ORS 646.775
Actions by Attorney General

  • damages
  • attorney fees

(1)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

The Attorney General may bring a civil action in the name of the State of Oregon, on behalf of a political subdivision in this state or as parens patriae on behalf of a natural person, in any circuit court in which venue is proper under ORS 646.790 (Venue), to secure equitable and monetary relief as provided in this section for injury sustained by the natural person or political subdivision to the natural person’s or political subdivision’s property by reason of a violation of ORS 646.725 (Prohibited acts) or 646.730 (Monopolies prohibited). The Attorney General may bring the action authorized by this paragraph regardless of whether the natural person or political subdivision dealt directly or indirectly with the adverse party.

(b)

The court shall exclude from the amount of monetary relief awarded in an action pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection any amount of monetary relief:

(A)

That duplicates amounts that have been awarded for the same injury; or

(B)

That is properly allocable to natural persons who have excluded their claims pursuant to subsection (2)(b) of this section, or to any business entity.

(c)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(A)

Subject to paragraph (b) of this subsection, the court shall award the state as monetary relief three times the total damages sustained by natural persons and political subdivisions and the costs the state incurs in the action.

(B)

The court may award reasonable attorney fees to the Attorney General if the Attorney General prevails in an action under this section.

(C)

The court may award reasonable attorney fees to a defendant who prevails in an action under this section if the court determines that the Attorney General had no objectively reasonable basis for asserting the claim or no reasonable basis for appealing an adverse decision of the trial court.

(d)

Notwithstanding paragraph (c) of this subsection, the court shall award the state only the actual damages sustained by natural persons and political subdivisions in an action in which:

(A)

The Attorney General prevails solely on the basis of a judgment entered in a proceeding under 15 U.S.C. 1 to 45 or in another action by the state under ORS 646.760 (Civil penalties), 646.770 (Equitable remedies) or 646.780 (Recovery of treble damages), used as collateral estoppel against the defendant under ORS 646.805 (Effect of prior final judgment or decree); or

(B)

The natural person or political subdivision dealt indirectly with the adverse party and the Attorney General establishes a violation other than a per se violation of ORS 646.725 (Prohibited acts).

(2)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

In any action pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section, the Attorney General shall, at the times, in the manner and with the content the court directs, give notice by publication. If the court finds that notice given solely by publication would deny due process of law to a natural person or political subdivision, the court may direct further notice to the natural person or political subdivision according to the circumstances of the case.

(b)

Any natural person or political subdivision on whose behalf an action is brought pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section may elect to exclude from adjudication the portion of the claim for monetary relief attributable to the natural person or political subdivision by filing notice of the election with the court within the time specified in the notice given pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection.

(c)

The final judgment in an action pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section shall be res judicata as to any claim under this section by any natural person or political subdivision on behalf of whom such action was brought and who fails to give the notice specified in paragraph (b) of this subsection within the period specified in the notice given pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection.

(3)

An action pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section shall not be dismissed or compromised without the approval of the court, and the notice of any proposed dismissal or compromise shall be given in the manner the court directs.

(4)

In any action pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section in which there has been a determination that a defendant agreed to fix prices in violation of ORS 646.725 (Prohibited acts), damages may be proved and assessed in the aggregate by statistical or sampling methods, by the computation and pro rata allocation of illegal overcharges, or by any other reasonable system of estimating aggregate damages as the court in its discretion may permit without the necessity of separately proving the individual claim of, or amount of damage to, natural persons or political subdivisions on whose behalf the suit was brought.

(5)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

Monetary relief recovered in an action pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section shall be distributed in the manner the court in its discretion may authorize, subject to the requirement that any distribution procedure adopted afford each natural person or political subdivision on whose behalf the suit was brought a reasonable opportunity to secure an appropriate portion of the net monetary relief.

(b)

The Attorney General shall deposit that portion of the monetary relief awarded by the court as costs of suit and a reasonable attorney fee in the Department of Justice Protection and Education Revolving Account established pursuant to ORS 180.095 (Department of Justice Protection and Education Revolving Account).

(c)

To the extent that the monetary relief awarded by the court is not exhausted by distribution pursuant to paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection, the remaining funds shall be deemed a civil penalty by the court and assessed as such for the benefit of the state pursuant to ORS 646.760 (Civil penalties).

(6)

The powers granted in this section are in addition to and not in derogation of the common law powers of the Attorney General to act as parens patriae, or the powers of the Attorney General to sue as a representative party on behalf of a class pursuant to ORCP 32. [1979 c.790 §3; 1981 c.897 §82; 1995 c.696 §38; 2001 c.393 §1; 2009 c.820 §4]

Source: Section 646.775 — Actions by Attorney General; damages; attorney fees, https://www.­oregonlegislature.­gov/bills_laws/ors/ors646.­html.

646.010
Designation and scope of ORS 646.010 to 646.180
646.020
Definitions and explanations
646.030
Application to cooperative associations
646.040
Price discrimination prohibited
646.050
Establishing prima facie case of discrimination
646.060
Commissions and allowances
646.070
Special payments to customers
646.080
Special services to customers
646.090
Inducing or receiving price discrimination prohibited
646.130
Cost surveys as evidence
646.140
Enjoining violations
646.150
Action for damages
646.160
Presumption of damages
646.170
Requiring defendant to testify
646.180
Illegal contracts
646.461
Definitions for ORS 646.461 to 646.475
646.463
Enjoining misappropriation
646.465
Damages for misappropriation
646.467
Attorney fees
646.469
Preservation of trade secret by court
646.471
Limitation on commencement of action
646.473
Conflicting tort, restitution or other law providing civil remedies
646.475
Application and construction of ORS 646.461 to 646.475
646.515
Definitions for ORS 646.515 to 646.545
646.525
Cooperative bargaining associations authorized
646.535
Unfair trade practices prohibited
646.545
Remedy for unfair trade practices
646.551
Definitions for ORS 646.551 to 646.557
646.553
Registration of telephonic sellers
646.555
Burden of proof for person claiming exemption
646.557
Required disclosures by telephonic seller
646.559
Rules
646.561
Definitions for ORS 646.561 to 646.565
646.563
Telephone solicitation of party who states desire not to be called
646.565
Notice of provisions of ORS 646.561 and 646.563
646.567
Definitions for ORS 646.567 to 646.578
646.568
Findings and purpose
646.569
Prohibition on telephone solicitation of party whose name is included on list described in ORS 646.574 or on federal registry designated under ORS 646.572
646.572
Administration of telephone solicitation program through contract or by designation of federal registry
646.574
List of persons who do not wish to receive telephone solicitations
646.576
Rules
646.578
Notice of provisions of ORS 646.567 to 646.578
646.605
Definitions for ORS 336.184 and 646.605 to 646.652
646.607
Unlawful business, trade practices
646.608
Additional unlawful business, trade practices
646.609
“Pyramid club” and “investment” defined
646.611
Information required to be given by telephone or door to door seller to potential customer
646.612
Application of ORS 646.607 and 646.608
646.618
Investigative demand
646.622
Method of serving investigative demand
646.626
Effect of failure to obey investigative demand
646.632
Enjoining unlawful trade practices
646.633
Action by prosecuting attorney prohibited without request of Director of Department of Consumer and Business Services
646.636
Remedial power of court
646.638
Civil action by private party
646.639
Unlawful collection practices
646.641
Civil action for unlawful collection practice
646.642
Civil penalties
646.643
Applicability of ORS 646.639
646.644
Free offer
646.646
Loss of license or franchise by person violating injunction
646.647
Unlawful use of recording group name
646.648
Unlawful practice by manufactured dwelling dealer
646.652
District attorney’s reports to Attorney General
646.656
Remedies supplementary to existing statutory or common law remedies
646.705
Definitions for ORS 136.617 and 646.705 to 646.805
646.715
Declaration of purpose
646.725
Prohibited acts
646.730
Monopolies prohibited
646.735
Exemption for coordinated care organizations
646.736
Public policy
646.737
Exemption for negotiations governing sale price of Oregon blackberries
646.738
Exemption for negotiations governing price for sale of grass seed
646.739
Exemption for negotiations governing season starting price for sale of Oregon seafood
646.740
Permitted activities
646.745
Joint operation of Memorial Coliseum and Arena in Portland
646.750
Investigative demand by Attorney General
646.760
Civil penalties
646.770
Equitable remedies
646.775
Actions by Attorney General
646.780
Recovery of treble damages
646.790
Venue
646.800
Time of commencing action
646.805
Effect of prior final judgment or decree
646.815
Criminal prosecutions
646.821
Taking testimony for investigative demand
646.823
Attendance of Attorney General at grand jury proceedings
646.826
Counsel for persons testifying
646.831
Fees and mileage for persons testifying
646.836
Confidential status of investigative material
646.881
Definitions for ORS 646.881 to 646.885
646.883
Price comparison in advertisement prohibited
646.885
Use of terms in advertisement containing price comparison
646.905
Definitions for ORS 646.910 to 646.923
646.910
Sale of gasoline blended with alcohol prohibited unless mixture meets federal specifications or requirements
646.911
Sale of gasoline with oxygenate other than ethanol
646.913
Limitations on gasoline sales
646.915
Requirement to display on fuel dispensing devices names and concentrations of oxygenates in certain blended gasolines
646.920
Wholesale dealer
646.922
Limitations on sale of diesel fuel
646.923
Retention of certificate of analysis
646.925
Enforcement
646.930
Motor vehicle fuel prices
646.932
Requirement to post amount per gallon of gasoline that is federal, state and local tax
646.935
Diesel fuel sales
646.945
Definitions for ORS 646.947 to 646.963
646.947
Prohibited activities
646.949
Signs identifying octane rating
646.951
Testing of motor vehicle fuel
646.953
Orders of Director of Agriculture
646.955
Records required
646.957
Rules
646.959
Annual fee for metering instrument or device
646.961
Motor Vehicle Fuel Inspection Program Account
646.963
Civil penalties
646.990
Penalties
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