Source: http://www.leg.state.vt.us/docs/legdoc.cfm?URL=/docs/2006/bills/intro/H-032.HTM
Timestamp: 2018-01-19 03:55:15
Document Index: 783304136

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 5711', '§ 5712', '§ 5713', '§ 5714', '§ 5715', '§ 5716', '§ 5717', '§ 5718', '§ 5719', '§ 5720', '§ 5721', '§ 5722', '§ 5723', '§ 5724', '§ 5725', '§ 5726', '§ 5727', '§ 5728', '§ 5729', '§ 5730', '§ 5731', '§ 5732', '§ 5733', '§ 5734', '§ 5735', '§ 5736', '§ 5737', '§ 5738', '§ 5739', '§ 5740']

Subject: Court procedure; Revised Uniform Arbitration Act
Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to adopt the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act.
AN ACT RELATING TO THE REVISED UNIFORM ARBITRATION ACT
Chapter 194. Revised Uniform Arbitration Act
§ 5711. DEFINITIONS
(3) “Court” means a court of competent jurisdiction in this state.
(6) “Record” means information that is inscribed on a tangible medium or that is stored in an electronic or other medium, and is retrievable in perceivable form.
§ 5712. NOTICE
§ 5713. APPLICABILITY
(a) This chapter governs an agreement to arbitrate made on or after July 1, 2001.
(b) This chapter governs an agreement to arbitrate made before July 1, 2001 if all the parties to the agreement or to the arbitration proceeding so agree in a record.
(c) On or after January 1, 2002, this chapter governs an agreement to arbitrate whenever made.
§ 5714. EFFECT OF AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE; NONWAIVABLE PROVISIONS
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this section, a party to an agreement to arbitrate or to an arbitration proceeding may waive, or the parties may vary the effect of, the requirements of this chapter to the extent permitted by law.
(1) waive or agree to vary the effect of the requirements of sections 5715(a), 5716(a), 5718, 5727(a) or (b), 5736, or 5738 of this title;
(2) agree to unreasonably restrict the right under section 5719 of this title to notice of the initiation of an arbitration proceeding;
(3) agree to unreasonably restrict the right under section 5722 of this title to disclosure of any facts by a neutral arbitrator; or
(4) waive the right under section 5726 of this title of a party to an agreement to arbitrate to be represented by a lawyer at any proceeding or hearing under this chapter, but an employer and a labor organization may waive the right to representation by a lawyer in a labor arbitration.
(c) A party to an agreement to arbitrate or arbitration proceeding may not waive, or the parties may not vary the effect of, the requirements of this section or sections 5713(a) or (c), 5717, 5724, 5728, 5730(d) or (e), 5732, 5733, 5734, 5735(a) or (b), or 5739 of this title.
§ 5715. APPLICATION FOR JUDICIAL RELIEF
(a) Except as otherwise provided in section 5738 of this title, an application for judicial relief under this chapter must be made by motion to the court and heard in the manner provided by law or rule of court for making and hearing motions.
§ 5716. VALIDITY OF AGREEMENT TO ARBITRATE
(c) An arbitrator shall decide whether a condition precedent to arbitration has been fulfilled, and whether a contract containing a valid agreement to arbitrate is enforceable.
§ 5717. MOTION TO COMPEL OR STAY ARBITRATION
(b) On motion of a person alleging that an arbitration proceeding has been initiated or threatened but there is no agreement to arbitrate, the court shall proceed summarily to decide the issue. If the court finds there is an enforceable agreement to arbitrate, it shall order the parties to arbitrate.
(c) If the court finds there is no enforceable agreement, it may not, pursuant to subsection (a) or (b) of this section, order the parties to arbitrate.
(d) The court may not refuse to order arbitration because the claim subject to arbitration lacks merit, or grounds for the claim have not been established.
(e) If a proceeding involving a claim referable to arbitration under an alleged agreement to arbitrate is pending in court, a motion under this section must be made in that court. Otherwise, a motion under this section may be made in any court as provided in section 5737 of this title.
§ 5718. PROVISIONAL REMEDIES
(1) The arbitrator may issue such orders for provisional remedies, including interim awards, as the arbitrator finds necessary to protect the effectiveness of the arbitration proceeding and to promote the fair and expeditious resolution of the controversy, to the same extent and under the same conditions as if the controversy were the subject of a civil action.
§ 5719. INITIATION OF ARBITRATION
(b) Unless a person objects for lack or insufficiency of notice under subsection 5725(c) of this title not later than the beginning of the arbitration hearing, the person, by appearing at the hearing, waives any objection to lack of or insufficiency of notice.
§ 5720. CONSOLIDATION OF SEPARATE ARBITRATION PROCEEDINGS
(a) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c) of this section, upon motion of a party to an agreement to arbitrate or to an arbitration proceeding, the court may order consolidation of separate arbitration proceedings as to all or some of the claims, if:
§ 5721. APPOINTMENT OF ARBITRATOR; SERVICE AS A NEUTRAL ARBITRATOR
§ 5722. DISCLOSURE BY ARBITRATOR
(c) If an arbitrator discloses a fact required by subsection (a) or (b) of this section to be disclosed, and a party timely objects to the appointment or continued service of the arbitrator based upon the fact disclosed, the objection may be a ground under subdivision 5733(a)(2) of this title for vacating an award made by the arbitrator.
(d) If the arbitrator did not disclose a fact as required by subsection (a) or (b) of this section, upon timely objection by a party, the court under subdivision 5733(a)(2) of this title may vacate an award.
(e) An arbitrator appointed as a neutral arbitrator who does not disclose a known, direct, and material interest in the outcome of the arbitration proceeding or a known, existing, and substantial relationship with a party is presumed to act with evident partiality under subdivision 5733(a)(2) of this title.
(f) If the parties to an arbitration proceeding agree to the procedures of an arbitration organization or any other procedures for challenges to arbitrators before an award is made, substantial compliance with those procedures is a condition precedent to a motion to vacate an award on that ground under subdivision 5733(a)(2) of this title.
§ 5723. ACTION BY MAJORITY
If there is more than one arbitrator, the powers of an arbitrator must be exercised by a majority of the arbitrators, but all of them shall conduct the hearing under subsection 5725(c) of this title.
§ 5724. IMMUNITY OF ARBITRATOR; COMPETENCY TO TESTIFY; ATTORNEY’S FEES AND COSTS
(c) The failure of an arbitrator to make a disclosure required by section 5722 of this title does not cause any loss of immunity under this section.
(2) to a hearing on a motion to vacate an award under subdivision 5733(a)(1) or (2) of this title if the movant establishes prima facie evidence that a ground for vacating the award exists.
(e) If a person commences a civil action against an arbitrator, arbitration organization, or representative of an arbitration organization arising from the services of the arbitrator, organization, or representative, or if a person seeks to compel an arbitrator or a representative of an arbitration organization to testify or produce records in violation of subsection (d) of this section, and the court decides that the arbitrator, arbitration organization, or representative of an arbitration organization is immune from civil liability or that the arbitrator or representative of the organization is not competent to testify, the court shall award to the arbitrator, organization, or representative reasonable attorney’s fees and other reasonable expenses of litigation.
§ 5725. ARBITRATION PROCESS
(c) If an arbitrator orders a hearing, the arbitrator shall set a time and place and give notice of the hearing not less than five days before the hearing begins. Unless a party to the arbitration proceeding makes an objection to lack or insufficiency of notice not later than the beginning of the hearing, the party’s appearance at the hearing waives the objection. Upon request of a party to the arbitration proceeding and for good cause shown, or upon the arbitrator’s own initiative, the arbitrator may adjourn the hearing from time to time as necessary but may not postpone the hearing to a time later than that fixed by the agreement to arbitrate for making the award, unless the parties to the arbitration proceeding consent to a later date. The arbitrator may hear and decide the controversy upon the evidence produced, although a party who was duly notified of the arbitration proceeding did not appear. The court, on request, may direct the arbitrator to conduct the hearing promptly and render a timely decision.
(e) If an arbitrator ceases or is unable to act during the arbitration proceeding, a replacement arbitrator must be appointed in accordance with section 5721 of this title to continue the proceeding and to resolve the controversy.
§ 5726. REPRESENTATION BY LAWYER
§ 5727. WITNESSES; SUBPOENAS; DEPOSITIONS; DISCOVERY
(a) An arbitrator may issue a subpoena for the attendance of a witness and for the production of records and other evidence at any hearing, and may administer oaths. A subpoena must be served in the manner for service of subpoenas in a civil action and, upon motion to the court by a party to the arbitration proceeding or the arbitrator, enforced in the manner for enforcement of subpoenas in a civil action.
(d) If an arbitrator permits discovery under subsection (c) of this section, the arbitrator may order a party to the arbitration proceeding to comply with the arbitrator’s discovery-related orders, issue subpoenas for the attendance of a witness and for the production of records and other evidence at a discovery proceeding, and take action against a noncomplying party to the extent a court could if the controversy were the subject of a civil action in this state.
(f) All laws compelling a person under subpoena to testify, and all fees for attending a judicial proceeding, a deposition, or a discovery proceeding as a witness, apply to an arbitration proceeding as if the controversy were the subject of a civil action in this state.
(g) The court may enforce a subpoena or discovery-related order for the attendance of a witness within this state and for the production of records and other evidence issued by an arbitrator in connection with an arbitration proceeding in another state upon conditions determined by the court so as to make the arbitration proceeding fair, expeditious, and cost-effective. A subpoena or discovery-related order issued by an arbitrator in another state must be served in the manner provided by law for service of subpoenas in a civil action in this state and, upon motion to the court by a party to the arbitration proceeding or the arbitrator, enforced in the manner provided by law for enforcement of subpoenas in a civil action in this state.
§ 5728. JUDICIAL ENFORCEMENT OF PREAWARD RULING BY ARBITRATOR
If an arbitrator makes a preaward ruling in favor of a party to the arbitration proceeding, the party may request the arbitrator to incorporate the ruling into an award under section 5729 of this title. A prevailing party may make a motion to the court for an expedited order to confirm the award under section 5732 of this title, in which case the court shall summarily decide the motion. The court shall issue an order to confirm the award unless the court vacates, modifies, or corrects the award under section 5733 or 5734 of this title.
§ 5729. AWARD
§ 5730. CHANGE OF AWARD BY ARBITRATOR
(1) upon a ground stated in subdivision 5734(a)(1) or (3) of this title;
(b) A motion under subsection (a) of this section must be made and notice given to all parties within 20 days after the movant receives notice of the award.
(d) If a motion to the court is pending under section 5732, 5733, or 5734 of this title, the court may submit the claim to the arbitrator to consider whether to modify or correct the award:
(e) An award modified or corrected pursuant to this section is subject to sections 5729(a), 5732, 5733, and 5734 of this title.
§ 5731. REMEDIES; FEES AND EXPENSES OF ARBITRATION PROCEEDING
(c) As to all remedies other than those authorized by subsections (a) and (b) of this section, an arbitrator may order such remedies as the arbitrator considers just and appropriate under the circumstances of the arbitration proceeding. The fact that such a remedy could not or would not be granted by the court is not a ground for refusing to confirm an award under section 5732 of this title, or for vacating an award under section 5733 of this title.
(e) If an arbitrator awards punitive damages or other exemplary relief under subsection (a) of this section, the arbitrator shall specify in the award the basis in fact justifying and the basis in law authorizing the award, and state separately the amount of the punitive damages or other exemplary relief.
§ 5732. CONFIRMATION OF AWARD
After a party to an arbitration proceeding receives notice of an award, the party may make a motion to the court for an order confirming the award, at which time the court shall issue a confirming order unless the award is modified or corrected pursuant to section 5730 or 5734 of this title, or is vacated pursuant to section 5733 of this title.
§ 5733. VACATING AWARD
(A) evident partiality by an arbitrator appointed as a neutral
(3) an arbitrator refused to postpone the hearing upon showing of sufficient cause for postponement, refused to consider evidence material to the controversy, or otherwise conducted the hearing contrary to section 5725 of this title, so as to prejudice substantially the rights of a party to the arbitration proceeding;
(5) there was no agreement to arbitrate, unless the person participated in the arbitration proceeding without raising the objection under subsection 5725(c) of this title not later than the beginning of the arbitration hearing; or
(6) the arbitration was conducted without proper notice of the initiation of an arbitration as required in section 5719 of this title so as to prejudice substantially the rights of a party to the arbitration proceeding.
(b) A motion under this section must be filed within 90 days after the movant receives notice of the award pursuant to section 5729 of this title, or within 90 days after the movant receives notice of a modified or corrected award pursuant to section 5730 of this title, unless the movant alleges that the award was procured by corruption, fraud, or other undue means, in which case the motion must be made within 90 days after the ground is known or, by the exercise of reasonable care, would have been known by the movant.
(c) If the court vacates an award on a ground other than that set forth in subdivision (a)(5) of this section, it may order a rehearing. If the award is vacated on a ground stated in subdivision (a)(1) or (2) of this section, the rehearing must be before a new arbitrator. If the award is vacated on a ground stated in subdivision (a)(3), (4), or (6) of this section, the rehearing may be before the arbitrator who made the award or the arbitrator’s successor. The arbitrator must render the decision in the rehearing within the same time as that provided for an award in subsection 5729(b) of this title.
§ 5734. MODIFICATION OR CORRECTION OF AWARD
(a) Upon motion made within 90 days after the movant receives notice of the award pursuant to section 5729 of this title, or within 90 days after the movant receives notice of a modified or corrected award pursuant to section 5730 of this title, the court shall modify or correct the award if:
(2) the arbitrator has made an award on a claim not submitted to the arbitrator, and the award may be corrected without affecting the merits of the decision upon the claims submitted; or
§ 5735. JUDGMENT ON AWARD; ATTORNEY’S FEES AND LITIGATION EXPENSES
(c) On application of a prevailing party to a contested judicial proceeding under section 5732, 5733, or 5734 of this title, the court may add reasonable attorney’s fees and other reasonable expenses of litigation incurred in a judicial proceeding after the award is made to a judgment confirming, vacating without directing a rehearing, modifying, or correcting an award.
§ 5736. JURISDICTION
(b) An agreement to arbitrate providing for arbitration in this state confers exclusive jurisdiction on the court to enter judgment on an award under this chapter.
§ 5737. VENUE
A motion pursuant to section 5715 of this title must be made in the court of the county in which the agreement to arbitrate specifies the arbitration hearing is to be held, or if the hearing has been held, in the court of the county in which it was held. Otherwise, the motion may be made in the court of any county in which an adverse party resides or has a place of business or, if no adverse party has a residence or place of business in this state, in the court of any county in this state. All subsequent motions must be made in the court hearing the initial motion unless the court otherwise directs.
§ 5738. APPEALS
§ 5739. UNIFORMITY OF APPLICATION AND CONSTRUCTION
§ 5740. SAVINGS CLAUSE
This chapter shall not affect an action or proceeding commenced or right accrued before this chapter takes effect. Subject to section 5713 of this title, an arbitration agreement made before the effective date of this chapter is governed by the Vermont arbitration act.
12 V.S.A chapter 192, the Vermont Arbitration Act, is repealed.