Title 6, Justice Courts

ORS 33.015 to 33.155, defining acts that constitute contempt and the proceedings for imposing sanctions for contempt, apply to justice courts. [Amended by 1991 c.724 §20; 1999 c.605 §4; 2005 c.22 §34]

Any person may act as attorney for another in a justice court, except a person or officer serving any process in the action or proceeding, other than a subpoena. (Summons)

(1) At any time after the action is commenced by the filing of a complaint with the justice of the peace, the plaintiff may cause a summons to be served on the defendant. It shall be subscribed by the plaintiff or plaintiff’s attorney or the justice of the peace. It shall specify…

(1) The summons in an action in a justice court shall be served by a person authorized to serve summons, who shall be compensated for service of the summons, as provided for the service of summons in civil action in a circuit court. (2) The summons shall be served in the manner p…

Whenever it appears to the justice that any process or order authorized to be issued or made will not be served for want of an officer, the justice may appoint any other person authorized by ORS 52.120, to serve it. Such an appointment may be made by an indorsement on the process…

If the plaintiff is a nonresident of this state, the justice may require the plaintiff to give an undertaking with one or more sureties, or an irrevocable letter of credit issued by an insured institution, as defined in ORS 706.008, for the disbursements of the action before issu…

(1) The undertaking may be substantially in the following form: ______________________________________________________________________________ “I, A B,” or “We, A B and C D, undertake to pay E F, the defendant in this action, all disbursements that may be adjudged to E F in this …

In a civil action in a justice court the plaintiff is entitled to the benefit of the provisional remedies of attachment and delivery of personal property claimed in the action, as in like cases in the circuit courts. All affidavits, orders and undertakings for these remedies are …

The provisions for proceedings in the circuit courts on attachment and delivery of personal property shall govern in like cases in justice courts, except as otherwise provided. [Amended by 1981 c.898 §42]

Real property or any interest therein cannot be attached upon a writ of attachment in a civil action in a justice court.

The pleadings in actions in justice courts, the forms thereof and the rules by which the sufficiency of the pleadings are to be determined, shall be those prescribed for civil actions in the circuit courts.

In all actions instituted in a justice court a defendant shall have the right to plead a counterclaim in excess of the jurisdiction of the court, whereupon the justice of the peace shall, within 10 days following the filing of the answer, file with the clerk of the circuit court …

(1) Parties to judicial proceedings in justice courts are required to contribute toward the expense of maintaining justice courts, or a particular action or proceeding therein, by the payment of a trial fee, except that a trial fee may not be required for a hearing or trial in th…

(1) The trial fee in a justice court shall be paid to the justice upon the demand for a jury, and unless so paid the demand shall be disregarded and the trial proceed as if no demand had been made. (2) If the party paying the fee prevails in the action or proceeding so as to be e…

When the state or any county is a party to a judicial proceeding in a justice court, the state or county need not pay the trial fee upon demanding a jury, and if the state or county is entitled to recover costs therein, the trial fee shall be allowed and taxed in the state’s or c…

In a justice court, the trial fee is paid to the justice. The justice shall keep an account of such fees, and by whom paid, and distribute the amount among the jury in the particular case, in partial payment of their legal fees. (Trial and Judgment)

When a cause is at issue upon a question of fact, the justice must, upon sufficient cause shown on the application of either party, postpone the trial for a period not exceeding 60 days.

An application for the postponement of the trial shall not be granted unless the party applying therefor, if required by the adverse party, consents to take the deposition of any witness of the adverse party then in attendance upon the court. If the consent is given, the justice …

(1) The justice shall change the place of trial, on motion of either party to the action, when it appears from a supporting affidavit of the party that: (a) The justice is a party to or directly interested in the event of the action, or connected by consanguinity or affinity with…

(1) The disbursements of the change of venue shall be paid by the party applying therefor, and not taxed as a part of the costs in the case. (2) It shall not be necessary to issue new subpoenas to witnesses, but the witnesses shall appear before the justice before whom the cause …

Upon the filing of the transcript and papers with the justice to whom the cause has been transferred, the change of venue shall be deemed complete, and thereafter the action shall proceed as though it had been commenced before such justice.

If it appears on the trial of any cause before a justice of the peace from the evidence of either party, or from the pleadings, that the title to real property is in question, which title is disputed by the other party, the justice shall immediately make an entry thereof in the d…

When a cause is at issue upon a question of fact, if either party then demands a jury trial and deposits with the justice such trial fee as is required to be paid in advance by ORS 52.420 and 52.430, the issue must be tried by a jury and not the justice; but otherwise it must be …

When an issue of fact is tried by the justice, it is not necessary that there be any special statement of the facts found or law determined on the trial. It is sufficient for the justice to give judgment generally, as the law and evidence may require, for the plaintiff or the def…

Although the title to real property may be controverted or questioned in an action in a justice court, the judgment in the action shall in no way affect or determine the title as between the parties, or otherwise. (Enforcement and Setoff of Judgments; Executions)

(1) Upon the docketing of a judgment by a justice court, the judgment may be enforced by the justice court in the manner provided in this section. (2) Enforcement proceedings on a judgment docketed by a justice court may include: (a) Writ of execution proceedings for personal pro…

A justice of the peace has authority and power to enforce a judgment given by the predecessor in office, or by a justice whose docket has been transferred to the justice of the peace, and to complete any unfinished business begun before such predecessor, or entered in such docket…

The party entitled to the benefit of a judgment in a justice court may at any time have a certified transcript of the judgment and file it with any justice in any other county. Upon the filing of the transcript, the justice with whom it is filed must make an entry thereof in the …

(1) After a judgment that includes a money award is docketed in a justice court, a certified copy of the judgment or a lien record abstract for the judgment may be recorded in the County Clerk Lien Record for the county that contains the justice court that rendered the judgment. …

A party against whom a judgment is given in a justice court may, upon three days’ notice to the adverse party, apply to the justice of the court to have another judgment given in a justice court, between the same parties and against the adverse party, set off against the first me…

A judgment proposed as a setoff under ORS 52.640 must be final and no longer subject to appeal. If the judgment was given in another court than the one where the application is made, the party proposing the setoff must produce the transcript of the judgment, certified by the prop…

The justice making the transcript and certificate shall make an entry thereof in the docket of the justice and thereafter all proceedings to enforce the judgment shall be stayed, unless the transcript is returned with the certificate of the proper justice indorsed thereon, to the…

If upon the hearing of the application the justice finds that the judgments are mutual, the justice shall give judgment allowing the proposed setoff.

If there is any difference in the amount of the two judgments, judgment for the difference must be given in favor of the party owning the larger judgment. If the justice refuses to allow the setoff, the justice shall so certify on the transcript and return it to the party.

An execution issued by a justice must be made returnable within 30 days from the date thereof, and may be directed to the sheriff of the county, or any constable or marshal or police officer authorized to act as a constable therein, and must be executed by any one of such officer…

At any time before the expiration of the return day of the execution, it may be renewed for another period of 30 days, at the request of the plaintiff, by an indorsement to that effect made thereon by the justice. The indorsement must be dated and, if any part of the execution ha…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (8) of this section, in each justice court created under any law of this state there shall be a small claims department. (2) Except as provided in this section, all actions for the recovery of money, damages, specific personal property, or any…

An action in the small claims department shall be commenced by the plaintiff filing a claim with the clerk of the court in the form prescribed by the justice of the peace along with the fee prescribed by ORS 51.310 (1)(c). [Formerly 55.020]

The claim shall contain the name and address of the plaintiff and of the defendant, followed by a plain and simple statement of the claim, including the amount and date the claim allegedly accrued. The claim shall include an affidavit signed by the plaintiff or a declaration unde…

All claims shall be verified by the real party in interest, the agent or assignee of the party. Any claim may be filed and prosecuted in the small claims department by such agent or the assignee of the cause of action upon which recovery is sought. [Formerly 55.040]

(1) Upon the filing of a claim, the court shall issue a notice in the form prescribed by the court. (2) The notice shall be directed to the defendant, naming the defendant, and shall contain a copy of the claim. (3) If the amount or value claimed is $50 or more, the notice and cl…

The justice of the peace shall provide to each plaintiff who files a claim with the small claims department of the court of the justice of the peace a written explanation of how notice may be served in actions in the department. [Formerly 55.055]

Within 30 days after the date of service of the notice and claim upon the defendant as provided in ORS 52.770: (1) If the defendant admits the claim, the defendant may settle it by: (a) Paying to the court the amount of the claim plus the amount of the small claims fee and servic…

(1) If the defendant demands a hearing in the small claims department of the court, the court shall fix a day and time for the hearing and shall mail to the parties a notice of the hearing time in the form prescribed by the court, instructing them to bring witnesses, documents an…

(1) Upon written request, the court may extend to the parties additional time within which to make formal appearances required in the small claims department. (2) If the defendant fails to pay the claim, demand a hearing or demand a jury trial, upon written request from the plain…

No formal pleading, other than the claim and notice, shall be necessary. The hearing and disposition of all actions shall be informal, the sole object being to dispense justice between the litigants promptly. No attachment, garnishment or execution shall issue from the small clai…