Eviction Process

THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE AND SHOULD NOT REPLACE A LAWYER

562A.27 Noncompliance with rental agreement -- failure to pay rent.

1. Except as provided in this chapter, if there is a material noncompliance by the tenant with the rental agreement or a noncompliance with section 562A.17 materially affecting health and safety, the landlord may deliver a written notice to the tenant specifying the acts and omissions constituting the breach and that the rental agreement will terminate upon a date not less than seven days after receipt of the notice if the breach is not remedied in seven days, and the rental agreement shall terminate as provided in the notice subject to the provisions of this section. If the breach is remediable by repairs or the payment of damages or otherwise and the tenant adequately remedies the breach prior to the date specified in the notice, the rental agreement shall not terminate. If substantially the same act or omission which constituted a prior noncompliance of which notice was given recurs within six months, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement upon at least seven days' written notice specifying the breach and the date of termination of the rental agreement.

2. If rent is unpaid when due and the tenant fails to pay rent within three days after written notice by the landlord of nonpayment and the landlord's intention to terminate the rental agreement if the rent is not paid within that period of time, the landlord may terminate the rental agreement.

3. Except as provided in this chapter, the landlord may recover damages and obtain injunctive relief for noncompliance by the tenant with the rental agreement or section 562A.17 unless the tenant demonstrates affirmatively that the tenant has exercised due diligence and effort to remedy any noncompliance, and that the tenant's failure to remedy any noncompliance was due to circumstances beyond the tenant's control. If the tenant's noncompliance is willful, the landlord may recover reasonable attorney's fees.

4. In any action by a landlord for possession based upon nonpayment of rent, proof by the tenant of the following shall be a defense to any action or claim for possession by the landlord, and the amounts expended by the claimant in correcting the deficiencies shall be deducted from the amount claimed by the landlord as unpaid rent:

a. That the landlord failed to comply either with the rental agreement or with section 562A.15; and

b. That the tenant notified the landlord at least seven days prior to the due date of the tenant's rent payment of the tenant's intention to correct the condition constituting the breach referred to in paragraph "a" at the landlord's expense; and

c. That the reasonable cost of correcting the condition constituting the breach is equal to or less than one month's periodic rent; and

d. That the tenant in good faith caused the condition constituting the breach to be corrected prior to receipt of written notice of the landlord's intention to terminate the rental agreement for nonpayment of rent.

562A.27A Termination for creating a clear and present danger to others.

1. Notwithstanding section 562A.27 or 648.3, if a tenant has created or maintained a threat constituting a clear and present danger to the health or safety of other tenants, the landlord, the landlord's employee or agent, or other persons on or within one thousand feet of the landlord's property, the landlord, after a single three days' written notice of termination and notice to quit, may file suit against the tenant for recovery of possession of the premises pursuant to chapter 648, except as otherwise provided in subsection 3. The petition shall state the incident or incidents giving rise to the notice of termination and notice to quit. The tenant shall be given the opportunity to contest the termination in the court proceedings by notice thereof at least three days prior to the hearing.

2. A clear and present danger to the health or safety of other tenants, the landlord, the landlord's employees or agents, or other persons on orwithin one thousand feet of the landlord's property includes, but is not limited to, any of the following activities of the tenant or of any person on the premises with the consent of the tenant:

a. Physical assault or the threat of physical assault.

b. Illegal use of a firearm or other weapon, the threat to use a firearm or other weapon illegally, or possession of an illegal firearm.

c. Possession of a controlled substance unless the controlled substance was obtained directly from or pursuant to a valid prescription or order by a licensed medical practitioner while acting in the course of the practitioner's professional practice. This paragraph applies to any other person on the premises with the consent of the tenant, but only if the tenant knew of the possession by the other person of a controlled substance.

3. This section shall not apply to a tenant if the activities causing the clear and present danger, as defined in subsection 2, are conducted by aperson on the premises other than the tenant and the tenant takes at least one of the following measures against the person conducting the activities:

a. The tenant seeks a protective order, restraining order, order to vacate the homestead, or other similar relief pursuant to chapter 236, 598, or 915, or any other applicable provision which would apply to the person conducting the activities causing the clear and present danger.

b. The tenant reports the activities causing the clear and present danger to a law enforcement agency or the county attorney in an effort to initiate a criminal action against the person conducting the activities.

c. The tenant writes a letter to the person conducting the activities causing the clear and present danger, telling the person not to return to the premises and that a return to the premises may result in a trespass or other action against the person, and the tenant sends a copy of the letter to a law enforcement agency whose jurisdiction includes the premises. If the tenant has previously written a letter to the person as provided in this paragraph, without taking an action specified in paragraph "a" or "b" or filing a trespass or other action, and the person to whom the letter was sent conducts further activities causing a clear and present danger, the tenant must take one of the actions specified in paragraph "a" or "b" to be exempt from proceedings pursuant to subsection 1.

However, in order to fall within the exemptions provided within this subsection, the tenant must provide written proof to the landlord, prior to the commencement of a suit against the tenant, that the tenant has taken one of the measures specified in paragraphs "a" through "c".

562A.29A Method of notice and service of process.

1. By personal service.

2. By sending notice by certified or restricted certified mail, as defined in section 618.15, whether or not the tenant signs a receipt for the notice.

Definition of certified and restricted certified mail, see § 618.15

Definition of “notwithstanding”----Despite; in spite of

631.4 Service-time for appearance

2. Actions for forcible entry or detention.

a. In an action for the forcible entry or detention of real property, the clerk shall set a date, time and place for hearing, and shall cause service as provided in this subsection.

b. Original notice shall be served personally upon each defendant as provided in rule 56.1 of the rules of civil procedure, which service shall be made at least three days prior to the date set for hearing. Upon receipt of the prescribed costs the clerk shall cause the original notice to be delivered to a peace officer or other person for service upon each defendant.

c. If personal service cannot be made upon each defendant, as provided in rule of civil procedure 56.1, the plaintiff may elect to post, after at least two attempts to perfect service upon each defendant, one or more copies of the original notice upon the real property being detained by each defendant at least three days prior to the date set for hearing. The attempts to perfect personal service may be made on the same day. In addition to posting, the plaintiff shall also mail, by certified mail, to each defendant, at the place held out by each defendant as the place for receipt of such communications or, in the absence of such designation, at each defendant's last known place of residence, a copy of the original notice at least three days prior to the date set for hearing. Under this paragraph, service shall be deemed complete upon each defendant by the filing with the clerk of the district court of one or more affidavits indicating that a copy of the original notice was both posted and mailed to each defendant as provided in this paragraph, whether or not the defendant signs a receipt for the notice.

648.1 Grounds.

A summary remedy for forcible entry or detention of real property is allowable:

1. Where the defendant has by force, intimidation, fraud, or stealth entered upon the prior actual possession of another in real property, and detains the same.

2. Where the lessee holds over after the termination of the lease.

3. Where the lessee holds contrary to the terms of the lease.

4. Where the defendant continues in possession after a sale by foreclosure of a mortgage, or on execution, unless the defendant claims by a title paramount to the lien by virtue of which the sale was made, or by title derived from the purchaser at the sale; in either of which cases such title shall be clearly and concisely set forth in the defendant's pleading.

5. For the nonpayment of rent, when due.

6. When the defendant or defendants remain in possession after the issuance of a valid tax deed.

648.3 Notice to quit.

Before action can be brought in any except the first of the above classes, three days' notice to quit must be given to the defendant in writing.

However, a landlord who has given a tenant three days' notice to pay rent and has terminated the tenancy as provided in section 562A.27,subsection 2, or section 562B.25, subsection 2, if the tenant is renting the manufactured or mobile home or the land from the land from the landlord may commence the action without giving a three-day notice to quit.