ORS 33.720: Proceeding in rem; practice and procedure as in action not triable by right to jury; service by publication; appeal; costs.

(1) The determination authorized by ORS 33.710 shall be in the nature of a proceeding in rem; and the practice and procedure therein shall follow the practice and procedure of an action not triable by right to a jury, as far as the same is consistent with the determination sought to be obtained, except as provided in this section. (2) Jurisdiction of the municipal corporation shall be obtained by the publication of notice directed to the municipal corporation; and jurisdiction of the electors of the municipal corporation shall be obtained by publication of notice directed to all electors, freeholders, taxpayers and other interested persons, without naming such electors, freeholders, taxpayers and other interested persons individually. The notice shall be served on all parties in interest by publication thereof for at least once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation published in the county where the proceeding is pending, or if no such newspaper is published therein, then in a contiguous county. Jurisdiction shall be complete within 10 days after the date of completing publication of the notice as provided in this section. (3) Any person interested may at any time before the expiration of the 10 days appear and contest the validity of such proceeding, or of any of the acts or things therein enumerated. Such proceeding shall be tried forthwith and judgment rendered as expeditiously as possible declaring the matter so contested to be either valid or invalid. Any order or judgment in the course of such proceeding may be made and rendered by the judge in vacation or otherwise; and for that purpose, the court shall be deemed at all times to be in session and the act of the judge in making the order or judgment shall be the act of the court. (4) Any party may appeal to the Court of Appeals from a judgment rendered in such proceeding. The court, in inquiring into the regularity, legality or correctness of any proceeding of the municipal corporation or its governing body shall disregard any error, irregularity or omission which does not affect the substantial rights of the parties to the special proceeding, and may approve the proceedings in part and may disapprove and declare illegal or invalid in part other or subsequent proceedings, or may approve or disapprove the proceedings, or may approve the proceedings in part and disapprove the remainder thereof. (5) Costs of the proceeding may be allowed and apportioned between the parties in the discretion of the court. (6) Upon conclusion of a proceeding authorized by ORS 33.710 (2)(b), including any appeal of a judgment, the judgment entered in the proceeding is binding upon the parties and all other persons. Claim preclusion and issue preclusion apply to all matters adjudicated in the proceeding. Except for an action to enforce a judgment, the courts of this state do not have jurisdiction over an action by or against the governing body or municipal corporation named in the judgment if the purpose of the action is to seek judicial review or judicial examination, directly or indirectly, of a matter adjudicated in the proceeding. [Amended by 1975 c.133 §2; 1979 c.284 §69; 2001 c.537 §1; 2003 c.576 §234]