University Medical Associates v. Multnomah County

645 P.2d 557, 57 Or. App. 451, 1982 Ore. App. LEXIS 2934
CourtCourt of Appeals of Oregon
DecidedMay 26, 1982
DocketNo. A8005-02502, CA 19619
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 645 P.2d 557 (University Medical Associates v. Multnomah County) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Oregon primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
University Medical Associates v. Multnomah County, 645 P.2d 557, 57 Or. App. 451, 1982 Ore. App. LEXIS 2934 (Or. Ct. App. 1982).

Opinion

RICHARDSON, P. J.

Plaintiff appeals from a judgment dismissing its complaint on defendant’s motion for summary judgment. The issue is whether circuit court clerks of Multnomah County are county or state employes for the purposes of tort liability under the theory of respondeat superior. Plaintiff brought an action against the county alleging that two circuit court clerks were county employes and were negligent in failing to process writs of attachment and notices of . garnishment within a reasonable time. Plaintiff alleges that, as a result of the negligence of the clerks, it was unable to collect a judgment. The county moved for summary judgment based on the affidavit of the circuit court administrator, which stated that the court administrator is hired by and responsible to the circuit court judges and that the circuit court clerks are hired by and responsible to the court administrator. In response, plaintiff filed an affidavit that did not dispute the facts set out in the court administrator’s affidavit but attached a copy of a Multnomah County ordinance, which plaintiff contends gave the county the right to control the circuit court administrator.

Plaintiff agrees that the circuit court clerks are under the direct supervision and control of the circuit court administrator and that the issue is whether the administrator is a county or a state employe. Both parties agree that the primary test to determine if a master servant relationship exists is the right to control. See Peeples v. Kawasaki Heavy Indust., Ltd., 288 Or 143, 603 P2d 765 (1979); Soderback v. Townsend, 57 Or App 366, 644 P2d 640 (1982); 1 Restatement 2d, Agency, § 220. The precise issue is whether the circuit court administrator is subject to the control or the right to control by the county.

In the first assignment plaintiff contends that there is a genuine issue of material fact to be decided and that defendant is therefore not entitled to a summary judgment. In Forest Grove Brick v. Strickland, 277 Or 81, 559 P2d 502 (1977), the court stated the standard for review of a grant of summary judgment:

“To warrant summary judgment the moving party must show that there is no genuine issue of material fact. It is not the function of this court on review to decide issues [454]*454of fact but solely to determine if there is an. issue of fact to be tried. We review the record on summary judgment in the light most favorable to the party opposing the motion.” (Footnote omitted.) 277 Or at 87.

Plaintiff, without pointing to any precise fact issue, contends that the issue of the county’s right to control the court administrator is an issue of fact and cites Jones v. Herr, 39 Or App 937, 594 P2d 410, rev den 287 Or 1 (1979), in support of its argument. In Jones v. Herr, supra, we determined that there was a fact issue whether the alleged agent was performing services in the business of the purported principal and whether the alleged tortious conduct of the agent was in the scope of any duties performed for the purported principal. Here, however, the issue of the right of control is one of law under the statutes creating the position of court administrator and the county ordinance purporting to exercise a measure of control over the duties of the administrator. The facts stated in the affidavit submitted with the motion for summary judgment were not controverted. We conclude that there is no outstanding issue of material fact to be decided.

In the second assignment plaintiff contends that as a matter of law the county had the right to control the circuit court administrator and was thus his employer. Plaintiff first argues that a comparison of the statute authorizing appointment of the state court administrator, ORS 8.110,1 with that creating the circuit court administrator, ORS 8.070,2 supports a conclusion that the circuit court administrator is a county employe. ORS 8.110 provides:

“The Supreme Court or a majority of the judges thereof shall appoint a State Court Administrator and fix his compensation and that of his staff. The State Court Administrator shall hold his office during the pleasure of the court. The State Court Administrator shall be paid monthly in the same manner as other state officers are paid.”

ORS 8.070 provides:

[455]*455“(1) In a single county judicial district described in ORS 3.011 with a population of 70,000 or more, according to the latest federal decennial census, the presiding judge may appoint a person to serve as court administrator subject to the approval of a majority of the judges of the circuit court. The administrator holds office at the pleasure of a majority of the judges of the circuit court, and shall perform the functions prescribed by court rule adopted by the judges of the circuit court of the judicial district where appointed.
“(2) A majority of the judges of the circuit court shall fix the compensation of the administrator, subject to the approval of the board of county commissioners. Such compensation shall be commensurate with the duties performed by the administrator and shall be paid by the county in the same manner as the salaries of county officers are paid.
* * * * »

Plaintiff points out that ORS 8.110 makes appointment of a state court administrator mandatory, while appointment of a circuit court administrator is discretionary. Although there is a difference in the terms used, the substance of each statute is the authority to appoint the administrator. If the circuit judges decide in their discretion to have a court administrator, they have the sole authority to appoint one. The county is given no authority to appoint. Plaintiff next notes that the salary of the state court administrator is fixed by the Supreme Court, is not subject to approval of any other body and is paid by the state. In contrast, the salary of the circuit court administrator is fixed by the court, but is subject to approval of the county and is paid by the county. The apparent argument is that because the county must approve and pay the administrator’s salary, the county is setting and paying the remuneration of its employe. In Multnomah County v. Hunter, 54 Or App 718, 635 P2d 1371 (1981), involving an analogous issue, we quoted the following from Harris v. State Ind. Acc. Comm., 191 Or 254, 271-72 230 P2d 175 (1951):

“ ‘The payment of wages is considered the least conclusive of the tests for determining whether the relation of employer and employee exists. It is not decisive where it is shown that the employee was actually under the control of another person during the progress of the work. * * *
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Bluebook (online)
645 P.2d 557, 57 Or. App. 451, 1982 Ore. App. LEXIS 2934, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/university-medical-associates-v-multnomah-county-orctapp-1982.