Cal. Civ. Code § 407.070
Petition to extend return date, when and where filed
Operative Text
At any time before the return date specified in a civil investigative demand issued under section 407.040, or within twenty days after the civil investigative demand has been served, whichever period is shorter, a petition to extend the return date for, or to modify or set aside the civil investigative demand, stating good cause, may be filed in the circuit court of the county where the parties reside or in the circuit court of Cole County.
Under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 407.070, a person or entity that receives a civil investigative demand issued as part of a consumer-protection investigation has a limited window to seek court relief. Before the demand's return date arrives—or within twenty days of being served, whichever comes first—the recipient may file a petition in the appropriate Missouri circuit court asking the court to extend the deadline, modify the demand, or set it aside entirely, provided the petition states good cause. The filing may be made in the circuit court of the county where the parties reside or in the circuit court of Cole County.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners or managers who receive a civil investigative demand under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act, governed in part by Mo. Rev. Stat. § 407.070, generally act promptly upon service because the window to seek court relief is the shorter of the time before the return date or twenty days from service. Operators who believe a demand is overbroad, burdensome, or otherwise improper typically document their objections and prepare a petition stating good cause before that deadline expires. Filing in the correct venue—either the circuit court of the county where the parties reside or Cole County—is part of what a compliant response to this process looks like.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 407.070 is primarily a procedural rule governing how recipients of civil investigative demands—tools used in consumer-protection investigations—can challenge those demands in court. While this provision is less likely to directly affect a tenant's day-to-day rights, understanding that the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act framework includes judicial oversight mechanisms can be relevant if a tenant is involved in or aware of an investigation touching housing practices. Tenants who believe they have been harmed by unlawful practices may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid office to understand how the broader Act's investigative tools relate to their situation.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
Effective Timeline
References In
Rules and statutes that cite this regulation