- A Utah bill would establish a new court to hear eviction cases and other matters.
- Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore said he aims to boost efficiency in eviction and related cases.
- The Utah State Bar supports the proposal, saying it would provide more resources for renters and debtors.
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Legislature is looking at creating yet another court.
SB270, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Kirk Cullimore, R-Sandy, would establish the Collections and Housing Court to hear eviction cases and other matters.
Cullimore, a former eviction attorney who now has his own law practice, said this idea came from the Utah Bar Foundation as a way to improve efficiency — and help defendants access services — since most of those cases are now handled virtually rather than in person.
"A lot of those services are centralized here in Salt Lake (City)," Cullimore said. "If we consolidated all the courts, the advocacy groups could help more people across the state."
Cullimore noted his bill would not add any additional personnel to the courts, but it would use existing district court judges and clerks to handle the caseload.
"Seventy percent of all civil filings in the state of Utah are eviction and collection type cases," the senator said. "If we consolidated those, the amount of docket space that it would free up for every judge across the state would be pretty big as well."
There is precedent for such a move. A few years ago, the Legislature created the Business and Chancery Court to handle "complex business disputes and equitable claims." It has one judge and began operating in October 2024 to focus on business-related legal matters and contract disputes.
"By focusing on these areas, the court enhances the predictability and effectiveness of legal resolutions, ultimately fostering a more robust business environment in Utah," the court's website states.
The Utah Bar Foundation said Utah's 3rd District Court already operates a court calendar dedicated to eviction and debt collection.
"The Utah Bar Foundation is supportive of expanding the program statewide so that all defendants with a housing or debt collection case might also have access to the resources made available to those cases in 3rd District Court," the foundation said in a statement.
So far, Cullimore's bill has only been introduced and has yet to receive a committee hearing. The 45-day legislative session ends March 6.
"We support having a separate court for evictions so the judge is a specialist," said Paul Smith, executive director of the Rental Housing Association of Utah, which represents landlords. "It helps renters and landlords to be heard by someone who specializes in eviction and collection law rather than just go before a judge that does a hundred types of cases."
The Utah Housing Coalition, which represents tenants, was more noncommittal.
"We are still trying to clarify items in the bill and how it would impact partners around the state," said Tara Rollins, the organization's executive director. "It may have a larger impact to people in the rural areas than people on the Wasatch Front."
Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, said the move would "probably be more efficient," while Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, said she likes the concept of adding more resources, "especially for some of these pro bono services."
This isn't the only proposal that would significantly impact the state's judiciary this session. The Utah State Bar has come out against several bills it said would remake the court system — but not this one.
"The Utah State Bar is supportive of a statewide collections and housing court," the organization said in a statement to KSL. "Having judges and practitioners experienced in the nuance of housing and collection law is beneficial for all parties. We think that it will bring much-needed resources to self-represented renters and debtors."
The bar opposes several other bills this session that would raise the threshold for judges to win retention elections, allow lawmakers to initiate special retention elections to try to remove judges, and let the governor have more power over choosing judicial nominees.
The organization was also against adding two new justices to the Utah Supreme Court, which Gov. Spencer Cox quickly signed into law.
Also this session, lawmakers are looking at designating judges to handle cases that deal with constitutional issues. HB392, sponsored by Rep. Matt MacPherson, R-West Valley City, would create a rotating panel of district court judges to hear a case each time a constitutional challenge is filed.
