Oregon Legal Research Blog
Are you wondering if the builder of that house or development you just moved into is going to declare bankruptcy or otherwise disappear before you finish painting your new kitchen?
I’m still waiting on some calls back from a few experts for more information, but here is what has been recommended to me so far (not all of the following will apply to your specific situation, so use your judgment):
1) Don’t assume the worst, at least not at first, but do your research, soon. And, as with any research, keep good notes on when, where, what, who, every step of the way:
2) Contact the developer, builder, or contractor directly and ask questions.
3) If you don’t have a contact number, visit the Oregon Secretary of State, Corporation Division and search their databases, or
4) Contact the Oregon Construction Contractor Board (CCB), or
5) Contact the Oregon Division of Finance and Corporate Securities (DFCS).
6) Review Oregon Bankruptcy Court webpages for notices and databases about bankruptcy filings.
7) Contact the Oregon Attorney General’s office, including their consumer webpages.
8) Check local building permits, usually at the city’s or county’s government offices (e.g. in Washington County, you would go here)
9) News stories: Newspaper sites often have only recent stories on their web pages. Looking for, older, archived stories may require you to search a newspaper database. (Note about finding old news stories: Many news sources do not maintain free archives of back issues. Most public libraries, however, have newspaper databases that can be searched free of charge, often remotely (i.e. from any computer, with your library card).)
10) At some point, you may also want or have to hire a lawyer: How to Find a Lawyer in Oregon