Evictions and Terminations During the Time of COVID-19

I know many of you are concerned about your families, your health, your jobs, and your loss of income, and are wondering how this might affect your ability to pay rent and about what might happen if you cannot pay your slip rent.

There have been a ton of Orders recently intended to address evictions by various jurisdictions – the courts, the state, and perhaps your county. It is definitely confusing.

Our Legal Aid of Oregon has made it more clear for you as of today, March 24, 2020.

Keep in mind that the status of things is changing daily and it is hard to keep up. But as of today, the attached information is reliable.

Important Information on Evictions (FEDs) in Oregon

As you know, the COVID-19 outbreak is causing many changes in Oregon. To prevent an increase in homelessness, and because it’s currently not safe for people to gather together in large groups, both Oregon’s Governor and the Chief Justice of the Oregon Supreme Court have issued orders that temporarily prevent most (but not all) evictions from moving forward. The Governor’s Order and the Chief Justice’s Order apply at different stages of evictions. 

The Chief Justice’s Order requires that most court appearances, including evictions, be postponed. We don’t know right now how long evictions will be postponed, but most likely until at least May 1, 2020, unless the Chief Justice issues a new order. Please keep checking back to this site for updated information. 

The Governor’s Order says sheriffs are not allowed to remove people from their homes in cases where there is already an eviction judgment in place, if the eviction was based on nonpayment of rent or a termination without cause. The Governor’s Order does not apply to evictions based on other reasons, like a violation of a rental agreement. The Governor’s Order will be in place until at least June 20, 2020, unless the Governor issues a new order. Please keep checking back to this site for updated information. 

Different rules may apply depending on the county that you live in. For example, in Multnomah County, until the end of Multnomah County’s declared State of Emergency, landlords are not allowed to start the eviction process for tenants who can’t pay rent, utilities, or other charges because of the current epidemic. We don’t know right now how long the State of Emergency will last. 

To learn more about the orders and how they may affect an eviction depending on where you are in the process click here...Read More