2023 Oregon Revised Statutes › Volume : 03 - Landlord-Tenant, Domestic Relations, Probate › Chapter 124 - Abuse Prevention and Reporting; Civil Action for Abuse › Section 124.020 - Ex parte hearing; required findings; judicial relief; forms; request by respondent for hearing.

(1) When a petitioner or guardian petitioner files a petition under ORS 124.010, the circuit court shall hold an ex parte hearing in person or by telephone on the day the petition is filed or on the following judicial day. Upon a showing that the elderly person or person with a disability named in the petition has been the victim of abuse committed by the respondent within 180 days preceding the filing of the petition and that there is an immediate and present danger of further abuse to the person, the court shall, if requested by the petitioner or guardian petitioner, order, for a period of one year or until the order is withdrawn or amended, whichever is sooner:
(a) That the respondent be required to move from the residence of the elderly person or person with a disability, if in the sole name of the person or if jointly owned or rented by the person and the respondent, or if the parties are married to each other;
(b) That a peace officer accompany the party who is leaving or has left the parties’ residence to remove essential personal effects of the party;
(c) That the respondent be restrained from abusing, intimidating, molesting, interfering with or menacing the elderly person or person with a disability, or attempting to abuse, intimidate, molest, interfere with or menace the person;
(d) That the respondent be restrained from entering, or attempting to enter, on any premises when it appears to the court that such restraint is necessary to prevent the respondent from abusing, intimidating, molesting, interfering with or menacing the elderly person or person with a disability;
(e) That the respondent be:
(A) Restrained, effective on a date not less than 150 days from the date of the order, from mailing the elderly person or person with a disability any sweepstakes promotion;
(B) Required to remove the elderly person or person with a disability from the respondent’s sweepstakes promotion mailing list or place the person on a list of persons to whom sweepstakes promotions may not be mailed; and
(C) Required to promptly refund any payment received in any form from the elderly person or person with a disability after the date the order is entered by the court; or
(f) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, other relief that the court considers necessary to provide for the safety and welfare of the elderly person or person with a disability.
(2)(a) If the court finds that the elderly person or person with a disability has been the victim of abuse as defined in ORS 124.005 (1)(g), the court may order only relief that the court considers necessary to prevent or remedy the wrongful taking or appropriation of the money or property of the person, including but not limited to:
(A) Directing the respondent to refrain from exercising control over the money or property of the person;
(B) Requiring the respondent to return custody or control of the money or property of the person to the person;
(C) Requiring the respondent to follow the instructions of the guardian or conservator of the person; or
(D) Prohibiting the respondent from transferring the money or property of the elderly person or person with a disability to any person other than the elderly person or person with a disability.
(b) The court may not use a restraining order issued under ORS 124.005 to 124.040:
(A) To allow any person other than the elderly person or person with a disability to assume responsibility for managing any of the money or property of the elderly person or person with a disability; or
(B) For relief that is more appropriately obtained in a protective proceeding filed under ORS chapter 125 including, but not limited to, giving control and management of the financial accounts or property of the elderly person or person with a disability for any purpose other than the relief granted under paragraph (a) of this subsection.
(3) The showing required under subsection (1) of this section may be made by testimony of:
(a) The elderly person or person with a disability;
(b) The guardian or guardian ad litem of the elderly person or person with a disability;
(c) Witnesses to the abuse; or
(d) Adult protective services workers who have conducted an investigation.
(4) Immediate and present danger under this section includes but is not limited to situations in which the respondent has recently threatened the elderly person or person with a disability with additional abuse.
(5) When a guardian petitioner files a petition on behalf of an elderly person or a person with a disability, the guardian petitioner shall provide information about the person and not about the guardian petitioner where the petition, order or related forms prescribed under subsection (6) of this section require information about the petitioner.
(6) The State Court Administrator shall prescribe the content and form of the petition, order and related forms for use under ORS 124.005 to 124.040. The clerk of the court shall make available the forms and an instruction brochure.
(7) If the court orders relief:
(a) The clerk of the court shall provide without charge the number of certified true copies of the petition and order necessary to effect service and shall have a true copy of the petition and order delivered to the county sheriff for service upon the respondent, unless the court finds that further service is unnecessary because the respondent appeared in person before the court.
(b) The county sheriff shall serve the respondent personally unless the petitioner or guardian petitioner elects to have the respondent served personally by a private party or by a peace officer who is called to the scene of a domestic disturbance at which the respondent is present, and who is able to obtain a copy of the order within a reasonable amount of time. Proof of service shall be made in accordance with ORS 124.030.
(c) A respondent accused of committing abuse by means of a sweepstakes promotion may be served:
(A) Personally;
(B) By mailing certified true copies of the petition and order by certified mail to the address to which the elderly person or person with a disability would have sent the payment for goods or services promoted in the sweepstakes promotion had the elderly person or person with a disability been ordering the goods or services; or
(C) In the manner directed by the court.
(d) No filing fee, service fee or hearing fee shall be charged for proceedings seeking only the relief provided under ORS 124.005 to 124.040.
(8) If the county sheriff:
(a) Determines that the order and petition are incomplete, the order and petition shall be returned to the clerk of the court. The clerk of the court shall notify the petitioner or guardian petitioner, at the address provided by the petitioner or guardian petitioner, of the error or omission.
(b) After accepting the order and petition, cannot complete service within 10 days, the sheriff shall notify the petitioner or guardian petitioner, at the address provided by the petitioner or guardian petitioner, that the documents have not been served. If the petitioner or guardian petitioner does not respond within 10 days, the county sheriff shall hold the order and petition for future service and file a return to the clerk of the court showing that service was not completed.
(9)(a) Within 30 days after a restraining order is served on the respondent under this section or within 30 days after notice is served on the elderly person or person with a disability under ORS 124.024, the respondent, elderly person or person with a disability may request a court hearing upon any relief granted. The hearing request form shall be available from the clerk of the court in the form prescribed by the State Court Administrator.
(b) If the respondent, elderly person or person with a disability requests a hearing under paragraph (a) of this subsection, the clerk of the court shall notify the petitioner or guardian petitioner of the date and time of such hearing, and shall supply the petitioner or guardian petitioner with a copy of the request for a hearing. The petitioner or guardian petitioner shall give to the clerk of the court information sufficient to allow such notification.
(c) The hearing is not limited to the issues raised in the request for hearing form and may include testimony from witnesses to the abuse and adult protective services workers. The hearing may be held in person or by telephone. If the respondent, elderly person or person with a disability seeks to raise an issue at the hearing not previously raised in the request for hearing form, the petitioner or guardian petitioner is entitled to a reasonable continuance for the purpose of preparing a response to the issue.
(d) The court shall exercise its discretion in a manner that protects the elderly person or person with a disability from traumatic confrontation with the respondent. [1995 c.666 §§6,6a; 1997 c.249 §40; 1997 c.863 §5; 1999 c.738 §3; 1999 c.875 §7; 2003 c.257 §4a; 2003 c.264 §3; 2005 c.22 §97; 2005 c.671 §3; 2007 c.70 §27; 2015 c.119 §5; 2015 c.121 §19]