Amie N. Mckean, V. Josh Thomas

CourtCourt of Appeals of Washington
DecidedMarch 15, 2022
Docket55455-1
StatusUnpublished

This text of Amie N. Mckean, V. Josh Thomas (Amie N. Mckean, V. Josh Thomas) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals of Washington primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Amie N. Mckean, V. Josh Thomas, (Wash. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Filed Washington State Court of Appeals Division Two

March 15, 2022

IN THE COURT OF APPEALS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON

DIVISION II AMIE MCKEAN, No. 55455-1-II

Respondent,

v.

JOSH THOMAS, and any other residents of the UNPUBLISHED OPINION premises,

Appellant.

ASHCRAFT, J.P.T.1 – In this unlawful detainer action, the tenant, Josh Thomas, appeals the

trial court’s judgment in favor of his former landlord, Amie McKean, and the resulting writ of

restitution.2 Thomas challenges the trial court’s conclusion that he was in unlawful detainer of the

rental property, arguing that the trial court erred in concluding that the unacknowledged two-year

lease violated RCW 59.18.210 and was therefore unenforceable under the statute of frauds. He

also argues that the trial court erred when it failed to set an expedited trial to resolve issues of

1 Judge Ashcraft is serving as a judge pro tempore of the court pursuant to RCW 2.06.150. 2 We note that although Thomas has already vacated the premises and is not asserting that he had a right to possession of the property after the lease expired on September 1, 2021, this appeal is not moot because we can still offer relief in the form of reversing the attorney fees and costs the trial court awarded to McKean and allowing the trial court to consider whether to award attorney fees and costs to Thomas on remand. Tedford v. Guy, 13 Wn. App. 2d 1, 10 n.2, 462 P.3d 869 (2020) (appeal from unlawful detainer action is not moot when the tenant is no longer in possession of the property if the tenant continues to assert a right to possession or “has a monetary stake in the outcome of the proceedings.”). No. 55455-1-II

material fact and that the court failed to consider his responsive brief. Finally, he argues that the

trial court erred when it issued the writ of restitution because McKean’s unlawful detainer action

failed to comply with the affidavit requirement in Proclamation 20-19.4.3

We affirm the trial court’s unlawful detainer determination, but we reverse the writ of

restitution and the judgment in favor of McKean for attorney fees and costs. We remand to the

trial court for further action consistent with this opinion. And we deny both parties’ requests for

reasonable attorney fees and costs on appeal.

FACTS

I. SEPTEMBER 1, 2019 LEASE; TERMINATION OF RENT PAYMENTS

In December 2016, McKean began renting her property to Thomas. Thomas and McKean

signed a lease renewal for a two-year term, running from September 1, 2019 to September 1, 2021.

The September 1, 2019 lease stated that the monthly rent was $3,500. According to

Thomas, this was a significant increase in rent over the previous monthly rent of $2,800. Although

the September 1, 2019 lease was for more than a year, it was not “acknowledg[ed], witness[ed,] or

seal[ed]” as required under RCW 59.18.210.

Thomas ceased paying rent in December 2019. On January 8, 2020, Thomas filed a lawsuit

against McKean for “breach of landlord duties and violations of [his] right to privacy.” Clerk’s

Papers (CP) at 78.

3 Proclamation of Governor Jay Inslee, No. 20-19.4 (Wash. Oct. 14, 2020), https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/proclamations/proc_20-19.4.pdf [https://perma.cc/L2AS-CX23]. 2 No. 55455-1-II

II. MCKEAN’S UNLAWFUL DETAINER ACTIONS AND EVICTION MORATORIUM

In February 2020, McKean filed an unlawful detainer action against Thomas based on his

non-payment of rent. But on March 18, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Jay Inslee

issued Proclamation 20-19,4 which prohibited evictions for non-payment of rent. Proclamation 20-

19 was effective until April 17. The Governor subsequently extended the eviction moratorium

several times. See Proclamations 20-19.1,5 20-19.2,6 20-19.3,7 20-19.4. As a result of the eviction

moratorium, McKean voluntarily dismissed her original unlawful detainer action.

In addition to extending the eviction moratorium until October 15, Proclamation 20-19.3,

issued on July 24, also created an exception to the eviction moratorium if the landlord provided

“at least 60 days’ written notice of intent to . . . personally occupy the premises as a primary

residence.” Proclamation 20-19.3 at 4.

On August 28, soon after voluntarily dismissing her original unlawful detainer action,

McKean’s attorney signed a 60-day notice to terminate tenancy, stating that McKean “intend[ed]

4 Proclamation of Governor Jay Inslee, No. 20-19 (Wash. Mar. 18, 2020), https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/proclamations/20-19%20-%20COVID- 19%20Moratorium%20on%20Evictions%20%28tmp%29.pdf [https://perma.cc/BBN9-QEM8]. 5 Proclamation of Governor Jay Inslee, No. 20-19.1 (Wash. Apr. 16, 2020), https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/20-19.1%20-%20COVID- 19%20Moratorium%20on%20Evictions%20Extension%20%28tmp%29.pdf [https://perma.cc/G9YP-7HYP]. 6 Proclamation of Governor Jay Inslee, No. 20-19.2, https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/20- 19.2%20Coronavirus%20Evictions%20%28tmp%29.pdf [https://perma.cc/8VTV-9HK9]. 7 Proclamation of Governor Jay Inslee, No. 20-19.3 (Wash. July 24, 2020), https://www.governor.wa.gov/sites/default/files/proclamations/20- 19.3%20Coronavirus%20Evictions%20%28tmp%29.pdf [https://perma.cc/7GB3-MJKT]. 3 No. 55455-1-II

to personally occupy the premises . . . as her primary residence.” CP at 13. The notice stated that

Thomas’s tenancy would be terminated on October 31, 2020, and that he was required to surrender

possession of the premises on that day or McKean would start judicial eviction proceedings and

seek attorney fees and litigation costs. Thomas was served with the notice on August 29. The

August 28, 2020 notice did not include an affidavit from McKean regarding her intent to occupy

the property.

On October 14, after McKean served the August 28, 2020 notice to of intent to occupy the

premises, but before she sought to enforce it, the Governor issued Proclamation 20-19.4. In

addition to extending the eviction moratorium until December 31, Proclamation 20.19-4 required,

for the first time, that any 60-day notice of intent to occupy the premises as a primary residence

“shall be in the form of an affidavit signed under penalty of perjury.” Proclamation 20-19.4 at 5.

On November 3, McKean filed a second complaint for unlawful detainer and a motion for

order to show cause seeking a writ of restitution. McKean argued that because the two-year lease

was not “acknowledged,” it did not comply with the statute of frauds, which converted the lease

into a month-to-month tenancy, and that she now wished to occupy the property as her primary

residence. CP at 5.

Also on November 3, McKean filed a notarized affidavit “pursuant to Proclamation by the

Governor 20-19.4,” in which she stated under penalty of perjury that she intended to occupy the

property as her primary residence once Thomas vacated the property. Id. at 16 (capitalization

omitted). McKean’s complaint and motion for order to show cause with the attached affidavit were

served on Thomas on November 6.

4 No. 55455-1-II

Two weeks later, Thomas filed an amended complaint for damages against McKean in his

separate action.

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