| 1 | 1 | | H.B. 420 |
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| 2 | 2 | | LEGISLATIVE GENERAL COUNSEL |
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| 3 | 3 | | 6 Approved for Filing: E.A. Evans 6 |
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| 4 | 4 | | 6 02-08-23 11:53 AM 6 |
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| 5 | 5 | | H.B. 420 |
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| 6 | 6 | | 1 EVICTION AMENDMENTS |
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| 7 | 7 | | 2 2023 GENERAL SESSION |
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| 8 | 8 | | 3 STATE OF UTAH |
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| 9 | 9 | | 4 Chief Sponsor: Jennifer Dailey-Provost |
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| 10 | 10 | | 5 Senate Sponsor: ____________ |
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| 11 | 11 | | 6 |
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| 12 | 12 | | 7LONG TITLE |
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| 13 | 13 | | 8General Description: |
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| 14 | 14 | | 9 This bill amends provisions relating to damages awarded in a forcible entry or unlawful |
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| 15 | 15 | | 10detainer action. |
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| 16 | 16 | | 11Highlighted Provisions: |
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| 17 | 17 | | 12 This bill: |
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| 18 | 18 | | 13 <allows a court to determine whether to award trebled damages in a forcible entry or |
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| 19 | 19 | | 14unlawful detainer action. |
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| 20 | 20 | | 15Money Appropriated in this Bill: |
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| 21 | 21 | | 16 None |
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| 22 | 22 | | 17Other Special Clauses: |
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| 23 | 23 | | 18 None |
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| 24 | 24 | | 19Utah Code Sections Affected: |
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| 25 | 25 | | 20AMENDS: |
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| 26 | 26 | | 21 78B-6-811, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Chapter 329 |
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| 27 | 27 | | 22 |
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| 28 | 28 | | 23Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah: |
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| 29 | 29 | | 24 Section 1. Section 78B-6-811 is amended to read: |
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| 30 | 30 | | 25 78B-6-811. Judgment for restitution, damages, and rent -- Immediate |
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| 31 | 31 | | 26enforcement -- Remedies. |
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| 32 | 32 | | 27 (1) (a) A court may: |
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| 33 | 33 | | *HB0420* H.B. 420 02-08-23 11:53 AM |
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| 34 | 34 | | - 2 - |
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| 35 | 35 | | 28 (i) enter a judgment upon the merits or upon default; and |
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| 36 | 36 | | 29 (ii) issue an order of restitution regardless of whether a judgment is entered. |
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| 37 | 37 | | 30 (b) A judgment entered in favor of the plaintiff shall include an order for the restitution |
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| 38 | 38 | | 31of the premises as provided in Section 78B-6-812. |
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| 39 | 39 | | 32 (c) If the proceeding is for unlawful detainer after neglect or failure to perform any |
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| 40 | 40 | | 33condition or covenant of the lease or agreement under which the property is held, or after |
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| 41 | 41 | | 34default in the payment of rent, the judgment shall also declare the forfeiture of the lease or |
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| 42 | 42 | | 35agreement. |
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| 43 | 43 | | 36 (d) (i) A forfeiture under Subsection (1)(c) does not release a defendant from any |
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| 44 | 44 | | 37obligation for payments on a lease for the remainder of the lease's term. |
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| 45 | 45 | | 38 (ii) Subsection (1)(d)(i) does not change any obligation on either party to mitigate |
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| 46 | 46 | | 39damages. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 40 (2) The jury or the court, if the proceeding is tried without a jury or upon the |
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| 48 | 48 | | 41defendant's default, shall also assess the damages resulting to the plaintiff from any of the |
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| 49 | 49 | | 42following: |
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| 50 | 50 | | 43 (a) forcible entry; |
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| 51 | 51 | | 44 (b) forcible or unlawful detainer; |
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| 52 | 52 | | 45 (c) waste of the premises during the defendant's tenancy, if waste is alleged in the |
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| 53 | 53 | | 46complaint and proved at trial; |
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| 54 | 54 | | 47 (d) the amounts due under the contract, if the alleged unlawful detainer is after default |
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| 55 | 55 | | 48in the payment of amounts due under the contract; and |
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| 56 | 56 | | 49 (e) the abatement of the nuisance by eviction as provided in Sections 78B-6-1107 |
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| 57 | 57 | | 50through 78B-6-1114. |
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| 58 | 58 | | 51 (3) The judgment shall be entered against the defendant for the rent[, for] and, at the |
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| 59 | 59 | | 52court's discretion, three times the amount of the damages assessed under Subsections (2)(a) |
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| 60 | 60 | | 53through (2)(e). |
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| 61 | 61 | | 54 (4) (a) If the proceeding is for unlawful detainer, execution upon the judgment shall be |
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| 62 | 62 | | 55issued immediately after the entry of the judgment. |
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| 63 | 63 | | 56 (b) In all cases, the judgment may be issued and enforced immediately. |
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| 64 | 64 | | 57 (5) In an action under this chapter, the court: |
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| 65 | 65 | | 58 (a) shall award costs and reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party; 02-08-23 11:53 AM H.B. 420 |
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| 66 | 66 | | - 3 - |
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| 67 | 67 | | 59 (b) may modify a judgment for additional amounts owed if a motion is submitted |
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| 68 | 68 | | 60within 180 days on the earlier of the day on which: |
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| 69 | 69 | | 61 (i) the order of restitution is enforced; or |
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| 70 | 70 | | 62 (ii) the defendant vacates the premises; and |
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| 71 | 71 | | 63 (c) may grant a party additional time for a motion under Subsection (5)(b). |
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| 72 | 72 | | 64 (6) (a) If the court issues an order of restitution, the defendant shall provide a current |
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| 73 | 73 | | 65address to the court and the plaintiff within 30 days of the day on which the court issues the |
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| 74 | 74 | | 66order of restitution. |
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| 75 | 75 | | 67 (b) Failure of a defendant to provide an address under Subsection (6)(a) does not |
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| 76 | 76 | | 68require the plaintiff or the court to bear the burden of seeking out the defendant to provide |
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| 77 | 77 | | 69notice for any subsequent proceeding. |
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