A.
After termination of a commercial lease, and after a complaint for forcible entry and detainer is filed, the defendants shall, no later than the return date and as a condition of maintaining a defense, appear on the return day to pay the agreed-upon rent, including all arrears. If rent or arrears are disputed, the disputed rent, including all claimed arrears, must be paid to the court at the time of the hearing. In addition to deciding the right of possession, the District Court shall also decide the amount of rent owed, if disputed. In establishing the amount of rent owed, the District Court may consider offsetting claims to the extent appropriate. If undisputed, the rent and arrears must be paid to the court prior to the hearing. Upon final decision by the District Court, that court shall order such sums as it determines proper to be turned over by the clerk to either or both of the parties. Any order of the District Court for payment of rent, whether to the landlord or to the court, continues in effect through any appeal of the District Court's decision. The landlord may apply for turnover of rent money held by the court prior to final judgment by the District Court or prior to final decision on appeal by the Superior Court, upon a showing of hardship and reasonable likelihood of success on the merits. Failure of the tenant to pay rent to the court when due causes the writ of possession to issue immediately.
[PL 1999, c. 192, §2 (NEW).]