BILL REQ. #:  Z-0224.1 

Read first time 01/22/2003.   Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

     AN ACT Relating to district court jurisdiction over actions involving commercial electronic mail; and amending RCW 3.66.020 and 3.66.040.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 3.66.020 and 2000 c 49 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     If the value of the claim or the amount at issue does not exceed fifty 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) 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) Actions for a penalty;
     (4) Actions upon a bond conditioned for the payment of money, when the amount claimed does not exceed fifty 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) Actions on an undertaking or surety bond taken by the court;
     (6) Actions for damages for fraud in the sale, purchase, or exchange of personal property;
     (7) Proceedings to take and enter judgment on confession of a defendant;
     (8) Proceedings to issue writs of attachment, garnishment and replevin upon goods, chattels, moneys, and effects; ((and))
     (9) 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; and
     (10) Actions arising under the provisions of chapter 19.190 RCW.

Sec. 2   RCW 3.66.040 and 2001 c 45 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) An action arising under RCW 3.66.020 (1), (4), (6), (7), and (9) may be brought in any district in which the defendant, or, if there be more than one defendant, where some one of the defendants, resides at the time the complaint is filed or in which the defendant, or if there be more than one defendant, where some one of the defendants may be served with the notice and complaint in which latter case, however, the district where the defendant or defendants is or are served must be within the county in which the defendant or defendants reside. If the residence of the defendant is not ascertained by reasonable efforts, the action may be brought in the district in which the defendant's place of actual physical employment is located.
     (2) An action arising under RCW 3.66.020(2) for the recovery of possession of personal property and RCW 3.66.020(8) shall be brought in the district in which the subject matter of the action or some part thereof is situated.
     (3) An action arising under RCW 3.66.020 (3) and (5) shall be brought in the district in which the cause of action, or some part thereof arose.
     (4) An action arising under RCW 3.66.020(2) for the recovery of damages for injuries to the person or for injury to personal property may be brought, at the plaintiff's option, either in the district in which the cause of action, or some part thereof, arose, or in the district in which the defendant, or, if there be more than one defendant, where some one of the defendants, resides at the time the complaint is filed.
     (5) An action against a nonresident of this state, including an action arising under the provisions of chapter 19.190 RCW, may be brought in any district where service of process may be had, or in which the cause of action or some part thereof arose, or in which the plaintiff or one of them resides.
     (6) An action upon the unlawful issuance of a check or draft may be brought in any district in which the defendant resides or may be brought in any district in which the check was issued or presented as payment.
     (7) For the purposes of chapters 3.30 through 3.74 RCW, the residence of a corporation defendant shall be deemed to be in any district where the corporation transacts business or has an office for the transaction of business or transacted business at the time the cause of action arose or where any person resides upon whom process may be served upon the corporation, unless herein otherwise provided.