229.44  Venue.
  1.  Venue for hospitalization proceedings shall be in the county where the respondent is found, unless the matter is transferred pursuant to Iowa court rule 12.15 for the involuntary hospitalization of persons with mental illness, in which case venue shall be in the county where the matter is transferred for hearing.
  2.  After an order is entered pursuant to section 229.13 or 229.14, the court may transfer proceedings to the court of any county having venue at any further stage in the proceeding as follows:
  a.  When it appears that the best interests of the respondent or the convenience of the parties will be served by a transfer, the court may transfer the case to the court of the county of the respondent’s residence.
  b.  When it appears that the best interests of the respondent or the convenience of the parties will be served by a transfer, the court may transfer the case to the court of the county where the respondent is found.
  3.  If a proceeding is transferred, the court shall contact the court in the county which is to be the recipient of the transfer before entering the order to transfer the case. The court shall then transfer the case by ordering a transfer of the matter to the recipient county, by ordering a continuance of the matter in the transferring county, and by forwarding to the clerk of the receiving court a certified copy of all papers filed, together with the order of transfer. The referee of the receiving court may accept the filings of the transferring court or may direct the filing of a new application and may hear the case anew.
92 Acts, ch 1165, §7
; 
96 Acts, ch 1079, §9
; 
96 Acts, ch 1129, §113