ORCP 31: Interpleader

A Parties. Persons having claims against the plaintiff may be joined as defendants and required to interplead when their claims are such that the plaintiff is or may be exposed to double or multiple liability. It is not a ground for objection to the joinder that the claims of the several claimants, or the titles on which their claims depend, do not have a common origin or are not identical but are adverse to and independent of one another, or that the plaintiff alleges that plaintiff is not liable in whole or in part to any or all of the claimants. A defendant exposed to similar liability may obtain interpleader by way of cross-claim or counterclaim. The provisions of this rule supplement and do not in any way limit the joinder of parties otherwise permitted by rule or statute.

B Procedure. Any property or amount involved as to which the plaintiff admits liability may, upon order of the court, be deposited with the court or otherwise preserved, or secured by bond in an amount sufficient to assure payment of the liability admitted. The court may thereafter enjoin all parties before it from commencing or prosecuting any other action regarding the subject matter of the interpleader action. Upon hearing, the court may order the plaintiff discharged from liability as to property deposited or secured before determining the rights of the claimants thereto.

C Attorney fees.

C(1) Generally. In any action or for any cross-claim or counterclaim in interpleader filed pursuant to this rule, the party interpleading funds may be awarded a reasonable attorney fee in addition to costs and disbursements upon the court ordering that the funds or property interpled be deposited with the court, secured, or otherwise preserved. Further, the party interpleading funds will be discharged from liability as to the funds or property. The attorney fees awarded shall be assessed against and paid from the funds or property ordered interpled by the court. In determining whether to deny or to award in whole or in part a requested amount of attorney fees, the court must consider ORS 20.075 and the following additional factors:

C(1)(a) whether, as a matter of equity, the party interpleading funds is involved in the dispute in a way that it should not be awarded attorney fees as a result of the dispute;

C(1)(b) whether the party interpleading funds was subject to multiple litigation; and

C(1)(c) whether the interpleader was in the interests of justice and furthered resolution of the dispute.

C(2) Sureties. Section C of this rule does not apply to a party who has been compensated for acting as a surety with respect to the funds or property interpled.