§ ORCP 43. Production of documents and things and entry upon land for inspection and other purposes

ORCP 43. Production of documents and things and entry upon land for inspection and other purposes

A Scope. Any party may serve on any other party a request: (1) to produce and permit the party making the request, or someone acting on behalf of the party making the request, to inspect and copy any designated documents (including electronically stored information, writings, drawings, graphs, charts, photographs, sound recordings, images, and other data or data compilations from which information can be obtained and translated, if necessary, by the respondent through detection devices or software into reasonably usable form) or to inspect and copy, test, or sample any tangible things which constitute or contain matters within the scope of Rule 36 B and which are in the possession, custody, or control of the party upon whom the request is served; or (2) to permit entry upon designated land or other property in the possession or control of the party upon whom the request is served for the purpose of inspection and measuring, surveying, photographing, testing, or sampling the property or any designated object or operation thereon, within the scope of Rule 36 B.

B Procedure.

B(1) A party may serve a request on the plaintiff after commencement of the action and on any other party with or after service of the summons on that party. The request shall identify any items requested for inspection, copying, or related acts by individual item or by category described with reasonable particularity, designate any land or other property upon which entry is requested, and shall specify a reasonable place and manner for the inspection, copying, entry, and related acts.

B(2) A request shall not require a defendant to produce or allow inspection, copying, entry, or other related acts before the expiration of 45 days after service of summons, unless the court specifies a shorter time. Otherwise, within 30 days after service of a request in accordance with subsection B(1) of this rule, or such other time as the court may order or the parties may agree upon in writing, a party shall serve a response that includes the following:

B(2)(a) a statement that, except as specifically objected to, any requested item within the party's possession or custody is provided, or will be provided or made available within the time allowed and at the place and in the manner specified in the request, which items shall be organized and labeled to correspond with the categories in the request;

B(2)(b) as to any requested item not in the party's possession or custody, a statement that reasonable effort has been made to obtain it, unless specifically objected to, or that no such item is within the party's control;

B(2)(c) as to any land or other property, a statement that entry will be permitted as requested unless specifically objected to; and

B(2)(d) any objection to a request or a part thereof and the reason for each objection.

B(3) Any objection not stated in accordance with subsection B(2) of this rule is waived. Any objection to only a part of a request shall clearly state the part objected to. An objection does not relieve the requested party of the duty to comply with any request or part thereof not specifically objected to.

B(4) A party served in accordance with subsection B(1) of this rule is under a continuing duty during the pendency of the action to produce promptly any item responsive to the request and not objected to which comes into the party's possession, custody, or control.

B(5) A party who moves for an order under Rule 46 A(2) regarding any objection or other failure to respond or to permit inspection, copying, entry, or related acts as requested, shall do so within a reasonable time.

C Writing called for need not be offered. Though a writing called for by one party is produced by the other, and is inspected by the party calling for it, the party requesting production is not obliged to offer it in evidence.

D Persons not parties. A person not a party to the action may be compelled to produce books, papers, documents, or tangible things and to submit to an inspection thereof as provided in Rule 55. This rule does not preclude an independent action against a person not a party for permission to enter upon land.

E Electronically stored information. A request for electronically stored information may specify the form in which the information is to be produced by the responding party but, if no such specification is made, the responding party must produce the information in either the form in which it is ordinarily maintained or in a reasonably useful form.