S.B. 71

1

LANDLORD - TENANT AMENDMENTS
2 1997 GENERAL SESSION
3 STATE OF UTAH
4 Sponsor: Robert F. Montgomery
5 AN ACT RELATING TO JUDICIAL CODE; FORCIBLE ENTRY AND DETAINER;
6 AMENDING PROVISIONS ON TIME TO VACATE; PROVIDING FOR SERVICE BY
7 MAIL OR POSTING IF NECESSARY; STAYING A RESTITUTION ORDER UPON BOND
8 PAYMENT AND COURT ORDER; PERMITTING DONATION OF TENANT'S PERSONAL
9 PROPERTY; AND MAKING TECHNICAL CHANGES.
10 This act affects sections of Utah Code Annotated 1953 as follows:
11 AMENDS:
12 78-36-10.5, as last amended by Chapter 79, Laws of Utah 1996
13 78-36-12.6, as last amended by Chapter 198, Laws of Utah 1995
14 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
15 Section 1. Section 78-36-10.5 is amended to read:
16 78-36-10.5. Order of restitution -- Service -- Enforcement -- Disposition of personal
17 property -- Hearing.
18 (1) Each order of restitution shall:
19 (a) direct the defendant to vacate the premises, remove his personal property, and restore
20 possession of the premises to the plaintiff, or be forcibly removed by a sheriff or constable; and
21 (b) advise the defendant of the time limit set by the court for the defendant to vacate the
22 premises, which shall be [three] one business [days] day following service of the order, unless the
23 court determines that a longer or shorter period is appropriate under the circumstances[; and].
24 [(c) advise the defendant of his right to a hearing to contest the terms of the order of
25 restitution or the manner of its enforcement.]
26 (2) (a) A copy of the order of restitution and a form for the defendant to request a hearing
27 as listed on the form shall be served [personally upon the defendant] in accordance with [Rule 4,

1 Utah Rules of Civil Procedure,] Section 78-36-6 by a person authorized to serve process pursuant
2 to Section 78-27-58. [If personal service is impossible or impracticable, service may be made by
3 mailing a copy of the order and the form to the defendant's last-known address and posting a copy
4 of the order and the form at a conspicuous place on the premises.]
5 (b) A request for hearing by the defendant may not stay enforcement of the restitution
6 order unless:
7 (i) the defendant furnishes a corporate bond, cash bond, certified funds, or a property bond
8 to the clerk of the court in an amount approved by the court; and
9 (ii) the court orders that the restitution order be stayed.
10 [(b)] (c) The date of service, the name, title, signature, and telephone number of the person
11 serving the order and the form shall be legibly endorsed on the copy of the order and the form
12 served on the defendant.
13 [(c)] (d) Within ten days of service, the person serving the order and the form shall file
14 proof of service in accordance with Rule 4(h), Utah Rules of Civil Procedure.
15 (3) (a) If the defendant fails to comply with the order within the time prescribed by the
16 court, a sheriff or constable at the plaintiff's direction may enter the premises by force using the
17 least destructive means possible to remove the defendant.
18 (b) Any personal property of the defendant may be removed from the premises by the
19 sheriff or constable and transported to a suitable location for safe storage. The sheriff or
20 constable[, with the plaintiff's consent,] may delegate responsibility for storage to the plaintiff,
21 who [must] shall store the personal property in a suitable place and in a reasonable manner.
22 (c) The personal property removed and stored shall be inventoried by the sheriff or
23 constable or the plaintiff who shall keep the original inventory and personally deliver or mail the
24 defendant a copy of the inventory immediately after the personal property is removed.
25 (4) (a) After demand made by the defendant within 30 days of removal of personal
26 property from the premises, the sheriff or constable or the plaintiff shall promptly return all of the
27 defendant's personal property upon payment of the reasonable costs incurred for its removal and
28 storage.
29 (b) The person storing the personal property may sell the property remaining in storage
30 at a public sale if:
31 (i) the defendant does not request a hearing or demand return of the personal property

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1 within 30 days of its removal from the premises; or
2 (ii) the defendant fails to pay the reasonable costs incurred for the removal and storage of
3 the personal property.
4 (c) In advance of the sale, the person storing the personal property shall mail to the
5 defendant's last-known address a written notice of the time and place of the sale.
6 (d) If the defendant is present at the sale, he may specify the order in which the personal
7 property shall be sold, and only so much personal property shall be sold as to satisfy the costs of
8 removal, storage, advertising, and conducting the sale. The remainder of the personal property,
9 if any, shall be released to the defendant. If the defendant is not present at the sale, the proceeds,
10 after deduction of the costs of removal, storage, advertising, and conducting the sale shall be paid
11 to the plaintiff up to the amount of any judgment the plaintiff obtained against the defendant. Any
12 surplus shall be paid to the defendant, if the defendant's whereabouts are known. If the defendant's
13 whereabouts are not known, any surplus shall be disposed of in accordance with Title 67, Chapter
14 4a, Unclaimed Property Act.
15 (e) The plaintiff may donate the property to charity if:
16 (i) the defendant does not request a hearing or demand return of the personal property
17 within 30 days of its removal from the premises; or
18 (ii) the defendant fails to pay the reasonable costs incurred for the removal and storage of
19 the personal property; and
20 (iii) donation is a commercially reasonable alternative.
21 [(e)] (f) If the property belonging to a person who is not a defendant is removed and stored
22 in accordance with this section, that person may claim the property by delivering a written demand
23 for its release to the sheriff or constable or the plaintiff. If the claimant provides proper
24 identification and evidence of ownership, the sheriff or constable or the plaintiff shall promptly
25 release the property at no cost to the claimant.
26 (5) In the event of a dispute concerning the [terms of the order of restitution or the] manner
27 of [its] enforcement of the restitution order, the defendant or any person claiming to own stored
28 personal property may file a request for a hearing. The court shall set the matter for hearing within
29 ten days from the filing of the request, or as soon thereafter as practicable, and shall mail notice
30 of the hearing to the parties.
31 (6) The Judicial Council shall draft the forms necessary to implement this section.

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1 Section 2. Section 78-36-12.6 is amended to read:
2 78-36-12.6. Abandoned premises -- Retaking and rerenting by owner -- Liability of
3 tenant -- Personal property of tenant left on premises.
4 (1) In the event of abandonment, the owner may retake the premises and attempt to rent
5 them at a fair rental value and the tenant who abandoned the premises shall be liable:
6 (a) for the entire rent due for the remainder of the term; or
7 (b) for rent accrued during the period necessary to rerent the premises at a fair rental value,
8 plus the difference between the fair rental value and the rent agreed to in the prior rental
9 agreement, plus a reasonable commission for the renting of the premises and the costs, if any,
10 necessary to restore the rental unit to its condition when rented by the tenant less normal wear and
11 tear. This subsection applies, if less than Subsection (a), notwithstanding that the owner did not
12 rerent the premises.
13 (2) (a) If the tenant has abandoned the premises and has left personal property on the
14 premises, the owner is entitled to remove the property from the dwelling, store it for the tenant,
15 and recover actual moving and storage costs from the tenant.
16 (b) (i) The owner shall make reasonable efforts to notify the tenant of the location of the
17 personal property[; however, if].
18 (ii) If the property has been in storage for over 30 days and the tenant has made no
19 reasonable effort to recover it, the owner may:
20 (A) sell the property and apply the proceeds toward any amount the tenant owes[.]; or
21 (B) donate the property to charity if the donation is a commercially reasonable alternative.
22 (c) Any money left over from the sale of the property shall be handled as specified in Title
23 67, Chapter 4a, Part 2, Standards for Determining When Property is Abandoned or Unclaimed.
24 (d) Nothing contained in this act shall be in derogation of or alter the owner's rights under
25 Title 38, Chapter 3, Lessors' Liens.


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Legislative Review Note
as of 1-30-97 6:54 AM

A limited legal review of this bill raises no obvious constitutional or statutory concerns.

Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel

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