| | | Because an arbitration agreement effectively waives a party's | | right to a jury trial, courts should ensure the fairness of an | | agreement to arbitrate, particularly in instances involving | | statutory rights that provide claimants with important | | remedies. Courts should determine that an arbitration process | | is adequate to protect important rights. Without these | | safeguards, arbitration loses credibility as an appropriate | | alternative to litigation. |
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| | | §8707.__Motion to compel or stay arbitration |
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| | | 1.__Motion to compel arbitration.__On motion of a person | | showing an agreement to arbitrate and alleging another | | person's refusal to arbitrate pursuant to the agreement: |
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| | | A.__If the refusing party does not appear or does not | | oppose the motion, the court shall order the parties to | | arbitrate; and |
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| | | B.__If the refusing party opposes the motion, the court | | shall proceed summarily to decide the issue and order the | | parties to arbitrate unless it finds that there is no | | enforceable agreement to arbitrate. |
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| | | 2.__Motion that no agreement.__On motion of a person | | alleging that an arbitration proceeding has been initiated or | | threatened but that there is no agreement to arbitrate, the | | court shall proceed summarily to decide the issue. If the | | court finds that there is an enforceable agreement to | | arbitrate, it shall order the parties to arbitrate. |
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| | | 3.__No enforceable agreement.__If the court finds that there | | is no enforceable agreement, it may not order the parties to | | arbitrate pursuant to subsection 1 or 2. |
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| | | 4.__Claim lacks merit, grounds not established.__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. |
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| | | 5.__Claim pending in court.__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 8727. |
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| | | 6.__Stay judicial proceeding upon motion to order | | arbitration.__If a party makes a motion to the court to order | | arbitration, the court on just terms shall stay any judicial | | proceeding that involves a claim alleged to be subject to the |
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