Landlord-tenant court authorized in City of St. Louis, jurisdiction
In St. Louis City, a special court can be set up just for disputes between landlords and tenants. Special officials called landlord-tenant commissioners run this court. They can hear cases, decide who is right, and order things like rent payments or who gets to stay in a home. Both sides have the right to ask for a different hearing or appeal the decision if they don't agree with the outcome. St. Louis City pays all the costs to run this court.
535.200. Landlord- court in City of St. Louis, — landlord-tenant s, powers and qualifications — landlord-tenant court procedures. — 1. In the twenty-second judicial , upon adoption of an by the City of St. Louis providing for expenditure of city funds for such purpose, a majority of the s, , may establish a landlord-tenant court, which shall be a of the , and may authorize the appointment of not more than two landlord-tenant court commissioners. The landlord-tenant court commissioners shall be appointed by a landlord-tenant court judicial consisting of the of the circuit, who shall be the chair, one circuit judge elected by the circuit judges, one elected by the associate circuit judges of the circuit, and two members appointed by the mayor of the City of St. Louis, each of whom shall represent one of the two political parties casting the highest number of votes at the next preceding . The procedures and operations of the landlord-tenant court judicial commission shall be established by circuit court .
2. Landlord-tenant commissioners may be authorized to hear in the first instance disputes involving landlords and their tenants. Landlord-tenant commissioners shall be authorized to make , and to orders for the payment of money, for the giving or taking of possession of residential property and any other necessary to resolve disputes governed by the laws in chapters 441, 524, 534, and this chapter. Landlord-tenant commissioners may not, by means, hear cases and issue orders.
3. Landlord-tenant commissioners shall be licensed to practice law in this state and shall serve at the pleasure of a majority of the circuit and associate circuit judges, en banc, and shall be residents of the City of St. Louis, and shall receive as annual an amount equal to one-third of the annual compensation of an associate circuit judge. Landlord-tenant commissioners shall not accept or handle cases in their which are inconsistent with their duties as a landlord-tenant commissioner and shall not be a judge or for any other court. Landlord-tenant commissioners shall not be considered state employees and shall not be members of the state employees' or judicial or be eligible to receive any other accorded state employees or judges.
4. A majority of the judges of the circuit, en banc, shall establish operating procedures for the landlord-tenant court. Proceedings in the landlord-tenant court shall be conducted as in cases tried before an associate circuit judge. The shall be before a landlord-tenant commissioner without jury, and the commissioner shall assume an to determine the of the evidence presented and the defenses of the and may question parties and witnesses. Clerks and computer personnel shall be as needed for the efficient operation of the court.
5. The parties to a before a commissioner of the landlord-tenant court are entitled to file with the court a for a hearing in within ten days after the mailing, or within ten days after .
6. Operating procedures shall be provided for electronic recording of proceedings at city expense. Any by a in a case decided under this section shall have a right to a in circuit court, or an to the , in the same manner as would a person aggrieved by a decision of an associate circuit judge under section 535.110. The procedures for perfecting the right of a trial de novo or an appeal shall be the same as that provided sections 512.180 to 512.320.
7. Any issued for the proceedings in the landlord-tenant court shall have a of ten days. The sheriff must attempt to serve any summons within four days of the date of .
8. All costs to establish and operate a landlord-tenant court under this section shall be borne by the City of St. Louis.
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Source & history notes
(L. 1997 H.B. 361 § 1, A.L. 2014 H.B. 1410 merged with S.B. 655, A.L. 2018 S.B. 581)
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