Rule 1.947 Costs of previously dismissed action

If you file a lawsuit against someone, and you already sued that same person once before on the same claim but the case got dismissed, this rule can affect your new case. If you never paid the court costs from that earlier dismissed case, the judge can pause your new lawsuit until those old costs are paid.

This applies no matter where the first case was filed. It could have been in an Iowa court, a court in another state, or a federal court. The rule is meant to stop people from refiling the same claim over and over without settling up what they owe from the last attempt.

For anyone facing this situation, the practical effect is simple. Pay off any costs owed from the earlier case first, or be ready to explain why you shouldn't have to. Otherwise, your new case may sit on hold until that debt is cleared.