Marc Caplan

Public notices, presented in newspapers such as the Daily Journal of Commerce, are a critical source of information for citizens. They allow views into a variety of court-related actions, government activities and private sector business.

Experts in the area of public notice concur there are four key elements that establish the validity and legitimacy of notices.

To start, notices must be published by an independent and neutral entity, such as a newspaper with an arms-length-only business relationship with the advertiser.

Secondly, notices must be archived. That feature allows a viewer to access a notice at any time following its publication.

Following in that vein, the public must be provided with easy access to view notices.

Finally, notices must be verifiable through issuance by the newspaper of a signed, notarized affidavit of publication, documenting a notice was published on the stated date or dates in a newspaper determined by state code to be compliant and acceptable for publishing public notices.

Ensuring that all four of the key elements are in place when a public notice is published is something that is best handled by an entity with an established, long-term record working with the parties that more often publish public notices: attorneys, law firms and judges, along with municipalities, school districts and private-sector business clients.

The Daily Journal of Commerce, for example, has a long history as the paper of record for the city of Portland. (Visit the public notice section of our website. Registration is required.) In addition, the Daily Journal of Commerce’s legal/public notices staff has been specially trained to assist advertisers with all facets of handling notices, from timely scheduling of publication to compliance and notice writing. That dedication pays off with an attention to detail and an accuracy seen in the public notices published on the following pages of this section.

Should you have any questions about the process of publishing public notices, please feel free to contact me.

Marc Caplan is the public notice manager for the Daily Journal of Commerce. Contact him at 503-802-7205 or marc.caplan@djcOregon.com.