Tomorrow morning the City Council will take up a bill proposed by Councilmembers Lewis and Sawant that would provide free legal representation to all tenants in Seattle facing eviction.
Continue readingCategory: housing
King County judge rules in favor of city on tenant protection ordinances
Today King County Superior Court Judge Johanna Bender issued a ruling almost entirely upholding three tenant protection ordinances passed by the City Council last year.
Continue readingJustCare program faces fiscal cliff next month, scrambles for new funding
The JustCare program, which takes a compassionate and constructive approach to bringing off the streets 130 of downtown Seattle’s homeless individuals causing the greatest issues, is set to run out of money next month. That has left organizers and some local officials scrambling to find additional funds to keep the program running through September.
Continue readingCity, state get win in court on eviction moratoria
This morning, U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge J. Richard Creatura published a ruling in favor of the City of Seattle and the State of Washington, and denying a request for a preliminary injunction blocking the city and state moratoria on residential evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Continue readingNew lawsuit challenges Seattle eviction bans, rent-installment-plan mandate
On Friday, the Rental Housing Association and a number of landlords filed suit in King County Superior Court to challenge the City of Seattle’s two eviction-ban ordinances and its ordinance requiring that tenants be offered an installment plan and up to a year to repay back-rent.
Continue readingLandlords file legal challenge to eviction moratorium
Yesterday a group of landlords filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court to challenge the temporary bans on evictions enacted by Governor Inslee and Mayor Durkan, the extension of Durkan’s ban passed by the City Council, and the Council’s ordinance requiring landlords to allow tenants to repay back rent in installments.
Continue readingFort Lawton lawsuit might be over soon
When we last looked in on Elizabeth Campbell’s legal attempt to derail the redevelopment of the old Fort Lawton army base as affordable housing, her attorney was running for the closest exit. Then COVID happened, and the court system ground to a halt. But today Campbell and the other parties in the case filed a joint status update with the court — and it’s clear that the City of Seattle has run out of patience.
Continue readingCatching up on court cases: May edition
The wheels of justice are continuing to turn, albeit slower, during the COVID-19 shutdown. Let’s look at four cases the city is involved in, and catch up on the most recent actions.
Continue readingMorales, Sawant lobby for suspension of rent and mortgage payments
In order to help people stay housed during the economic chaos caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, Council members Morales and Sawant are urging state and federal officials to suspend rent and mortgage payments with no accumulation of back-rent or debt. But there’s a snag.
Continue readingCatching up on some old court cases with recent twists
Since the Council’s schedule is currently reduced due to the COVID-19 response, it’s a god time to catch up on some of the city’s ongoing litigation. There are four cases that have been kicking around for a while and recently saw some activity.
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