Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Small Claims Limit topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public testimony supports raising small claims limit; advocates ask for tenant protections
Summary
Senate Bill 484 would raise Oregon small-claims court limits from $10,000 to $20,000; testimony included business concerns about inflation since the $10,000 limit was set and tenant advocates seeking a higher floor for certain tenant claims.
Senate Bill 484 would increase the monetary limit for civil actions allowed in small claims court from $10,000 to $20,000, the bill’s sponsor told the Senate Committee on Judiciary.
Senator David Brock Smith said the increase reflects inflation since the $10,000 cap was set and would help small businesses that must pursue unpaid claims through the courts. “It takes a lot, especially if you're a small business…to deal with individuals that won't pay,” he said.
Timothy Morris, executive director of the Springfield–Eugene Tenant Association, testified in support of raising the small-claims limit generally but asked the committee to amend the bill to add tenant-specific protections: raise the statutory floor that some courts require from $750 to $2,000 for tenants seeking remedies against unresponsive or hostile landlords. Morris said tenants “often have very few options to resolve significant concerns in their homes,” and that legal fees and other barriers prevent many renters from accessing court remedies.
A committee member summarized that the small-claims cap had not been updated in many years and noted recorded statutory entries in 1997, 2009 and 2011 as the last amendments seen in the cited statute. The committee closed the public hearing on SB 484 with no committee vote recorded at that time.
No formal amendments or votes were made during the hearing; the committee indicated it may consider the general increase and invited further input on the tenant-protection amendment offered by Morris.
