Webb v. Highway Division of the Oregon State Department of Transportation

641 P.2d 1158, 56 Or. App. 323, 1982 Ore. App. LEXIS 2459
Court of Appeals of Oregon·Decided March 8, 1982·No. No. 79-2119, CA A20056·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

WARREN, J.

This is a personal injury action arising from a collision between a vehicle driven by defendant’s employe and plaintiffs automobile. The trial court granted summary judgment for defendant on the ground that plaintiff did not comply with the Oregon Tort Claims Act notice requirement, ORS 30.275(1), which at the relevant time provided:

“Every person who claims damages from a public body or from an officer, employe or agent of a public body acting within the scope of his employment or duties for or on account of any loss or injury within the scope of ORS 30.260 to 30.300 shall cause to be presented to the public body within 180 days after the alleged loss or injury a written notice stating the time, place and circumstances thereof, the name of the claimant and of his representative or attorney, if any, and the amount of compensation or other relief demanded. Claims against the State of Oregon or a state officer, employe or agent shall be presented to the Attorney General. Claims against any local public body or an officer, employe or agent thereof shall be presented to a person upon whom process could be served upon the public body in accordance with subsection 3 of ORS 15.080. Notice of claim shall be served upon the Attorney General or local public body’s representative for service of process either personally or by certified mail, return receipt requested. A notice of claim which does not contain the information required by this subsection, or which is presented in any other manner than herein provided is invalid, except that failure to state the amount of compensation or other relief demanded does not invalidate the notice.”

The accident occurred on February 12, 1979. On March 7, 1979, plaintiff sent a notice of his claim by first class mail addressed to a claims investigator for the Department of Justice. The letter was received by the investigator, who acknowledged its receipt and stated that the claim would be investigated, which it was. At trial, both parties moved for summary judgment on the issue of notice.

On appeal, plaintiff contends that the trial court erred in granting defendant’s motion for summary judgment. He makes three arguments: (1) he had substantially [326] complied with the notice requirement; (2) defendant had waived its right or is estopped to assert any defects in the notice; and (3) ORS 30.275 is unconstitutional, both on its face and as applied in this case.

Plaintiff maintains that Brown v. Portland School Dist. No. 1., 291 Or 77, 628 P2d 1183 (1981), requires a finding that his notice of claim was adequate under the doctrine of substantial compliance. In Brown, a plurality of the court found that when the statutorily designated official had received notice of the claim by first class rather than certified mail, there was substantial compliance with ORS 30.275(1). In this case, notice was sent by regular mail to a claims investigator employed by the Department of Justice rather than to the Attorney General as required by statute. There is no evidence or contention made by plaintiff that the investigator or the Department of Justice was authorized by the Attorney General to receive a tort claim notice. There is no evidence that actual notice of the claim was received by the Attorney General or his office within 180 days after the accident in which plaintiff sustained his injury.1 In two cases decided by this court subsequent to the Supreme Court’s decision in Brown, we have rejected plaintiffs first contention. Riddle v. Cain, 54 Or App 474, 635 P2d 394, rev den 292 Or 334 (1981), held that when notice was not received by the statutorily designated official, it was not adequate. See also, Foti v. Yamhill County, 55 Or App 86, 89-90, 637 P2d 205 (1981), rev den 296 Or 581 (1982). Because plaintiffs notice was not received by the Attorney General, we find that he was not in substantial compliance with ORS 30.275(1).

Plaintiff argues that if there was not substantial compliance in this case, then defendant waived its right to challenge the sufficiency of the notice or should be estopped to assert it, because the investigator acknowledged receipt of plaintiffs claim, stated it would be investigated and then proceeded to investigate it without informing plaintiff of his non-compliance with ORS 30.275(1).2

[327] The short answer to plaintiffs waiver contention is that if the right to insist upon notice complying with ORS 30.275 can be waived, waiver cannot result from conduct or inaction of a person not unauthorized to receive notice on behalf of defendant. It is not claimed that the state employe to whom notice was sent was the proper party to receive it, and it follows that any purported waiver by him would be beyond his authority. Bankus v. City of Brookings, 252 Or 257, 260, 449 P2d 646 (1969). Moreover, in Brown v. Portland School Dist. No. 1, supra, 291 Or at 84, the Supreme Court concluded that to prevail on a theory of waiver, plaintiff must show a decisive act indicating a purpose to waive the tort claim notice requirements. The court also stated that investigation of the claim was not sufficient to show an intentional relinquishment of the defendant’s right to require proper notice under the statute. Nothing more occurred in this case, and we conclude that the facts do not show a waiver.3

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Webb v. Highway Division of the Oregon State Department of Transportation, 641 P.2d 1158, 56 Or. App. 323, 1982 Ore. App. LEXIS 2459 (Or. Ct. App. 1982).

641 P.2d 1158 (Webb v. Highway Division of the Oregon State Department of Transportation) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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