Cal. Civ. Code § 441.580
Payment of rent, effect of
Operative Text
Upon the entry of an order directing the payment of rents pursuant to section 441.570, such payment in accordance with the terms of the order shall be a valid defense to any action or proceeding brought by an owner against any tenant to recover possession of real property for the nonpayment of rent due and payable after the date of issuance of the order.
Under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.580, once a court or authority issues an order directing how rent is to be paid (pursuant to § 441.570), a tenant's compliance with that order's payment terms constitutes a legally valid defense against an eviction action based on nonpayment of rent. In other words, if a tenant pays rent exactly as the order specifies, an owner cannot successfully pursue a possession action on the grounds that rent went unpaid after the order's issuance date. The provision effectively shields tenants from eviction so long as they follow the payment structure the order establishes.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under a rent-payment order issued pursuant to § 441.570 should be aware that Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.580 limits the grounds on which a possession action for nonpayment can succeed. A compliant operator generally tracks the specific terms of any such order carefully, since rent received in accordance with those terms is treated as valid payment regardless of whether it differs from the original lease amount. Owners who initiate eviction proceedings for nonpayment after an order's issuance date will typically need to demonstrate that the tenant failed to follow the order's payment terms, not merely that the full contractual rent was not received.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.580 establishes that a tenant who pays rent in strict accordance with a court or administrative order issued under § 441.570 has a recognized legal defense if an owner later attempts to evict them for nonpayment of rent accruing after the order's issuance date. Tenants in this situation may be able to raise compliance with the order as a defense in any eviction or possession proceeding. Those seeking to understand how this defense applies to their circumstances may find it helpful to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with Missouri housing law.
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
Related Rules
Source Information
Use this in your app
Access this data programmatically via our API