Cash Flow Investors, Inc. v. Union Oil Co.

This case comes to us on a certified question from the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. That court stated the relevant facts as follows:

“Plaintiff sought contribution from defendant Union Oil Company of California under ORS 465.255(5)(b) for its costs incurred in a state-mandated cleanup of a former gas station site [contaminated by gasoline that had leaked from underground storage tanks]. Plaintiff was the owner of the underlying property and defendant was formerly the franchisor of the gas station and lessee of the property.

“After trial of two and one-half days, this…