Oregon Code § 46.445·Enacted ·Last updated March 01, 2026
Statute Text
Notice
of claim; content; service.
(1) Upon the filing of a claim in the small claims department of a circuit
court, the clerk 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) The notice
and claim shall be served upon the defendant either in the manner provided for
the service of summons and complaint in proceedings in the circuit courts or by
certified mail, at the option of the plaintiff. If service by certified mail is
attempted, the plaintiff shall mail the notice and claim by certified mail
addressed to the defendant at the last-known mailing address of the defendant.
The envelope shall be marked with the words Deliver to Addressee Only and Return
Receipt Requested. The date of delivery appearing on the return receipt shall
be prima facie evidence of the date on which the notice and claim was served
upon the defendant. If service by certified mail is not successfully
accomplished, the notice and claim shall be served in the manner provided for
the service of summons and complaint in proceedings in the circuit courts.
(4) The notice
shall include a statement in substantially the following form:
______________________________________________________________________________
NOTICE TO DEFENDANT:
READ THESE PAPERS
CAREFULLY!!
Within 30 DAYS
after receiving this notice you MUST do ONE of the following things:
Pay the claim
plus filing fees and service expenses paid by plaintiff OR
Demand a hearing
OR
Demand a jury
trial
If you fail to do
one of the above things within 30 DAYS after receiving this notice, then upon
written request from the plaintiff the clerk of the court will enter a judgment
against you for the amount claimed plus filing fees and service expenses paid by
the plaintiff, plus a prevailing party fee.
If you have
questions about the small claims court filing procedures after reading this
notice, you may contact the clerk of the court; however, the clerk cannot give
you legal advice on the claim.
______________________________________________________________________________
[1971 c.760 §6; 1977 c.875 §4; 1977 c.877 §9a; 1989 c.741 §1; 1991 c.111 §4;
1991 c.195 §2; 1995 c.658 §47; 1997 c.872 §§8,9; 2025 c.197 §3]
Plain English Explanation
This Oregon statute addresses Notice
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Key Points
01Part of Oregon statutory law
02Referenced as Oregon Code § 46.445
03Subject to legislative amendments
04Consult a licensed attorney for application to specific cases
Frequently Asked Questions
This section of Oregon law addresses Notice
. Read the full statute text above for details.
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The formal citation is Oregon Code § 46.445. Use this format in legal documents and court filings.
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