Oregon Statutes 197.830 – Review procedures; standing; fees; deadlines; rules; issues subject to review; attorney fees and costs; publication of orders; mediation; tracking of reviews
(1) Review of land use decisions or limited land use decisions under ORS § 197.830 to 197.845 shall be commenced by filing a notice of intent to appeal with the Land Use Board of Appeals.
Terms Used In Oregon Statutes 197.830
- Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
- local government: means all cities, counties and local service districts located in this state, and all administrative subdivisions of those cities, counties and local service districts. See Oregon Statutes 174.116
- Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
- Person: includes individuals, corporations, associations, firms, partnerships, limited liability companies and joint stock companies. See Oregon Statutes 174.100
- Probable cause: A reasonable ground for belief that the offender violated a specific law.
- Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
- Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.
- Writ: A formal written command, issued from the court, requiring the performance of a specific act.
(2) Except as provided in ORS § 197.620, a person may petition the board for review of a land use decision or limited land use decision if the person:
(a) Filed a notice of intent to appeal the decision as provided in subsection (1) of this section; and
(b) Appeared before the local government, special district or state agency orally or in writing.
(3) If a local government makes a land use decision without providing a hearing, except as provided under ORS § 215.416 (11) or 227.175 (10), or the local government makes a land use decision that is different from the proposal described in the notice of hearing to such a degree that the notice of the proposed action did not reasonably describe the local government’s final actions, a person adversely affected by the decision may appeal the decision to the board under this section:
(a) Within 21 days of actual notice where notice is required; or
(b) Within 21 days of the date a person knew or should have known of the decision where no notice is required.
(4) If a local government makes a land use decision without a hearing pursuant to ORS § 215.416 (11) or 227.175 (10):
(a) A person who was not provided notice of the decision as required under ORS § 215.416 (11)(c) or 227.175 (10)(c) may appeal the decision to the board under this section within 21 days of receiving actual notice of the decision.
(b) A person who is not entitled to notice under ORS § 215.416 (11)(c) or 227.175 (10)(c) but who is adversely affected or aggrieved by the decision may appeal the decision to the board under this section within 21 days after the expiration of the period for filing a local appeal of the decision established by the local government under ORS § 215.416 (11)(a) or 227.175 (10)(a).
(c) A person who receives notice of a decision made without a hearing under ORS § 215.416 (11) or 227.175 (10) may appeal the decision to the board under this section within 21 days of receiving actual notice of the nature of the decision, if the notice of the decision did not reasonably describe the nature of the decision.
(d) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this subsection, a person who receives notice of a decision made without a hearing under ORS § 215.416 (11) or 227.175 (10) may not appeal the decision to the board under this section.
(5) If a local government makes a limited land use decision which is different from the proposal described in the notice to such a degree that the notice of the proposed action did not reasonably describe the local government’s final actions, a person adversely affected by the decision may appeal the decision to the board under this section:
(a) Within 21 days of actual notice where notice is required; or
(b) Within 21 days of the date a person knew or should have known of the decision where no notice is required.
(6) The appeal periods described in subsections (3), (4) and (5) of this section:
(a) May not exceed three years after the date of the decision, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection.
(b) May not exceed 10 years after the date of the decision if notice of a hearing or an administrative decision made pursuant to ORS § 197.195 or 197.797 is required but has not been provided.
(7)(a) Within 21 days after a notice of intent to appeal has been filed with the board under subsection (1) of this section, any person described in paragraph (b) of this subsection may intervene in and be made a party to the review proceeding by filing a motion to intervene and by paying a filing fee of $100.
(b) Persons who may intervene in and be made a party to the review proceedings, as set forth in subsection (1) of this section, are:
(A) The applicant who initiated the action before the local government, special district or state agency; or
(B) Persons who appeared before the local government, special district or state agency, orally or in writing.
(c) Failure to comply with the deadline or to pay the filing fee set forth in paragraph (a) of this subsection shall result in denial of a motion to intervene.
(8) If a state agency whose order, rule, ruling, policy or other action is at issue is not a party to the proceeding, it may file a brief with the board as if it were a party. The brief shall be due on the same date the respondent’s brief is due and shall be accompanied by a filing fee of $100.
(9) A notice of intent to appeal a land use decision or limited land use decision shall be filed not later than 21 days after the date the decision sought to be reviewed becomes final. A notice of intent to appeal plan and land use regulation amendments processed pursuant to ORS § 197.610 to 197.625 shall be filed not later than 21 days after notice of the decision sought to be reviewed is mailed or otherwise submitted to parties entitled to notice under ORS § 197.615. Failure to include a statement identifying when, how and to whom notice was provided under ORS § 197.615 does not render the notice defective. Copies of the notice of intent to appeal shall be served upon the local government, special district or state agency and the applicant of record, if any, in the local government, special district or state agency proceeding. The notice shall be served and filed in the form and manner prescribed by rule of the board and shall be accompanied by a filing fee of $300. If a petition for review is not filed with the board as required in subsections (10) and (11) of this section, the board shall award the filing fee to the local government, special district or state agency.
(10)(a) Within 21 days after service of the notice of intent to appeal, the local government, special district or state agency shall transmit to the board the original or a certified copy of the entire record of the proceeding under review. By stipulation of all parties to the review proceeding the record may be shortened. The board may require or permit subsequent corrections to the record; however, the board shall issue an order on a motion objecting to the record within 60 days of receiving the motion. If the board denies a petitioner’s objection to the record, the board may establish a new deadline for the petition for review to be filed that may not be less than 14 days from the later of the original deadline for the brief or the date of denial of the petitioner’s record objection.
(b) Within 10 days after service of a notice of intent to appeal, the board shall provide notice to the petitioner and the respondent of their option to enter into mediation pursuant to ORS § 197.860. Any person moving to intervene shall be provided such notice within seven days after a motion to intervene is filed. The notice required by this paragraph shall be accompanied by a statement that mediation information or assistance may be obtained from the Department of Land Conservation and Development.
(11) A petition for review of the land use decision or limited land use decision and supporting brief shall be filed with the board as required by the board under subsection (13) of this section.
(12) The petition shall include a copy of the decision sought to be reviewed and shall state:
(a) The facts that establish that the petitioner has standing.
(b) The date of the decision.
(c) The issues the petitioner seeks to have reviewed.
(13)(a) The board shall adopt rules establishing deadlines for filing petitions and briefs and for oral argument.
(b) The local government or state agency may withdraw its decision for purposes of reconsideration at any time:
(A) Subsequent to the filing of a notice of intent; and
(B) Prior to:
(i) The date set for filing the record; or
(ii) On appeal of a decision under ORS § 197.610 to 197.625 or relating to the development of a residential structure, the filing of the respondent’s brief.
(c) If a local government or state agency withdraws an order for purposes of reconsideration, it shall, within such time as the board may allow, affirm, modify or reverse its decision. If the petitioner is dissatisfied with the local government or agency action after withdrawal for purposes of reconsideration, the petitioner may refile the notice of intent and the review shall proceed upon the revised order. An amended notice of intent is not required if the local government or state agency, on reconsideration, affirms the order or modifies the order with only minor changes.
(14) The board shall issue a final order within 77 days after the date of transmittal of the record. If the order is not issued within 77 days the applicant may apply in Marion County or the circuit court of the county where the application was filed for a writ of mandamus to compel the board to issue a final order.
(15) Upon entry of its final order, the board:
(a) May, in its discretion, award costs to the prevailing party including the cost of preparation of the record if the prevailing party is the local government, special district or state agency whose decision is under review.
(b) Shall award reasonable attorney fees and expenses to the prevailing party against any other party who the board finds presented a position or filed any motion without probable cause to believe the position or motion was well-founded in law or on factually supported information.
(c) Shall award costs and attorney fees to a party as provided in ORS § 197.843.
(16) Orders issued under this section may be enforced in appropriate judicial proceedings.
(17)(a) The board shall provide for the publication of its orders that are of general public interest in the form it deems best adapted for public convenience. The publications shall constitute the official reports of the board.
(b) Any moneys collected or received from sales by the board shall be paid into the Board Publications Account established by ORS § 197.832.
(18) Except for any sums collected for publication of board opinions, all fees collected by the board under this section that are not awarded as costs shall be paid over to the State Treasurer to be credited to the General Fund.
(19) The board shall track and report on its website:
(a) The number of reviews commenced, as described in subsection (1) of this section, the number of reviews commenced for which a petition is filed under subsection (2) of this section and, in relation to each of those numbers, the rate at which the reviews result in a decision of the board to uphold, reverse or remand the land use decision or limited land use decision. The board shall track and report reviews under this paragraph in categories established by the board.
(b) A list of petitioners, the number of reviews commenced and the rate at which the petitioner’s reviews have resulted in decisions of the board to uphold, reverse or remand the land use decision or limited land use decision.
(c) A list of respondents, the number of reviews involving each respondent and the rate at which reviews involving the respondent have resulted in decisions of the board to uphold, reverse or remand the land use decision or limited land use decision. Additionally, when a respondent is the local government that made the land use decision or limited land use decision, the board shall track whether the local government appears before the board.
(d) A list of reviews, and a brief summary of the circumstances in each review, under which the board exercises its discretion to require a losing party to pay the attorney fees of the prevailing party. [1983 c.827 § 31; 1985 c.119 § 3; 1987 c.278 § 1; 1987 c.729 § 16; 1989 c.761 § 12; 1991 c.817 § 7; 1993 c.143 § 1; 1993 c.310 § 1; 1995 c.160 § 1; 1995 c.595 § 3; 1997 c.187 § 1; 1997 c.452 § 1; 1999 c.255 § 2; 1999 c.348 § 17; 1999 c.621 § 3; 2003 c.791 § 28; 2003 c.793 § 6; 2009 c.885 § 38; 2011 c.280 § 9; 2011 c.483 § 1; 2013 c.513 § 1; 2019 c.221 § 1; 2019 c.447 § 1; 2021 c.61 § 1; 2021 c.385 § 3; 2023 c.223 § 5]