RR
Rent Regulations

Cal. Civ. Code § 441.643

Frivolous suit, attorney's fees

In Force
Verified 10/14/2026 · Next check 10/21/2026
effective 10/14/2026MissouriEviction & Just Cause

Operative Text

Cal. Civ. Code § 441.643
In the event the court finds that the facts alleged in the petition filed pursuant to section 441.530 are unfounded and that the petition was filed frivolously and in bad faith, the petitioner shall be responsible for the reasonable attorney's fees attributable to the defense of said petition.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Missouri Revised Statutes § 441.643 establishes a financial consequence for tenants or other petitioners who bring rent-related petitions under § 441.530 that a court determines to be both factually unfounded and filed frivolously and in bad faith. When a court makes that dual finding, the person who filed the petition becomes responsible for paying the opposing party's reasonable attorney's fees. The provision is designed to discourage the use of the petition process as a bad-faith litigation tactic.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 14, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643, property owners who successfully defend against a § 441.530 petition that a court finds was filed frivolously and in bad faith may be entitled to recover their reasonable attorney's fees from the petitioner. Operators who face such petitions generally document the proceedings carefully and retain qualified legal counsel so that a fee-shifting request can be supported if the court reaches the required findings. Awareness of this provision can be relevant when evaluating how to respond to a petition that appears to lack factual foundation.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643 means that tenants or other petitioners who file a § 441.530 petition that a court concludes is both factually unfounded and brought frivolously and in bad faith may be ordered to pay the other side's reasonable attorney's fees. Before filing a petition under § 441.530, individuals generally benefit from understanding whether their factual claims are well-grounded, as courts retain authority to impose this fee-shifting consequence. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid offices can be useful resources for evaluating the strength of a potential petition before it is filed.

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

Current
Oct 14, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.530

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.650
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.650
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.050
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.130
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.240
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.280
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.065
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.240
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.250
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.280
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.290
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.510
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.570
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.590
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.630
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.570
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.570
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.640
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.500
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.643
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.530
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.750
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.770
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.830
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.750
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.750
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.740
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.820
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.710
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.880
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.020
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.050
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 441.060

Related Rules

§ 151.20
TEMPORARY EVICTION CONTROLS AND RENT REDUCTIONS FOR MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED IN THE JANUARY, 1994 EARTHQUAKE
§ 1
Definitions
§ 2
Eviction of tenants prohibited; exceptions

Source Information

Source:https://revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=441.643
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