Rule 18.010.Definition
Current through August 1, 2026 · Last verified September 12, 2026
Full Text of Rule 18.010
Plain-English Summary
Forcible entry and detainer, usually shortened to FED, is the name Oregon law gives the action that decides who is entitled to possession of property. This rule does not define that action. It defines a narrower label, the eviction action, and ties it to a source: a forcible entry and detainer action brought under ORS chapter 90.
The definition matters because the rest of the chapter turns on whether ORS chapter 90 applies. The plaintiff marks the caption when the case is subject to it, states the answer in the complaint, uses the published complaint form when it applies, and any proposed order or judgment must contain a finding on the question. The chapter is built around a single yes or no, and this rule is where the question is framed.
One wrinkle is worth noticing. The text says the definition is given for purposes of this rule, while the defined phrase appears in the rules that follow it. Read in context with the chapter, it functions as the chapter's definition, and the other rules use the term exactly as it is defined here.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an eviction action under the Oregon court rules?
A forcible entry and detainer action brought under ORS chapter 90. That is the whole of the definition in UTCR 18.010, and every other rule in the chapter uses the phrase in that sense.
What does FED stand for?
Forcible entry and detainer. It is the traditional name for the action that resolves the right to possession, and the chapter uses it as a heading while the rules themselves speak of the eviction action.
Is every FED case an eviction action under this chapter?
No. The definition covers a forcible entry and detainer action brought under ORS chapter 90. That is why the following rules repeatedly ask the plaintiff and the court to indicate whether a case is subject to that chapter rather than assuming it.
Where does the ORS chapter 90 question show up in a case?
In the rules that follow. UTCR 18.020 puts it in the caption of the complaint, UTCR 18.030 puts it in the complaint itself and prescribes a form, and UTCR 18.040 requires a finding on it in any proposed order or judgment.
Does this definition change how I file?
Not by itself. It supplies the vocabulary the other rules use. The filing consequences live in UTCR 18.020 and UTCR 18.030, and the judgment consequences in UTCR 18.040.