Ark. Code Ann. § 18-60-307 (2026)
Proceedings in court
- When any person to whom any cause of action shall accrue under this subchapter shall file in the office of the clerk of the court a complaint signed by him or her, his or her agent or attorney, specifying the lands, tenements, or other possessions so forcibly entered and detained, or so unlawfully detained over, and by whom and when done, and shall also file the affidavit of himself or herself or some other credible person for him or her, stating that the plaintiff is lawfully entitled to the possession of the lands, tenements, or other possessions mentioned in the complaint and that the defendant forcibly entered upon and detained them or unlawfully detains them, after lawful demand therefor made in the manner described in this subchapter, the clerk of the court shall thereupon issue a summons upon the complaint. The summons shall be in customary form directed to the sheriff of the county in which the cause of action is filed, with direction for service thereof on the named defendants. In addition, he or she shall issue and direct the sheriff to serve upon the named defendants a notice in the following form:
- If, within five (5) days, excluding Sundays and legal holidays, following service of this summons, complaint, and notice seeking a writ of possession against the defendants named therein, the defendant or defendants have not filed a written objection to the claim for possession made by the plaintiff in his or her complaint, the clerk of the court shall immediately issue a writ of possession directed to the sheriff commanding him or her to cause the possession of the property described in the complaint to be delivered to the plaintiff without delay, which the sheriff shall thereupon execute in the manner described in § 18-60-310.
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- If a written objection to the claim of the plaintiff for a writ of possession shall be filed by the defendant or defendants within five (5) days from the date of service of the notice, summons, and complaint as provided for in this section, the plaintiff shall obtain a date for the hearing of the plaintiff's demand for possession of the property described in the complaint at any time thereafter when the matter may be heard by the court and shall give notice of the date, time, and place of the hearing by certified mail, postage prepaid, either to the defendant or to his or her or their counsel of record.
- If the defendant continues to possess the property described in the plaintiff's complaint during the pendency of the proceedings under this subchapter, the defendant is required to deposit into the registry of the court at the time of filing the written objection a sum equal to the amount of rent due on the property and continue paying rent into the registry of the court in accordance with the written or verbal rental agreement.
- The failure of the defendant to deposit into the registry of the court the rent due or any rent subsequently due during the pendency of the proceeding under this subchapter without justification is grounds for the court to grant the writ of possession.
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- If a hearing is required to be held on the demand of the plaintiff for an immediate writ of possession, the plaintiff shall there present evidence sufficient to make a prima facie case of entitlement to possession of the property described in the complaint. The defendant or defendants shall be entitled to present evidence in rebuttal thereof.
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- If the court decides upon all the evidence that the plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits at a full hearing and if the plaintiff provides adequate security as determined by the court, then the court shall order the clerk forthwith to issue a writ of possession to the sheriff to place the plaintiff in possession of the property described in the complaint, subject to the provisions of subsection (e) of this section.
- No such action by the court shall be final adjudication of the parties' rights in the action.
- A plaintiff demanding an immediate writ of possession who is a housing authority and who claims in its complaint that the defendant or defendants are being asked to surrender possession as a result of the defendant or defendants having been convicted of a criminal violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, § 5-64-101 et seq., shall be entitled to receive an expedited hearing before the court within ten (10) days of the filing of the objection by the defendant or defendants.
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- If the defendant desires to retain possession of the property, the court shall allow the retention upon the defendant's providing, within five (5) days of issuance of the writ of possession, adequate security as determined by the court.
“NOTICE OF INTENTION TO ISSUE WRIT OF POSSESSION You are hereby notified that the attached complaint in the above styled cause claims that you have been guilty of [forcible entry and detainer] [unlawful detainer] (the inapplicable phrase shall be deleted from the notice) and seeks to have a writ of possession directing the sheriff to deliver possession of the lands, tenements, or other possessions described in the complaint delivered to the plaintiff. If, within five (5) days, excluding Sundays and legal holidays, from the date of service of this notice, you have not filed in the office of the clerk of this court a written objection to the claims made against you by the plaintiff for possession of the property described in the complaint, then a writ of possession shall forthwith issue from this office directed to the sheriff of this county and ordering him to remove you from possession of the property described in the complaint and to place the plaintiff in possession thereof. If you should file a written objection to the complaint of the plaintiff and the allegations for immediate possession of the property described in the complaint within five (5) days, excluding Sundays and legal holidays, from the date of service of this notice, a hearing will be scheduled by the court to determine whether or not the writ of possession should issue as sought by the plaintiff. If you continue to possess the property described in the complaint, you are required to deposit into the registry of the court a sum equal to the amount of rent due on the property and continue paying rent into the registry of the court during the pendency of these proceedings in accordance with your written or verbal rental agreement. Your failure to tender the rent due without justification is grounds for the court to grant the writ of possession. Clerk of Circuit/District Court”
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History. Acts 1981, No. 615, § 7; A.S.A. 1947, § 34-1507; Acts 1989 (3rd Ex. Sess.), No. 11, § 1; 2007, No. 535, § 2; 2007, No. 728, §§ 1, 2.
Case Notes
Appeal.
Subdivision (d)(1) of this section expressly provides that an order directing the issuance of a writ of possession shall not be a final adjudication of the parties' rights in the action. Coleman's Serv. Ctr., Inc. v. Southern Inns Mgt., Inc., 44 Ark. App. 45, 866 S.W.2d 427 (1993).
Where the issues appellant raised on an interlocutory appeal under ARCP 54(b) were totally unrelated to the interlocutory order that it was permitted to appeal, and all of the issues raised related to the primary cause of action, the suit for unlawful detainer under this section, which was still pending in the circuit court, the issues raised were not within the scope of the appeal. Coleman's Serv. Ctr., Inc. v. Southern Inns Mgt., Inc., 44 Ark. App. 45, 866 S.W.2d 427 (1993).
Bond.
A bond in unlawful detainer conditioned that, if the defendant delivered possession of the premises to the plaintiff together with the costs and damages awarded to the plaintiff if so directed by the court, the bond would be void was sufficient. Richardson v. Harrell, 62 Ark. 469, 36 S.W. 573 (1896) (decision under prior law).
Where plaintiff conveyed land during pendency of suit, it was error on rendering judgment for grantee to give judgment for damages against the sureties on the retention bond. Brooks v. Buie, 71 Ark. 44, 70 S.W. 464 (1902) (decision under prior law).
The amount of bond is not a designation of the elements of damage. Turner v. Vaughan, 152 Ark. 475, 238 S.W. 1059 (1922) (decision under prior law).
Judgment on a retaining bond may be taken at a subsequent term to that at which the judgment was rendered against the principal. Craig v. Collier, 155 Ark. 538, 244 S.W. 717 (1922) (decision under prior law).
It is error to refuse to give judgment on retaining bond. Thompson v. Kirk, 165 Ark. 218, 263 S.W. 402 (1924) (decision under prior law).
The surety on a defendant's retaining bond is not liable for the destruction of the plaintiff's personal property by fire while in the defendant's possession. Cook v. Barber, 185 Ark. 494, 47 S.W.2d 800 (1932) (decision under prior law).
Consolidation for trial of forcible entry action with intervener's ejectment action against plaintiff did not transform the forcible entry action into an ejectment action so as to preclude judgment against defendant in forcible entry action on bond filed to retain possession. De Clerk v. Spikes, 206 Ark. 1004, 178 S.W.2d 70 (1944) (decision under prior law).
A tenant unable to give a retaining bond did not waive his right to damages for wrongful eviction by vacating the premises before forcible eviction by the sheriff after posting of eviction bond by landlord. Woods v. Kirby, 238 Ark. 382, 382 S.W.2d 4 (1964) (decision under prior law).
Complaint.
Complaint held sufficient to allege failure to pay rent as agreed. Martin v. Stratton, 157 Ark. 513, 248 S.W. 554 (1923) (decision under prior law).
Petition held sufficient to support suit in forcible entry. Holzman v. Gattis, 195 Ark. 773, 114 S.W.2d 3 (1938) (decision under prior law).
Complaint held insufficient to sustain an action for “forcible entry” or for “unlawful detainer.” Cline v. Smith, 205 Ark. 136, 167 S.W.2d 872 (1943) (decision under prior law).
Instructions.
Instruction stating that plaintiff was entitled to possession upon showing he had legal title thereto, without finding that he was deprived of his possession by force, was error. Holzman v. Gattis, 195 Ark. 773, 114 S.W.2d 3 (1938) (decision under prior law).
Procedure.
Under this section, an action of unlawful detainer is a two-step process: the right to possession is to be preliminarily determined and, if appropriate, a writ of possession issued, but the question of damages will be left for a subsequent hearing. Coleman's Serv. Ctr., Inc. v. Southern Inns Mgt., Inc., 44 Ark. App. 45, 866 S.W.2d 427 (1993).
Cited: Gorman v. Ratliff, 289 Ark. 332, 712 S.W.2d 888 (1986); Abernathy v. Adous, 85 Ark. App. 242, 149 S.W.3d 884 (2004); Jacobs v. Collison, 2015 Ark. App. 420 (2015).