Summary as introduced: Landlord and tenant law; definitions; payment of rent; landlord remedies. Adds, among other things, a definition of "application fee," caps the fee at $50, and provides that such fee is nonrefundable. The bill also defines "written notice" as notice, including any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed in or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic form or other medium, retrievable in a perceivable form, and regardless of whether an electronic signature is affixed. In cases where a tenant pays rent with a bad check, the bill also allows a landlord to seek an award of costs or attorney fees or the lesser of $250 or three times the amount of the bad check, draft or order as part of the damages requested on an unlawful detainer action, provided the landlord has given notice. The bill allows such notice to be included in the five-day termination notice at the option of the landlord. The bill contains specific provisions if the dwelling unit is a public housing unit or other housing unit subject to regulation by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The bill contains technical amendments. Full text: 01/08/08 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 081798668 02/05/08 House: Committee substitute printed 081851668-H1 02/27/08 House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB720ER) 03/08/08 House: Reenrolled bill text (HB720ER2) 03/14/08 Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0489) Amendments: Governor's recommendation Status: 01/08/08 House: Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/08 081798668 01/08/08 House: Referred to Committee on General Laws 01/17/08 House: Assigned GL sub: Housing 02/05/08 House: Reported from General Laws with substitute (22-Y 0-N) 02/05/08 House: Committee substitute printed 081851668-H1 02/06/08 House: Read first time 02/07/08 House: Read second time 02/07/08 House: Committee substitute agreed to 081851668-H1 02/07/08 House: Engrossed by House - committee substitute HB720H1 02/08/08 House: Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N) 02/08/08 House: VOTE: BLOCK VOTE PASSAGE (99-Y 0-N) 02/08/08 House: Communicated to Senate 02/11/08 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed 02/11/08 Senate: Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology 02/20/08 Senate: Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N) 02/22/08 Senate: Constitutional reading dispensed (40-Y 0-N) 02/25/08 Senate: Read third time 02/25/08 Senate: Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) 02/25/08 Senate: Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N) 02/25/08 Senate: Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N) 02/27/08 House: Enrolled 02/27/08 House: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB720ER) 02/27/08 House: Signed by Speaker 02/28/08 Senate: Signed by President 03/06/08 House: Governor's recommendation received by House 03/06/08 House: Placed on Calendar 03/07/08 House: House concurred in Governor's recommendation (96-Y 1-N) 03/07/08 House: VOTE: --- ADOPTION (96-Y 1-N) 03/08/08 Senate: Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N) 03/08/08 Governor: Governor's recommendation adopted 03/08/08 House: Reenrolled 03/08/08 House: Reenrolled bill text (HB720ER2) 03/08/08 House: Signed by Speaker as reenrolled 03/08/08 Senate: Signed by President as reenrolled 03/08/08 House: Enacted, Chapter 489 (effective 7/1/08) 03/14/08 Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0489) |