§ 1537.Plaintiff May Have Separate Action For Damages - Judgment of Ouster Or Dissolution

Chapter 29: Quo Warranto · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified August 3, 2026

In one sentenceSection 1537 lets a prevailing plaintiff who didn't claim damages in the original action sue separately for them within one year of judgment, and lets the court order the defendant ousted from the office, franchise, or corporate rights -- or, for a corporation, dissolved outright.

Full Text of § 1537

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When judgment is rendered in favor of the plaintiff, he may, if he has not claimed his damages in the action, have a separate action for the damages at any time within one (1) year after the judgment. The court may give judgment of ouster against the defendant, and exclude him from the office, franchise or corporate rights; and in cases of corporations, may give judgment that the same shall be dissolved.

End

Amendment History

R.L. 1910, § 4925.

Plain-English Summary

A plaintiff who wins doesn't have to claim damages in the same lawsuit. Section 1537 preserves a separate action for damages, but only if brought within one year after the judgment. The court's judgment itself can go further than declaring rights: it can order the defendant ousted and excluded from the office, franchise, or corporate rights at issue, and where the defendant is a corporation, the court can order it dissolved.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I win but didn't ask for damages, can I still get them later?

Yes, in a separate action, but it must be filed within one year after the judgment.

What can the court order besides declaring who's entitled to the office?

A judgment of ouster, excluding the defendant from the office, franchise, or corporate rights.

Can a corporation be dissolved as a result of this action?

Yes. In cases involving corporations, the court may give judgment that the corporation be dissolved.

Source & verification. Section text is reproduced verbatim from Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature. Last verified August 3, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: separate action for damages quo warranto oklahomajudgment of ouster oklahoma corporation dissolved12 O.S. § 1537corporate dissolution quo warranto oklahoma