No. CS/HB 1423
Filed under Legal.
Presumption Against Liability for Owners and Principal Operators of Multifamily Residential Properties; Prohibits owner or principal operator of multifamily residential property from receiving presumption against liability if certain number of specified crimes were reported to have occurred at property to owner or principal operator within specified timeframe.
Plain English Summary
AI-GENERATEDOwners and operators of apartment complexes and other multifamily rental housing can normally invoke a legal presumption against liability when someone is criminally attacked on the premises. This bill blocks that presumption at properties with a recent violent-crime history that reached the owner's attention.
The block applies when two or more of seven listed crimes -- including murder, robbery, sexual battery, and firearm crimes -- were reported to the owner or operator and occurred at the property in the 24 months before the incident.
Losing the presumption does not make an owner liable by itself. It removes a legal head start in court, so the lawsuit is judged on its own facts instead.
AIOwners and operators lose the presumption against liability for an incident if two or more of seven listed violent crimes -- murder, robbery, sexual battery, aggravated assault, battery, kidnapping or false imprisonment, or firearm crimes -- were reported to them and occurred at the property within the preceding 24 months.