory and personally deliver or mail
             71      the defendant a copy of the inventory immediately after the personal property is removed.]
             72      considered abandoned property and subject to Section 78B-6-816 .
             73          [(4) (a) After demand made by the defendant within 30 days of removal of personal
             74      property from the premises, the sheriff or constable or the plaintiff shall promptly return all of
             75      the defendant's personal property upon payment of the reasonable costs incurred for its removal
             76      and storage.]
             77          [(b) The person storing the personal property may sell the property remaining in
             78      storage at a public sale if:]
             79          [(i) the defendant does not request a hearing or demand return of the personal property
             80      within 30 days of its removal from the premises; or]
             81          [(ii) the defendant fails to pay the reasonable costs incurred for the removal and storage
             82      of the personal property.]
             83          [(c) In advance of the sale, the person storing the personal property shall mail to the
             84      defendant's last-known address a written notice of the time and place of the sale.]
             85          [(d) If the defendant is present at the sale, he may specify the order in which the
             86      personal property shall be sold, and only so much personal property shall be sold as to satisfy
             87      the costs of removal, storage, advertising, and conducting the sale. The remainder of the
             88      personal property, if any, shall be released to the defendant. If the defendant is not present at
             89      the sale, the proceeds, after deduction of the costs of removal, storage, advertising, and


             90      conducting the sale shall be paid to the plaintiff up to the amount of any judgment the plaintiff
             91      obtained against the defendant. Any surplus shall be paid to the defendant, if the defendant's
             92      whereabouts are known. If the defendant's whereabouts are not known, any surplus shall be
             93      disposed of in accordance with Title 67, Chapter 4a, Unclaimed Property Act.]
             94          [(e) The plaintiff may donate the property to charity if:]
             95          [(i) the defendant does not request a hearing or demand return of the personal property
             96      within 30 days of its removal from the premises; or]
             97          [(ii) the defendant fails to pay the reasonable costs incurred for the removal and storage
             98      of the personal property; and]
             99          [(iii) the donation is a commercially reasonable alternative.]
             100          [(f) If the property belonging to a person who is not a defendant is removed and stored
             101      in accordance with this section, that person may claim the property by delivering a written
             102      demand for its release to the sheriff or constable or the plaintiff. If the claimant provides
             103      proper identification and evidence of ownership, the sheriff or constable or the plaintiff shall
             104      promptly release the property at no cost to the claimant.]
             105          [(5)] (4) In the event of a dispute concerning the manner of enforcement of the
             106      restitution order, the defendant [or any person claiming to own stored personal property] may
             107      file a request for a hearing. The court shall set the matter for hearing within 10 calendar days
             108      from the filing of the request, or as soon thereafter as practicable, and shall mail notice of the
             109      hearing to the parties.
             110          [(6)] (5) The Judicial Council shall draft the forms necessary to implement this section.
             111          Section 2. Section 78B-6-816 is amended to read:
             112           78B-6-816. Abandoned premises -- Retaking and rerenting by owner -- Liability
             113      of tenant -- Personal property of tenant left on premises.
             114          (1) In the event of abandonment, the owner may retake the premises and attempt to rent
             115      them at a fair rental value and the tenant who abandoned the premises shall be liable:
             116          (a) for the entire rent due for the remainder of the term; or
             117          (b) for rent accrued during the period necessary to rerent the premises at a fair rental
             118      value, plus the difference between the fair rental value and the rent agreed to in the prior rental
             119      agreement, plus a reasonable commission for the renting of the premises and the costs, if any,
             120      necessary to restore the rental unit to its condition when rented by the tenant less normal wear


             121      and tear. This Subsection (1) applies, if less than Subsection (1)(a), notwithstanding that the
             122      owner did not rerent the premises.
             123          (2) (a) If the tenant has abandoned the premises and has left personal property on the
             124      premises, the owner is entitled to remove the property from the dwelling, store it for the tenant,
             125      and recover actual moving and storage costs from the tenant.
             126          (b) (i) The owner shall [make reasonable efforts to notify the tenant of the location of
             127      the personal property.] mail to the last known address for the tenant a notice that the property is
             128      considered abandoned.
             129          (ii) The tenant shall recover the property within 15 days from the date the notice was
             130      sent, including payment of any costs of inventory, moving, and storage.
             131          [(ii) If] (iii) Except as provided in Subsection (5), if the property has been in storage
             132      for [over 30] at least 15 days and the tenant has made no reasonable effort to recover it from
             133      the date notice was sent and the tenant fails to recover the property, pay the costs associated
             134      with the inventory, removal, and storage and no court hearing on the property is pending, the
             135      owner may:
             136          (A) sell the property at a public sale and apply the proceeds toward any amount the
             137      tenant owes; or
             138          (B) donate the property to charity if the donation is a commercially reasonable
             139      alternative.
             140          (c) Any money left over from the public sale of the property shall be handled as
             141      specified in Title 67, Chapter 4a, Part 2, Standards for Determining When Property is
             142      Abandoned or Unclaimed.
             143          (d) Nothing contained in this act shall be in derogation of or alter the owner's rights
             144      under Title 38, Chapter 3, Lessors' Liens[.], or any other contractual liens or rights.
             145          (3) If abandoned property is determined to belong to a person who is the tenant or an
             146      occupant, the tenant or occupant may claim the property by delivery of a written demand with
             147      evidence of ownership of the personal property within 15 days after the notice described in
             148      Subsection (2)(b) is sent. The owner may not be liable for the loss of the abandoned personal
             149      property if the written demand is not received.
             150          (4) A tenant has no recourse for damage or loss if the tenant fails to recover any
             151      abandoned property as required in this section.


             152          (5) An owner is not required to store the following abandoned personal property:
             153          (a) chemicals, pests, potentially dangerous or other hazardous materials;
             154          (b) animals, including dogs, cats, fish, reptiles, rodents, birds, or other pets;
             155          (c) gas, fireworks, combustibles, or any item considered to be hazardous or explosive;
             156          (d) garbage;
             157          (e) perishable items; or
             158          (f) items that when placed in storage might create a hazardous condition or a pest
             159      control issue.
             160          (6) Items listed in Subsection (5) may be properly disposed of by the owner
             161      immediately upon determination of abandonment. A tenant may not recover for disposal of
             162      abandoned items listed in Subsection (5).
             163          (7) Notice of any public sale shall be mailed to the last known address of the tenant at
             164      least five calendar days prior to the public sale.
             165          (8) If the tenant is present at the public sale:
             166          (a) the tenant may specify the order in which the personal property shall be sold;
             167          (b) the owner may sell only as much personal property necessary to satisfy the amount
             168      due under the rental agreement and statutorily allowed damages, costs, and fees associated with
             169      the abandoned items; and
             170          (c) any unsold personal property shall be released to the tenant.
             171          (9) If the tenant is not present at the public sale:
             172          (a) all items may be sold; and
             173          (b) any surplus amount over the amount due to the owner shall be paid to the tenant, if
             174      the tenant's current location is known. If the tenant's location is not known, any surplus shall
             175      be disposed of in accordance with Title 67, Chapter 4a, Unclaimed Property Act.




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    as of 1-21-13 4:02 PM


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