H-3239.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2434

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By Representatives Carrell, Bush, Carlson and Pflug

Read first time 01/13/2000.  Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Expanding civil jurisdiction of district courts.

    AN ACT Relating to civil jurisdiction of district courts; and amending RCW 3.66.020.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 3.66.020 and 1997 c 246 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Regardless of the value of the claim or the amount at issue, the district court shall have jurisdiction and cognizance of civil actions and proceedings for damages for injuries to the person, or for taking or detaining personal property, or for injuring personal property, or for injuring real property when no issue raised by the answer involves the plaintiff's title to or possession of the same, or for recovering possession of personal property.  An appeal from a decision of the district court in an action or proceeding under this subsection shall be to the court of appeals pursuant to court rules.

(2) If the value of the claim or the amount at issue does not exceed thirty-five thousand dollars, exclusive of interest, costs, and attorneys' fees, the district court shall have jurisdiction and cognizance of the following civil actions and proceedings:

    (((1))) (a) Actions arising on contract for the recovery of money;

    (((2) Actions for damages for injuries to the person, or for taking or detaining personal property, or for injuring personal property, or for an injury to real property when no issue raised by the answer involves the plaintiff's title to or possession of the same and actions to recover the possession of personal property;

    (3))) (b) Actions for a penalty;

    (((4))) (c) Actions upon a bond conditioned for the payment of money, when the amount claimed does not exceed thirty-five thousand dollars, though the penalty of the bond exceeds that sum, the judgment to be given for the sum actually due, not exceeding the amount claimed in the complaint;

    (((5))) (d) Actions on an undertaking or surety bond taken by the court;

    (((6))) (e) Actions for damages for fraud in the sale, purchase, or exchange of personal property;

    (((7))) (f) Proceedings to take and enter judgment on confession of a defendant;

    (((8))) (g) Proceedings to issue writs of attachment, garnishment and replevin upon goods, chattels, moneys, and effects; and

    (((9))) (h) All other actions and proceedings of which jurisdiction is specially conferred by statute, when the title to, or right of possession of real property is not involved.

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