(1) Whenever any public nuisance as described in ORS 570.170 exists at any place in the state on property of any owner upon whom notice has been served and who has failed or refused to abate such nuisance within the time and in the manner specified in such notice, or when any such nuisance exists on the property of a nonresident or on any property the owner of which cannot be served with notice in the manner provided in ORS 570.190, after diligent search within the county in which such nuisance exists, the State Department of Agriculture shall make a report to the district attorney of the county in which the nuisance exists, or if the nuisance exists on property which lies in two or more counties, to the district attorney of any of such counties, setting forth the description of the property upon which the nuisance exists and naming the pest or other condition which renders such property a nuisance. The district attorney shall prepare from such report and any other available information a petition to the circuit court of the county, signed in manner and form required for a complaint in a civil action, in which the property or premises sought to be declared a nuisance shall be described with reasonable certainty. The petition shall set forth the names of each owner, encumbrancer or other person interested in such property or premises so far as the same can be ascertained from the public records, and pray that the court enter an order declaring such premises or property a public nuisance and directing the abatement of such nuisance by destruction or otherwise.
(2) Such action shall be brought in the name of the State of Oregon by the Director of Agriculture in the official capacity of director and shall proceed as an action not triable by right to a jury.
(3) Service of summons shall be made in the manner provided for service of summons in a civil action; provided, that where service is had by publication, the period of publication required shall be shortened to once a week for two consecutive weeks, and such service by publication is deemed complete upon the expiration of 21 days from and after the date of the first publication of such notice. The person or persons so served by publication shall appear and answer within 31 days from the date of the first publication of such notice.
(4) The court may, upon the application of any party, or upon its own motion, and for reasonable cause, adjourn the proceedings from time to time, and may order new or further notice to be given to any party whose interest may be affected.
(5) At the time and place appointed for hearing the petition, or to which the hearing may have been adjourned, if the court has satisfactory proof that all parties interested in the property or premises have been duly served with notice as prescribed in this section, and further satisfied by competent proof that the conditions of such premises or property warrant its being declared a public nuisance, it shall enter an order condemning such property as a public nuisance and directing that the owner or other person ordered by the court shall destroy such property or abate such nuisance in such other manner as the court shall direct. If the nuisance is abated by any person other than the owner, then in the order of the court directing the abatement of the nuisance the court shall further order that an accurate account of the cost and expense necessary to the abatement be kept and a report made to the court within five days after the completion of the abatement of the nuisance. The report shall be in writing, verified by the one making it and shall be served and filed as a cost bill in a civil action. Objections to the statement, if any, shall be made, served, filed and determined as objections to a cost bill in a civil action. The judgment which orders the abatement of a nuisance shall also provide that the owner or owners of the property upon which the nuisance exists pay the expense of abating the nuisance, that it shall be a judgment lien on the property prior to all other liens and, if not paid within 60 days after the statement of expense is filed, execution may issue. [Amended by 1979 c.284 §174]
Section: Previous 570.140 570.145 570.150 570.155 570.160 570.165 570.170 570.175 570.180 570.185 570.190 570.195 570.196 570.200 570.305 NextLast modified: August 7, 2008