How Treble Damages rules vary in Utah

What varies by jurisdiction

Treble damages aren’t one uniform rule across the U.S. Even when the word “treble” appears, what gets tripled (and how the court builds the total judgment) can differ—especially the base the statute ties to a 3x multiplier.

For Utah (US-UT), a key framework is Utah Code § 78B-6-811, which addresses Forcible Entry and Detainer judgments. Under this statute, the judgment against the defendant includes several components:

• Rent (“the rent” is included as its own judgment component)
• Three times the amount of the damages assessed under specific enumerated subsections: (2)(a) through (2)(e)
• Reasonable attorney fees, only if the lease or rental agreement provides for them
• Costs of the action

So, in practice: Utah’s “trebling” is tied to the damages assessed under (2)(a)–(2)(e), not to every category of damages that might be claimed. The statute excerpt also does not indicate a separate, claim-type-specific treble-damages period beyond that enumerated damages base.

Default/general rule (Utah): Treat Utah Code § 78B-6-811 as the general structure for the covered judgment components described above. If you don’t have a clearly identified Utah basis for a different rule, you should apply the statute’s “three times the amount of the damages assessed under Subsections (2)(a) through (2)(e)” approach.

Statute anchor (Utah):

• Utah Code § 78B-6-811 (Forcible Entry and Detainer — judgment for restitution, damages, and rent — treble damages on rent + (2)(a)–(2)(e) damages assessments)
  Source: https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title78B/Chapter6/78B-6-S811.html

To compute totals in a jurisdiction-aware way, use DocketMath’s treble-damages tool: /tools/treble-damages.

What to verify

Because treble damages outcomes depend heavily on what the court is actually awarding, your checklist should focus on the inputs the statute ties to the judgment: rent, which damages are in (2)(a)–(2)(e), attorney fees eligibility, and costs. Use this list to make sure your DocketMath inputs map to Utah’s judgment components.

1) Confirm the “rent” amount used in the judgment

Utah Code § 78B-6-811 requires the judgment to include “the rent.” That means your number should match the rent period and figure the action is treating as rent.

Verify:

• The rent period being claimed/assessed
• Whether your working rent input is the same figure used as “the rent” in the judgment math
• That you’re not accidentally double-counting rent within another category

2) Identify exactly which damages are “assessed under (2)(a) through (2)(e)”

The 3x multiplier applies to “three times the amount of the damages assessed under Subsections (2)(a) through (2)(e).” In other words, you treble the assessed total for those enumerated subsections, not every damages line you might estimate.

Verify:

• Which damages categories your case treats as falling within (2)(a)–(2)(e)
• The assessed dollar total for that enumerated set
• That your DocketMath “treble base” corresponds only to the (2)(a)–(2)(e) damages assessed, not other damages categories

3) Check attorney fees eligibility (lease condition matters)

The statute allows “reasonable attorney fees” only “if they are provided for in the lease or rental agreement.” If the lease doesn’t provide for attorney fees, you generally shouldn’t include them in the total.

Verify:

• Whether the lease/rental agreement includes an attorney-fee provision
• Whether the fees you’re inputting are framed/documented as reasonable attorney fees

4) Separate “costs of the action” from the trebling base

Utah Code § 78B-6-811 also includes “the costs of the action.” Costs may affect the total judgment, but they are not described as part of the “three times” multiplier tied to (2)(a)–(2)(e) damages.

Verify:

• The costs figure you intend to add
• That you’re treating costs as separate from the trebled damages base (unless your Utah-specific model explicitly indicates otherwise)

5) Use the DocketMath tool with the correct mapping of inputs to outputs

To keep your results consistent with Utah’s statute structure, align each DocketMath input to the relevant statutory component:

Warning: If you include damages categories outside the (2)(a)–(2)(e) assessed scope in the trebling base, the math won’t track the statute’s trebling structure.

6) Keep it “default/general” unless you have a Utah basis for a different approach

No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found for Utah beyond the enumerated damages assessments tied to (2)(a)–(2)(e). So your starting point should be the default judgment framework described by Utah Code § 78B-6-811.

Verify:

• You’re operating within the forcible entry and detainer judgment context the statute addresses
• Your treble base corresponds to the court’s (2)(a)–(2)(e) damages assessments

How to run it in DocketMath (Utah-aware workflow)

1. Open DocketMath’s treble-damages calculator: /tools/treble-damages
2. Enter rent for the relevant claimed/assessed period.
3. Enter the total assessed damages that correspond to Utah Code § 78B-6-811(2)(a)–(2)(e).
4. Add attorney fees only if the lease/rental agreement provides for them.
5. Add costs as a separate amount (not as part of the trebled (2)(a)–(2)(e) base).
6. Review the breakdown to confirm the 3x multiplier is applied to the correct damages base.

Gentle note: This article is for information and calculation help, not legal advice. If you’re unsure how a particular line item maps to (2)(a)–(2)(e), consider reviewing the court’s findings or consulting a qualified attorney.

Sources and references

• Utah Code § 78B-6-811 (Forcible Entry and Detainer — judgment for restitution, damages, and rent — treble damages on rent + (2)(a) through (2)(e) damages assessments)
  https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title78B/Chapter6/78B-6-S811.html
  Statute text excerpt used: “The judgment shall be entered against the defendant for the rent, for three times the amount of the damages assessed under Subsections (2)(a) through (2)(e), and for reasonable attorney fees, if they are provided for in the lease or rental agreement, and the costs of the action.”

Related reading

• How to calculate Treble Damages in Texas — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• How to calculate Treble Damages in Philippines — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Worked example: Treble Damages in Philippines — Worked example with real statute citations