Partlow v. Clark

671 P.2d 103, 295 Or. 778, 1983 Ore. LEXIS 1629
CourtOregon Supreme Court
DecidedOctober 25, 1983
DocketTC 16-81-06494, CA A23332, SC 29157
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 671 P.2d 103 (Partlow v. Clark) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Oregon Supreme Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Partlow v. Clark, 671 P.2d 103, 295 Or. 778, 1983 Ore. LEXIS 1629 (Or. 1983).

Opinion

CAMPBELL, J.

The issue in this case: Is an owner’s interest in real property under a dissolution decree issued by a court of the county in which the land is located, but not recorded in the deed records of that county, void as to a subsequent purchaser for value who has not received actual notice? To say it differently — is it necessary to record a dissolution decree in the deed records as authorized by Oregon statutes to give constructive notice of it when the real property is located in the county in which the decree was issued?

We answer both versions of the question in the negative and affirm the result reached by the Court of Appeals, but remand to the trial court for a different purpose.

Phyllis Lee Partlow, the plaintiff, was previously married to Edward Dennis Rembert. Immediately before the dissolution of their marriage, Edward Dennis Rembert was the record owner of the Lane County real property in question. The decree of dissolution entered by the Circuit Court of Lane County on May 22,1975, awarded an undivided one-half interest in the property to the wife, the plaintiff herein, as a tenant in common.1 The decree further provided that “all documents necessary for the transfer of title” be executed within 60 days and that in the event of failure to do so “this decree shall be deemed the equivalent thereof.” On the same date a judgment for child support and attorney fees was docketed in the judgment docket for Lane County, but the decree was not recorded in the deed records.2 By deed recorded April 9,1976, Rembert purported to convey the fee title of the entire tract to third persons. By deed recorded on August 10, 1978, the property was conveyed by the third persons -to [781]*781Chester C. Clark and Mary L. Clark, husband and wife, the defendants herein.

On September 12, 1981, the plaintiff filed her amended complaint in this action seeking to partition the property and to recover damages for the cutting of timber. Both parties moved for a summary judgment, each claiming to be the owner of the undivided one-half interest in question as a matter of law. The plaintiff claimed under the dissolution decree and the defendants claimed to be bonafide purchasers for value. The plaintiff has never questioned the defendants’ contention that they paid a valuable consideration for the property and had no actual notice of the plaintiffs interest. Summary judgment was granted to the defendants. The trial court in effect held that because the plaintiff did not record the dissolution decree in the deed records of Lane County, the defendants did not receive constructive notice of her interests in the property and therefore the decree was void as to the defendants who were bonafide purchasers for value.

The plaintiff appealed to the Court of Appeals. That court in an In Banc opinion reversed and remanded to the trial court. Two judges dissented. 60 Or App 237, 653 P2d 568 (1982). We allowed the defendants’ petition for review. We affirm the Court of Appeals, but reach that result for different reasons.

The defendants contend that this case is controlled by ORS 93.680(l)(b), ORS 93.640(1), and Temple v. Osburn, 55 Or 506, 106 P 16 (1910). ORS 93.680(l)(b) is as follows:

“(1) The following are entitled to be recorded in the record of deeds of the county in which the lands lie, in like manner and with like effect as conveyances of land duly acknowledged, proved or certified.
* * * *
“(b) Judgments of courts in this state requiring the execution of a conveyance of real estate within this state.”

The relevant part of ORS 93.640(1) provides:

“Every conveyance, deed, land sale contract or other agreement or memorandum thereof affecting the title of real property within this state which is not recorded as provided by law is void as against any subsequent purchaser in good [782]*782faith and for a valuable consideration of the same real property, or any portion thereof, whose conveyance, deed, land sale contract or other agreement or memorandum thereof is first filed for record * *

The defendants claim that even though ORS 93.680(1)(b) is permissive on its face, Temple v. Osburn, supra, makes it mandatory and therefore it is necessary to record a decree requiring the conveyance of real property in the deed records. Then as a second step, the defendants claim failure to record a decree in the deed records triggers the consequences of ORS 93.640(1) and the decree is void as to subsequent purchasers for value without notice.

Temple v. Osburn, supra, was a suit to remove a cloud on 163 acres in Lane County. On January 19,1905, the patent from the United States Government to Texana Brown conveying that land was recorded in the deed records. Texana Brown was the former wife of S. W. Brown, one of the defendants. On October 7,1905, Texana Brown for a valuable consideration conveyed the land to Minnie B. Temple, the plaintiff. Temple did not record her deed until a later date. On May 22,1906, S. W. Brown instituted a suit against his former wife alleging that she held the property in trust for him. A decree was entered “directing that within 30 days she convey the title to the lands to Brown, upon failure of which the decree would stand in lieu of such conveyance.” 55 Or at 508. The decree was entered in “the journals of the court” but not recorded in the deed records. On June 22,1906, S. W. Brown conveyed to some of the other defendants an undivided one-half interest in the property. On September 22, 1906, Minnie B. Temple recorded her deed from Texana Brown. This court, in reversing the trial court’s decree in favor of the defendants, said:

“* * * Section 5373, B. & C. Comp.,3 requires, as a condition precedent to a decree having the effect of a deed, that it first [783]*783be recorded in the record of deeds in the county in which the land is situated. This was not done in the case at bar. True, the decree becomes effective without having been recorded, but, unless such requirement is complied with, those asserting title thereunder are in no better position than if holding through an unrecorded deed, and when not recorded the first conveyance executed will prevail.” 55 Or at 511.

The plaintiff Partlow, in the case at bar, in effect denies the previously set forth contentions of the defendants Clark. By way of “counter-attack,” the plaintiff claims: (1) a decree is not a conveyance and ORS 93.640 does not apply where title to real property is acquired by operation of law, and (2) the defendants are charged with constructive notice of the plaintiffs dissolution decree and therefore with notice of plaintiffs interest in the real property.

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Bluebook (online)
671 P.2d 103, 295 Or. 778, 1983 Ore. LEXIS 1629, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/partlow-v-clark-or-1983.