Utah Code § 78B-6-801 § 78B-6-812

Order of restitution -- Service -- Enforcement -- Disposition of personal property -- Hearing.

In Force
Verified 10/16/2026 · Next check 10/23/2026
effective 10/16/2026UtahEviction & Just Cause

Operative Text

Utah Code § 78B-6-801 § 78B-6-812
Order of restitution -- Service -- Enforcement -- Disposition of personal property -- Hearing.

(1) As used in this section:
(a) "Personal animal" means a domestic dog, cat, rabbit, bird, or other animal that is kept solely as a pet and is not a production animal.
(b) (i) "Production animal" means a live, nonhuman vertebrate member of the biological kingdom Animalia used for the purpose of producing, or being sold to another for the purpose of producing, food, fiber, or another commercial product.
(ii) "Production animal" includes:
(A) cattle;
(B) sheep;
(C) goats;
(D) swine;
(E) poultry;
(F) ratites;
(G) equines;
(H) domestic cervidae;
(I) cameliadae;
(J) a guard dog;
(K) a stock dog;
(L) a livestock guardian dog; and
(M) a fur bearing animal kept for the purpose of commercial fur production.
(2) An order of restitution shall:
(a) direct the defendant to vacate the premises, remove the defendant's personal property, and restore possession of the premises to the plaintiff, or be forcibly removed by a sheriff or constable;
(b) advise the defendant that the defendant has three calendar days after service of the order to vacate the premises, unless:
(i) a constable or sheriff of the county where the premises are located immediately returns possession of the property to the plaintiff as described in Subsection 78B-6-810(3)(d);
(ii) the plaintiff and defendant agree otherwise; or
(iii) the court issues an order in accordance with Subsection 78B-6-810(4); and
(c) advise the defendant of the defendant's right to a hearing to contest the manner of the order of restitution's enforcement.
(3) (a) A person authorized to serve process under Subsection 78B-8-302(3) shall serve, in accordance with Section 78B-6-805, a copy of the order of restitution and a form for the defendant to request a hearing as listed on the form.
(b) A defendant's request for hearing or other pleading may not stay enforcement of the restitution order unless:
(i) the defendant furnishes a corporate bond, cash bond, certified funds, or a property bond to the clerk of the court in an amount approved by the court according to Subsection 78B-6-808(4)(b); and
(ii) the court orders that the restitution order be stayed.
(c) The person serving the order and the form shall legibly write the date of service and the person's name, title, signature, and telephone number on the copy of the order and the form served on the defendant.
(d) The person serving the order and the form shall file proof of service in accordance with Rule 4(e), Utah Rules of Civil Procedure.
(4) (a) If the defendant fails to comply with the order within the time prescribed by the court, a sheriff or constable at the plaintiff's direction may enter the premises by force using the least destructive means possible to remove the defendant.
(b) (i) The sheriff or constable may remove personal property remaining in the leased property from the premises and transport the personal property to a suitable location for safe storage.
(ii) (A) The sheriff or constable may delegate responsibility for inventory, moving, and storage to the plaintiff.
(B) If the sheriff or constable delegates responsibility as described in this Subsection (4)(b)(ii), the plaintiff shall store the personal property in a suitable place and in a reasonable manner.
(c) A tenant may not access the property until the tenant pays the removal and storage costs in full, except that the landlord, sheriff, or constable shall provide the tenant reasonable access to the property within five business days after the day on which the sheriff or constable removes the tenant to retrieve:
(i) clothing;
(ii) identification;
(iii) financial documents, including all those related to the tenant's immigration status or employment status;
(iv) documents pertaining to receipt of public services; and
(v) medical information, prescription medications, and any medical equipment required for maintenance of medical needs.
(d) The personal property removed and stored is considered abandoned property and subject to Section 78B-6-816.
(e) If a personal animal is on the premises, the sheriff or constable executing the order of restitution shall give the personal animal to the tenant, if the tenant is present.
(f) If the tenant is not present when the order of restitution is enforced:
(i) the sheriff, constable, or landlord shall notify the local animal control authority to take custody of the personal animal;
(ii) the animal control authority shall respond to take custody of the personal animal within one business day after the day on which the sheriff, constable, or landlord provides the notice described in Subsection (4)(f)(i);
(iii) the animal control authority or organization where the personal animal is taken shall apply the same standards described in Section 11-46-103;
(iv) the landlord shall provide the animal control authority with the name and last known contact information of the tenant; and
(v) the animal control authority shall post a notice at the premises in a visible place with the name and contact information of the animal control authority or organization where the personal animal is taken.
(5) (a) In the event of a dispute concerning the manner of enforcement of the restitution order, either party may file a request for a hearing.
(b) The court shall:
(i) set the matter for hearing:
(A) within 10 calendar days after the day on which the defendant files the request for a hearing; or
(B) as soon as practicable, if the court is unable to set the matter within the time described in Subsection (5)(b)(i)(A); and
(ii) provide notice of the hearing to the parties.
(6) The Judicial Council shall draft the forms necessary to implement this section.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Utah Code Ann. § 78B-6-812 governs what happens after a court issues an order of restitution in an eviction case. The order directs the tenant to vacate and remove personal property within three calendar days of service, unless specific exceptions apply, and informs the tenant of the right to request a hearing about how the order is enforced. If the tenant does not leave in time, a sheriff or constable may forcibly remove the tenant and relocate personal property to storage, though the tenant retains immediate access rights to essential items such as clothing, identification, immigration documents, medications, and medical equipment. Pets classified as 'personal animals' under the statute receive specific handling protections, including transfer to animal control if the tenant is absent.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 16, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under Utah Code Ann. § 78B-6-812, compliant property owners and managers generally work with the sheriff or constable to coordinate enforcement of a restitution order rather than acting unilaterally. When a sheriff or constable delegates storage responsibilities to the landlord, the landlord is expected to store the removed personal property in a suitable place and in a reasonable manner, and to provide the tenant access to essential items within five business days. Landlords are also required to supply the animal control authority with the tenant's name and last known contact information if a personal animal is present and the tenant is not on-site during enforcement.

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

For Tenants

Utah Code Ann. § 78B-6-812 gives tenants the right to be notified of an order of restitution and to receive a form to request a hearing if there is a dispute about how the order is being enforced. Even after removal, tenants retain the right to access essential belongings—such as clothing, identification, immigration and employment documents, public-services records, prescription medications, and medical equipment—within five business days, without having to pay storage costs first for those specific items. Tenants who believe the order is being enforced improperly may file a hearing request with the court, and tenant-rights organizations can help explain what options are generally available under this provision.

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 16, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 16, 2026
Click on timeline segments to view historical versions.

References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Utah Code § 78B-8-302
Not yet ingested
Utah Code § 11-46-103
Not yet ingested

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

Utah Code § 78B-6-811
Utah Code § 78B-6-812
Utah Code § 78B-6-812
Utah Code § 78B-6-810
Utah Code § 78B-6-805
Utah Code § 78B-6-808
Utah Code § 78B-6-816
Utah Code § 78B-6-816
Utah Code § 78B-6-801
Utah Code § 78B-6-814
Utah Code § 78B-6-805
Utah Code § 78B-6-812
Utah Code § 78B-6-811
Utah Code § 78B-6-805
Utah Code § 78B-6-802

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

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