WLA PAC: SB 5600 Hearing Changes 3-Day to 14-Day Notice

Tuesday, March 19th at 10am
Calling all WLA Members to Come to Olympia to Testify in OPPOSITION to SB 5600, concerning residential tenant protections, prime sponsored by 
 
Sen. Patty Kuderer (D-48) which is scheduled for a hearing in the House Civil Rights & Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m. in
 
the John L. O’Brien Building Room A.
 
 
John L O'Brien Building Address: 504 15th Ave SW, Olympia, WA 98501
 
 
This legislation makes significant changes to the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (RLTA) to include some of the following:
 

• Extends the 3-day notice to pay and vacate for default in rent payment to 14 days notice for tenancies under the Residential Landlord-Tenant Act.
• Creates a uniform 14-day notice to pay and vacate that includes information on how tenants can access legal and advocacy resources.
• Requires the Attorney General's Office to provide translated versions of the uniform 14-day notice on its website in at least the top 10 languages used in the state.
• Requires a landlord to first apply any tenant payment to rent before applying the payment toward other charges.
• Requires a tenant to pay into court or to the landlord upon judgment for default in the payment of rent within five court days any rent due, any court costs incurred at the time of payment, late fees that may not exceed $75 in total, and attorneys' fees if awarded, to be restored to his or her tenancy.
• Provides requirements and limitations on the award of attorneys' fees under unlawful detainer actions, based on the amount of rent awarded in the judgment and on whether the tenant or landlord prevails at a hearing where judicial discretion is exercised.
• Provides the court with discretion to provide relief from forfeiture or to stay a writ of restitution based upon the required consideration of certain factors and with the burden of proof for relief on the tenant.
• Expands eligibility of the Landlord Mitigation Program to include landlord claims for reimbursement in unlawful detainer cases where judicial discretion is exercised and there is an unpaid judgment for rent, late fees, attorneys' fees, and costs

 
Your lobbyists are working with stakeholders and the Prime Sponsor of the legislation to come up with a compromise on the legislation, but in its current form we OPPOSE this bill. 
 
Please email Mark Gjurasic, WLA Lobbyist, at mgjurasic@comcast.net if you are coming to Olympia to testify.
 
Who to contact to Oppose SB 5600
 
We urge you to come to Olympia and testify, as well as, contact the members of the House Civil Rights & Judiciary 
Committee in Opposition to this legislation to the following committee members. 
To see the contact info of the committee members, please click on the web link below:
  
Committee Members Web Link