Category: URCP007

Posted: January 19, 2023

Rules of Civil Procedure – Comment Period Closed March 5, 2023

URCP004. Process. AMEND. The Committee proposes an amendment to subparagraph (d)(1)(D), similar to the amendment proposed by Judge Orme in Jordan Credit Union v. Sullivan, 2022 UT App 120, ¶ 18 (Orme, J., concurring), in order to allow for personal service of process on an incarcerated person.

URCP007. Pleadings allowed; motions, memoranda, hearings, orders. AMEND. The Committee proposes adding two motions to the subparagraph (l)(1) list of motions that a court may decide without awaiting a response. First, the Committee proposes adding a motion to strike a document filed by a vexatious litigant in violation of Rule 83(d). Where a vexatious litigant makes an improper filing, it is not presently clear whether an opposing party must proceed under Rule 7A’s procedures for enforcing the vexatious litigant order. Requiring the opposing party to do so would involve full briefing and considerable delay, contrary to the purpose of filing restrictions imposed under Rule 83. Second, the Committee proposes adding a motion to appear remotely.

URCP083. Vexatious Litigants. AMEND. The Committee proposes amending subparagraphs (b)(4) and (d)(1) to allow vexatious litigants to file a notice of appeal without first getting approval from the trial judge. Where a trial court imposes filing restrictions on a vexatious litigant, sometimes court clerks have refused attempts by the litigant to file a notice of appeal. This can create uncertainty in some cases as to whether an appellate court has jurisdiction over an appeal because the documentary evidence of a timely appeal is missing. The amendments would make it clear that the trial court may not erect barriers to the filing of a notice of appeal. The Committee also proposes amending subparagraphs (b)(4), (b)(5), and (d)(1) to change “leave of the court” to “permission of the court” to make the language more understandable to self-represented litigants.

Posted: September 23, 2022

Rules of Civil Procedure – Comment Period Closed November 7, 2022

URCP007. Pleadings allowed; motions, memoranda, hearings, orders. AMEND. The first proposed change to subparagraph (l)(1) adds motions for Rule 16 pretrial conferences to the list of motions the court may act upon without waiting for a response. The second proposed change removes portions of the rule and adds subparagraph (q) to the end of the rule to outline page limits and word limits for filings. This brings the rule in line with the Utah Local Federal rules, the Utah Rules of Appellate Procedure, and the Federal Courts of Appeal which use page and word limits. Parties may use the page or word limits.

URCP007A. Motions to enforce order and for sanctions. AMEND. The proposed change to subparagraph (h) would clarify any confusion that may arise in reading rule 109 where an injunction is entered by the court in domestic actions and whether a party may file a motion to enforce an injunction entered by the court. The same change was made to Rule 7B.

URCP007B. Motion to enforce order and for sanctions in domestic law matters. AMEND. The proposed change to subparagraph (h) would clarify any confusion that may arise in reading rule 109 where an injunction is entered by the court in domestic actions and whether a party may file a motion to enforce an injunction entered by the court. The same change was made to Rule 7A.

Posted: December 28, 2020

Rules of Civil Procedure – Comment period closed February 11, 2021

URCP005. Service and filing of pleadings and other papers. AMEND. The proposed amendments to Rule 5(b)(3) would make email service the default method.

URCP006. Time. AMEND. The proposed amendments to Rule 6(c) acknowledge the timing issues surrounding mail service by expanding the amount of time to act from 3 days to 7.

URCP007. Pleadings allowed; motions, memoranda, hearings, orders. AMEND. The proposed amendments to Rule 7 would provide that motion hearings may be held remotely, consistent with the safeguards in Rule 43(b).

URCP037. Statement of discovery issues; Sanctions; Failure to admit, to attend deposition or to preserve evidence. AMEND. The proposed amendments to Rule 37 would provide that hearings on discovery issues be conducted remotely, consistent with the Rule 43(b) safeguards.

URCP043. Evidence. AMEND. Replaces repealed Code of Judicial Administration Rule 4-106. The proposed amendments would provide appropriate safeguards for the use of remote hearings and bring evidentiary hearings into the rule’s purview. The amendments would also adopt an oath to be used for all witness testimony.

URCP045. Subpoena. AMEND. The proposed amendments to Rule 45 would provide that if an appearance is required in response to a subpoena, the subpoena must provide notice of the date, time, and place for the appearance and, if remote transmission is requested, instructions for participation and who to contact if there are technical difficulties.

URCP076. Notice of contact information change. AMEND. The proposed amendments to Rule 76 would coordinate with the Rule 5 amendments by clarifying the purposes for which updated contact information is provided to the court.

Posted: August 17, 2020

Rules of Civil Procedure – Comment period closes October 1, 2020

Consolidation and Venue Transfer Amendments

URCP042. Consolidation; separate trials; venue transfer. AMEND.

The amendments to Rule 42 involve two issues: consolidation and venue transfer. The amendments clarify the powers of the district court to 1) consolidate two or more cases from any district in the state, 2) transfer a case from any court to any other court in the state, or 3) take either action as to just a portion of two or more cases. The amendments further mandate that cases filed in an improper venue be transferred to a proper venue when such is available. The venue amendments address the Supreme Court’s invitation in Footnote 4 of Davis County v. Purdue Pharma, L.P, 2020 UT 17.

Domestic Injunction Amendments

URCP005. Service and filing of pleadings and other papers. AMEND.

URCP109. Injunction in certain domestic relations cases. AMEND.

The proposed amendments to Rules 5 and 109 address conflicting provisions between the two rules. The amendments to Rule 5 add an exception to allow specific rules to state who serves the petition. The amendments to Rule 109 require the petitioner, rather than the court, to provide a copy of the injunction to the respondent.

Notice Amendments

As a whole, the proposed amendments to Rules 4, 7, 8, 36, and 101 would require more notice to parties of their rights and obligations. An example of a document containing the Judicial Council-approved bilingual notice of rights may be found here.

URCP004. Process. AMEND.

The proposed notice amendments to Rule 4(c)(1) would require that the Judicial Council-approved bilingual notice of rights be included with the summons.

URCP007. Pleadings allowed; motions, memoranda, hearings, orders. AMEND.

The proposed notice amendments to Rule 7(c) would require caution language on the first page of all dispositive motions. It also requires the inclusion of the Judicial Council-approved bilingual notice of rights and provides consequences for failing to include them.

URCP008. General rules of pleadings. AMEND.

The proposed notice amendments to Rule 8(a) would require caution language on the first page of all pleadings requesting relief and provides consequences for failing to do so.

URCP036. Request for admission. AMEND.

The proposed notice amendments to Rule 36(b) would require caution language on the first page of all requests for admission and provides consequences for failing to do so.

URCP101.Motion practice before court commissioners. AMEND.

The proposed notice amendments to Rule 101(a) would require caution language on the first page of all motions to court commissioners. It would also require the inclusion of the Judicial Council-approved bilingual notice of rights and provides consequences for failing to include them.

Service of Process Amendments

URCP004. Process. AMEND.

The proposed service of process amendments to Rule 4 address service on minors in paragraph (d)(1)(B) and outline the requirements for electronic acceptance of service in paragraph (d)(3)(B).

Supplemental Proceedings Amendments

URCP64.Writs in general. AMEND.

The proposed amendments to Rule 64 would require that 1) enforcement proceedings be initiated by motion under new Rule 7A, and 2) that the party against whom enforcement proceedings are initiated be served with the notice of hearing under Rule 4. Under the proposed amendments, If the party did not appear at the enforcement proceedings hearing, only then could a bench warrant issue. The term “referee” in paragraph (c) has also been replaced with “clerk of court.”

URCP007A. Motion to enforce order and for sanctions. NEW.

URCP007B. Motion to enforce order and for sanctions in domestic law matters. NEW.

URCP007. Pleadings allowed; motions, memoranda, hearings, orders. AMEND.

New Rule 7A, which circulated once already for comment, has been split into two rules, 7A and 7B, in response to comments made during the comment period last year. Rules 7A and 7B would create a new, uniform process for enforcing court orders through regular motion practice. They would replace the current order to show cause process found in Rule 7(q) and in local court rules. During the comment period, several practitioners noted that the order to show cause process in the domestic arena differed from the process in other civil cases and should be separated out. Rule 7B would now address the domestic law order to show cause process. As previously noted, this would result in the repeal of Rule 7(q) because the provisions addressing the court’s inherent power to initiate order to show cause proceedings would now be found in Rules 7A(h) and 7B(h).

Vexatious Litigant Amendments

URCP083. Vexatious litigants. AMEND.

The proposed amendments would bring represented parties into the rule’s purview. They would also permit any court to rely on another court’s vexatious litigant findings and order their own restrictions.

Posted: June 27, 2019

Rules of Civil Procedure – Comment Period Closed August 11, 2019

URCP007A. Motion to enforce order and for sanctions. New. Creates a new, uniform process for enforcing court orders through a regular motion practice. Replaces the current order to show cause process.

URCP007. Pleadings allowed; motions, memoranda, hearings, orders. Amend. Repeals paragraph (q) and moves the provisions addressing the court’s inherent power to initiate order to show cause proceedings to new Rule 7A(h).

URCP100. Coordination of cases pending in district court and juvenile court. Amend. To ensure better coordination of cases between courts, Rule 100 is amended to clarify that parties who have a child custody case in one court must notify that court of any other custody case in another court involving the same party or the same child. Custody cases include minor guardianship.

Posted: October 20, 2016

Rules of Civil Procedure – Comment Period Closed December 4, 2016

URCP007 Pleadings allowed; motions, memoranda, hearings, orders. Amend. Returns pre-2015 paragraph (b)(2) language addressing limits on orders to show cause to new paragraph (q).

URCP065C Post-conviction relief. Amend. Expressly makes all records in the criminal case under review, including the records in an appeal of that conviction, part of the trial court record in the petition for post-conviction relief.

Posted: November 28, 2014

Rules of Civil Procedure

URCP 007. Pleadings allowed; motions, memoranda, hearings, orders. Repeal and reenact. In conjunction with amendments to Rule 54 and Rule 58A, addresses the finality and appealability of orders and judgments. Integrates the memorandum supporting a motion with the motion itself. Regulates the process for citing supplemental authority. Prohibits proposed orders before a decision, except for specified motions. Requires an objection to evidence, rather than a motion to strike evidence. Requires a counter-motion rather than a motion in the opposing memorandum. Includes other provisions regulating motion practice.
URCP 054. Judgment; costs. Amend. In conjunction with amendments to Rule 58A, addresses the finality and appealability of judgments. Conforms more closely to FRCP 54.
URCP 058A. Entry of judgment; abstract of judgment. Amend. In conjunction with amendments to Rule 54, addresses the finality and appealability of judgments. Conforms more closely to FRCP 58. Requires that a judgment be set forth in a separate document. If a separate document is not prepared, establishes the date on which the decision, however designated, becomes final and appealable.
URCP 101. Motion practice before court commissioners. Amend. Modifies deadlines and procedures for motions presented to court commissioners.

Posted: May 15, 2013

Rules of Civil Procedure

URCP 007. Pleadings allowed; motions, memoranda, hearings, orders. Amend. Adopts expedited procedures for resolution of specified motions related to disclosure and discovery. If approved, similar provisions currently in the Code of Judicial Administration will be deleted.
URCP 058A. Entry of judgment; abstract of judgment. Amend. Requires the party preparing the judgment to promptly serve a copy of the signed judgment on the other parties and promptly file proof of service with the court. Proposed in conjunction with proposed amendments to URAP 4.
URCP 058B. Satisfaction of judgment. Amend. Requires the creditor to file a satisfaction of judgment upon the debtor’s request.
URCP 064D. Writ of garnishment. Amend. Extends a writ of continuing garnishment to one year, unless a second or subsequent writ is served.

Posted: January 5, 2009

Rules of Civil Procedure

URCP 007. Pleadings allowed; motions, memoranda, hearings, orders, objection to commissioner’s order. Amend. Move process for objecting to a commissioner’s recommendation from Rule 7 to Rule 101.
URCP 101. Motion practice before court commissioners. Amend. Move process for objecting to a commissioner’s recommendation from Rule 7 to Rule 101.

Posted: October 2, 2007

Rules of Civil Procedure

URCP 007. Pleadings allowed; motions, memoranda, hearings, orders, objection to commissioner’s order. Amend. Requires motion for the relief sought rather than motion for an order to show cause except to enforce an existing court order.
URCP 040. Scheduling and postponing a trial. Amend and Rename. Deletes obsolete requirement for a local rule to govern trial settings. Simplify text.
URCP 041. Dismissal of actions. Amend. Deletes obsolete reference to Rule 66.
URCP 101. Motion practice before court commissioners. Amend. Requires motion for the relief sought rather than motion for an order to show cause except to enforce an existing court order.