ORS 114.385¹
Persons dealing with personal representative
  • • protection

A person dealing with or assisting a personal representative without actual knowledge that the personal representative is improperly exercising the power of the personal representative is protected as if the personal representative properly exercised the power. The person is not bound to inquire whether the personal representative is properly exercising the power of the personal representative, and is not bound to inquire concerning the provisions of any will or any order of court that may affect the propriety of the acts of the personal representative. No provision in any will or order of court purporting to limit the power of a personal representative is effective except as to persons with actual knowledge of the provision or order. A person is not bound to see to the proper application of estate assets paid or delivered to a personal representative. The protection expressed in this section extends to a person dealing with or assisting a personal representative appointed under ORS 113.085 (Preference in appointing personal representative) without actual knowledge that the personal representative was not qualified as provided in ORS 113.095 (Persons not qualified to act as personal representatives) or that the appointment of the personal representative involved procedural irregularity. [1969 c.591 §135; 2017 c.169 §52]

§§ 114.255 (Commencement of duties and powers of personal representative) to 114.435 (Power to avoid transfers)

Notes of Decisions

Where ORS 30.070 (Settlement) grants per­sonal representative “full power” to settle wrongful death claim with approval of probate court and does not require notice to beneficiaries or grant them right to intervene in pro­ceed­ing to approve settle­ment but only to be heard as matter of right re­gard­ing alloca­tion of proceeds, if per­sonal representative breached fiduciary duty, beneficiaries have remedy under ORS 114.395 (Improper exercise of power) and 114.405 (Personal liability of personal representative). Hughes v. White, 41 Or App 439, 599 P2d 1147 (1979), aff’d 289 Or 13, 609 P2d 365 (1980)

1 Legislative Counsel Committee, CHAPTER 114—Administration of Estates Generally, https://­www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/­bills_laws/­ors/­ors114.­html (2019) (last ac­cessed May 16, 2020).
 
2 Legislative Counsel Committee, Annotations to the Oregon Revised Stat­utes, Cumulative Supplement - 2019, Chapter 114, https://­www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/­bills_laws/­ors/­ano114.­html (2019) (last ac­cessed May 16, 2020).
 
3 OregonLaws.org assembles these lists by analyzing references between Sections. Each listed item refers back to the current Section in its own text. The result reveals relationships in the code that may not have otherwise been apparent. Currency Information