Opinion ID: 2622179
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the plain language of utah's tolling statute

Text: ¶22 The plain language of the tolling statute provides that the applicable statute of limitations is tolled where a defendant has left the state or, in other words, is absent. [13] ¶23 Our objective in interpreting a statute is to effectuate legislative intent, and that intent is most readily ascertainable by looking to the plain language of the statute. [14] In addition, [w]e read the plain language of the statute as a whole, and interpret its provisions in harmony with other statutes in the same chapter and related chapters. [15] The evolution of a statute through amendment by the Legislature may also shed light on a statute's intended meaning. [16] ¶24 We have already stated that the purpose of Utah's tolling statute is to prevent a defendant from depriving a plaintiff of the opportunity of suing him by absenting himself from the state during the period of limitation. [17] This legislative intent is ascertainable from the plain language of the tolling statute. The tolling statute's language expressly prevents a defendant from depriving a plaintiff of a valid claim merely by leaving the state. Indeed, the statute could hardly be written in a more straightforward manner. The statute states, If after a cause of action accrues [the defendant] departs from the state, the time of his absence is not part of the time limited for the commencement of the action. [18] The time limited for the commencement of the action refers to the applicable statute of limitations in a given case. ¶25 Additionally, despite a few minor changes to its text, the tolling statute remains materially unchanged from its original enactment. Through this action (or inaction) the Legislature has implicitly endorsed the original plain-language purpose of the statute. Further, the Legislature has not materially changed the tolling statute after our holdings in several cases, implying that it does not disapprove of our plain-language interpretation of the statute.