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House File 2201

Partial Bill History

Bill Text

PAG LIN
  1  1    Section 1.  Section 562A.29, subsection 3, Code 1999, is
  1  2 amended to read as follows:
  1  3    3.  If the tenant abandons the dwelling unit, the following
  1  4 shall apply:
  1  5    a.  For purposes of determining abandonment under this
  1  6 subsection:
  1  7    (1)  The landlord may rely on a statement by the tenant
  1  8 indicating an intent to abandon the dwelling unit.
  1  9    (2)  The landlord may rely upon an inference of intent by
  1 10 the tenant to abandon the dwelling unit if the tenant is
  1 11 continuously absent from the dwelling unit without payment of
  1 12 rent for a full rental period.
  1 13    (3)  The landlord may rely upon a court order holding that
  1 14 the dwelling unit has been abandoned upon substantial proof to
  1 15 the court that the dwelling unit has been abandoned.
  1 16    b.  Notwithstanding section 562A.31, the landlord may enter
  1 17 and take possession of any property of the tenant found in the
  1 18 dwelling unit and may store the property in a secure place.
  1 19    (1)  The landlord shall make reasonable efforts to provide
  1 20 the tenant with a notice containing the name and address of
  1 21 the landlord and the place where the property is stored, and
  1 22 informing the tenant that a sale or disposal of the property
  1 23 shall take place pursuant to this subsection, and the date of
  1 24 the sale or disposal, and further informing the tenant of any
  1 25 action the tenant must take to retrieve the property prior to
  1 26 its sale or disposal.
  1 27    (2)  The landlord's effort to notify the tenant under this
  1 28 subsection shall be satisfied by complying with both of the
  1 29 following:
  1 30    (a)  Mailing the notice via first class mail, postage
  1 31 prepaid, to the tenant's last known address, to any other
  1 32 address provided in writing by the tenant, or to any other
  1 33 address actually known to the landlord where the tenant might
  1 34 receive the notice, at least forty-five days prior to the day
  1 35 set for sale or disposal of the property.
  2  1    (b)  Publishing a notice once in a newspaper of general
  2  2 circulation in the county at least forty-five days prior to
  2  3 the day set for sale or disposal of the property.
  2  4    (3)  The landlord shall return the property to the tenant
  2  5 after the tenant has paid the reasonable moving and storage
  2  6 fees and costs associated with the property, if the tenant
  2  7 makes a written request for the return of the property before
  2  8 the landlord has sold or disposed of the property.
  2  9    (4)  After forty-five days from the last date of notice
  2 10 published and mailed to the tenant, the landlord may dispose
  2 11 of the property.  The landlord may apply any income derived
  2 12 from the sale of the property to amounts due to the landlord,
  2 13 including the reasonable moving and storage fees and costs
  2 14 associated with the sale or disposal of the property.  Any
  2 15 income derived from the sale in excess of amounts due to the
  2 16 landlord shall be held by the landlord for the benefit of the
  2 17 tenant for one year from the date of sale.  If no
  2 18 communication from the tenant is made during that time in
  2 19 relation to the tenant's property, the balance of income
  2 20 derived from the sale shall be the property of the landlord,
  2 21 including any interest earned.
  2 22    c.  The landlord shall make reasonable efforts to rent it
  2 23 the dwelling unit at a fair rental.  If the landlord rents the
  2 24 dwelling unit for a term beginning prior to the expiration of
  2 25 the rental agreement, it is deemed to be terminated as of the
  2 26 date the new tenancy begins.  The rental agreement is deemed
  2 27 to be terminated by the landlord as of the date the landlord
  2 28 has notice of the abandonment, if the landlord fails to use
  2 29 reasonable efforts to rent the dwelling unit at a fair rental
  2 30 or if the landlord accepts the abandonment as a surrender.  If
  2 31 the tenancy is from month-to-month, or week-to-week, the term
  2 32 of the rental agreement for this purpose shall be deemed to be
  2 33 a month or a week, as the case may be.
  2 34    Sec. 2.  Section 562A.31, Code 1999, is amended to read as
  2 35 follows:
  3  1    562A.31  LANDLORD LIENS – DISTRESS FOR RENT.
  3  2    1.  A lien on behalf of the landlord on the tenant's
  3  3 household goods is not enforceable unless perfected before
  3  4 January 1, 1979.  Chapter 570 shall not apply to landlord-
  3  5 tenant relationships covered by this chapter.
  3  6    2.  Distraint for rent is abolished.
  3  7    Sec. 3.  Section 570.1, Code 1999, is amended to read as
  3  8 follows:
  3  9    570.1  LIEN CREATED – PROPERTY SUBJECTED.
  3 10    1.  A landlord shall have a lien for the rent upon all
  3 11 crops grown upon the leased premises, and upon any other
  3 12 personal property of the tenant which has been used or kept
  3 13 thereon during the term and which is not exempt from
  3 14 execution.
  3 15    2.  This chapter shall not apply to landlord-tenant
  3 16 relationships covered by chapter 562A.  
  3 17                           EXPLANATION
  3 18    This bill amends Code section 562A.29 relating to a
  3 19 landlord's remedies when a tenant has abandoned rental
  3 20 property.
  3 21    The Code section currently provides an obligation of the
  3 22 landlord to make reasonable efforts to rent the premises; the
  3 23 amendment provides a standard for determining when the
  3 24 premises are deemed abandoned, as well as a procedure for
  3 25 removal, storage, notice, and sale or disposal of any personal
  3 26 property abandoned by the tenant on the premises.
  3 27    Related changes are made to Code sections 562A.31 and
  3 28 570.1, regarding landlord's liens, to specify that the
  3 29 procedure added by this bill applies to tenant's personal
  3 30 property, rather than any former laws relating to landlord
  3 31 liens.  
  3 32 LSB 5661YH 78
  3 33 jj/cf/24.1
     

Text: HF02200                           Text: HF02202
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