ORS § 105 § 105.121

Forms in action for possession of group recovery home; limitation on issues; attorney fees.

In Force
Verified 10/26/2026 · Next check 11/2/2026
effective 10/7/2026OregonEviction & Just Cause

Operative Text

ORS § 105 § 105.121
(1) A former tenant removed from a group recovery home under ORS 90.440 may bring an action for injunctive relief to recover possession if the removal was wrongful or in bad faith.

(2) An action under this section shall be governed by the provisions of ORS 105.100 to 105.168 except that:

(a) The complaint shall be in substantially the following form and shall be available from the court clerk:

______________________________________________________________________________

IN THE _________ COURT FOR

THE COUNTY OF ____________

(Tenant), )

Plaintiff(s), )

)

vs. ) No.___

)

(Landlord), )

)

Defendant(s). )

COMPLAINT FOR RETURN

OF POSSESSION OF A

DWELLING UNIT IN A

GROUP RECOVERY HOME

I

Defendant is a group recovery home subject to ORS 90.440. Defendant removed plaintiff from the group recovery home dwelling unit rented by plaintiff from defendant at:

______________ (street and number)

______________ (city)

______________ (county)

II

Notice of removal from the dwelling unit was served on plaintiff under ORS 90.440. The notice of removal was served on:

______________ (date)

III

Plaintiff is entitled to possession of the dwelling unit because:

______ Defendant removed plaintiff wrongfully by failing to comply with the procedural requirements of ORS 90.440.

______ Defendant removed plaintiff wrongfully because plaintiff did not use or possess alcohol, marijuana or illegal drugs within seven days preceding delivery of a written notice of removal.

______ Defendant removed plaintiff under ORS 90.440 in bad faith.

Wherefore, plaintiff prays for possession of the group recovery home dwelling unit and costs and disbursements incurred herein.

________ ______________

Date Signature of plaintiff

______________________________________________________________________________

(b) The complaint shall be signed by the plaintiff or an attorney representing the plaintiff as provided by ORCP 17 and served by personal delivery on the group recovery home house president or a person in an equivalent leadership position for the group recovery home.

(c) The answer shall be in substantially the following form and shall be available from the court clerk:

______________________________________________________________________________

IN THE _________ COURT FOR

THE COUNTY OF ____________

(Tenant), )

)

Plaintiff(s), )

)

vs. ) No.___

)

(Landlord), )

)

Defendant(s). )

ANSWER

We deny that the plaintiff is entitled to possession of the group recovery home dwelling unit that is the subject of the complaint because:

______ The defendant removed the plaintiff in compliance with the procedural requirements of ORS 90.440.

______ The plaintiff used or possessed alcohol, marijuana or illegal drugs as described in ORS 90.440 within seven days preceding delivery of a written notice of removal.

______ The defendant did not remove the plaintiff in bad faith as alleged.

We ask that the plaintiff take nothing by the complaint and that we be awarded our costs and disbursements.

________ ______________

Date Signature of defendant

______________________________________________________________________________

(d) The issue at trial shall be limited to whether the plaintiff is entitled to possession of the dwelling unit described in the complaint.

(e) If the basis for the complaint is that removal was wrongful because the plaintiff did not use or possess alcohol, marijuana or illegal drugs, the defendant has the burden of proving that the plaintiff used or possessed alcohol, marijuana or illegal drugs as described in ORS 90.440 within seven days preceding delivery of the written notice of removal.

(f) A claim for damages may not be asserted by either party in the action for possession of the dwelling unit under this section, but each party may pursue any claim for damages in a separate action.

(g) A party may join an action for possession of the dwelling unit with an action for damages or a claim for other relief, but the proceeding is not governed by the provisions of ORS 105.100 to 105.168.

(h) If the court determines that the plaintiff is entitled to possession of the dwelling unit that is the subject of the complaint, the court shall enter an order directing the defendant to return possession of the dwelling unit to the plaintiff. The court may provide that the defendant have a period of time to deliver possession of the dwelling unit to the plaintiff.

(i) Subject to the provisions of ORCP 68, a prevailing party who has been represented by counsel may recover attorney fees as provided by ORS 90.255.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

ORS § 105.121 establishes a legal pathway for a former resident of a group recovery home to seek court-ordered return of their dwelling unit if they were removed under ORS 90.440 in a manner that was wrongful or carried out in bad faith. The provision sets out standardized complaint and answer forms, limits the trial to the single question of whether the former resident is entitled to possession, and places the burden on the recovery home to prove drug or alcohol use when that is the stated reason for removal. Damages cannot be sought in the same action but may be pursued separately, and a prevailing party represented by an attorney may recover attorney fees under ORS 90.255.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 7, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under ORS § 105.121, operators of group recovery homes that remove a resident under ORS 90.440 should be prepared to defend a possession action using the standardized answer form available from the court clerk, which requires demonstrating procedural compliance with ORS 90.440 or proving the resident's use or possession of alcohol, marijuana, or illegal drugs within the seven days before the written removal notice was delivered. Compliant operators generally maintain thorough documentation of the removal process, including dates of notice service and any evidence supporting the stated grounds for removal, because the burden of proving substance use shifts to the home in court. Operators should also be aware that a prevailing tenant may recover attorney fees under ORS 90.255, making careful adherence to ORS 90.440's procedural requirements a meaningful operational priority.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

ORS § 105.121 gives former group recovery home residents the right to file a court action for injunctive relief to recover possession of their dwelling unit if they believe their removal under ORS 90.440 was wrongful or in bad faith, using a standardized complaint form available from the court clerk. If the recovery home claims removal was based on substance use, the law places the burden on the home—not the former resident—to prove that alcohol, marijuana, or illegal drugs were used or possessed within seven days before the written removal notice. Former residents who prevail in such an action may be entitled to attorney fees under ORS 90.255, and those seeking to understand their options may find it helpful to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with Oregon housing law.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 7, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

Current
Oct 7, 2026
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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

ORS § 90.440
Not yet ingested
ORS § 105.100
Not yet ingested
ORS § 105.168
Not yet ingested
ORS § 90.255
Not yet ingested

References In

No inbound references recorded yet for this provision.

Related Rules

§ 151.20
TEMPORARY EVICTION CONTROLS AND RENT REDUCTIONS FOR MOBILE HOMES DAMAGED IN THE JANUARY, 1994 EARTHQUAKE
§ 1
Definitions
§ 2
Eviction of tenants prohibited; exceptions

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